Microsoft has announced that it will move Edge to a four-week release cycle, in order to match the four-week major release cycle that Google recently announced for Chrome.
Why Will Microsoft Edge Release Every Four Weeks?
As announced on the Microsoft blog, Edge will be moving to a four-week major release cycle. It’ll mean that new features and bug fixes will be available quicker than ever, since the browser is currently on a six-week release cycle.
The move is being made to match Google’s recent news that Chrome is speeding up release cycles. Both Chrome and Edge are based on Chromium, which is an open-source browser project, so it’s logical to align the two schedules.
The move to a four-week release will come in Edge 94, which is expected in the third quarter of this year.
For enterprise customers that benefit from an extended timeline, where compatibility and user training are vital, Edge will add an Extended Stable option. This will offer an eight-week major release cycle. This will need to be manually selected, otherwise the browser will default to four-week.
Even when using the Extended Stable option, those customers will still get a biweekly security update—major features will just arrive every eight weeks.