Get your holiday shopping done with the best browser for shopping

[Guest Liat Ben-Zur, Corporate Vice President]

This year truly has felt like it’s flown by. I cannot believe we’re only six weeks away from the end of the year. Even crazier that come January, it will be two years since we launched Microsoft Edge. As our two-year anniversary approaches, I am excited to share with you how we continue to make Microsoft Edge the browser that puts you and your loved ones first. One area we’ve been focused on is making your shopping experience fast and seamless. A year ago, we announced our built-in autofill coupons feature and proactive price comparisons in certain countries to help you save time and money while shopping online. We’ve also continued to add to our suite of shopping features by introducing more built-in tools to help you plan your next purchase by providing historical trends of prices on products. We’ve also given you easy access to expert reviews and customer ratings, and we’ve made the guest checkout process more streamlined. This month, we’re introducing new shopping features to help you finish up (or maybe start?) that holiday shopping, including some that we’re now bringing to Microsoft Edge on mobile. Microsoft Bing also plays a big role in making Microsoft Edge the best browser for shopping this holiday, so we’re excited to share the latest there as well. Lastly, because we not only look to save you time and money while shopping, we’re also introducing our latest features to help keep you safer online. Here’s what’s new in web experiences this month:

[HEADING=1]Let Microsoft Edge help you keep an eye on the price[/HEADING]

I haven’t been shy about my love of shopping online but let’s be honest, shopping for the holidays can be overwhelming. We’re shopping for multiple people from a variety of retailers and at the same time keeping track of the many sales going on to make sure we stay on budget. It’s easy to lose track, especially when we’re so busy handling other aspects of our lives. Microsoft Edge is here to alleviate some of the stress by helping you keep an eye on products you’ve recently viewed and alert you of price changes. This feature is coming soon and will be built into the browser, so you just need to browse as you normally would, and Microsoft Edge will let you know if any of the items you’ve recently looked at have changed in price. This eliminates having to check back on each product yourself, especially during the holidays when your online shopping list is probably very long. This feature, combined with our other built-in tools like price comparison, price history, easy access to customer ratings and expert reviews, and our auto-fill coupons tool, it’s as if Microsoft Edge became the personal shopping assistant you’ve always needed. Not only helping you save money, but also time. If you haven’t used our browser for shopping yet, right now is a really good time to take it for a test run! You won’t be disappointed.

[HEADING=1]Shop online with Microsoft Edge and Bing – and make a difference[/HEADING]

Now more than ever, it is important that we make more environmentally conscious choices in order to leave a better legacy for future generations. This is why we’re thrilled to announce a new shopping experience on Microsoft Bing that can help you choose ethically sourced products wherever you are on the web. Microsoft Bing has partnered with Good On You, a platform that rates fashion brands based on their performance on a host of sustainability and social responsibility metrics. If you live in the U.K., these scores are now available so you can filter results when shopping on Microsoft Bing, helping you shop with confidence that you are making ethical choices that align to your values. Beyond this, Microsoft Edge is committed to giving back to the future of our planet. Coming soon, for every 10 purchases made in Microsoft Edge at eligible retailers, we will make a donation to the Eden Reforestation Project for planting trees*. Not only is planting trees good for the environment, but by vetting locations and partnering with a company that hires local experts, we’re making sure we’re approaching the problem holistically while also benefiting local communities. These features are just our first step in creating more sustainable shopping options for you; they’re available in the U.K. only for now, and we expect to roll them out to additional markets soon.

[HEADING=1]Price comparison and price history now available on-the-go[/HEADING]

I get a lot of my shopping done on my mobile phone and I’m sure you do as well. That is why, at Microsoft Edge, we’re working very hard to bring all those handy shopping features that we have on our desktop browser to your mobile device. Our built-in coupons feature is already on Microsoft Edge on iOS and Android and, this month, we’re also bringing our built-in price comparison and price history tools to Microsoft Edge on Android. Now, you can be confident you have the best price on that one gift that your child just has to have, and you can also plan your future purchases with price history – all from your Android smartphone. We’re working very hard at bringing the rest of the features to your Microsoft Edge mobile app, so stay tuned for more on additional releases in future editions of this blog.

[HEADING=1]Stay safer while shopping online this holiday season[/HEADING]

Look, we love saving you time and money, but your online safety also remains a top priority. On a recent blog, we talked to you about keeping your password information secure with features like our password health dashboard and Password Monitor. When you use these features, you can keep an eye on any potential leaked credentials and make sure that the passwords you’re setting are strong and not being repeated across sites. Today, I am excited to announce easy update, a feature we’re piloting to make it easier for you to update your passwords. Should any of your saved credentials become compromised or need to be updated due to lack of strength/reused across multiple sites, you will now have the option to update passwords with just one click. Simply navigate to the Settings/Passwords page within Microsoft Edge and click on Change right next to the credentials you’d like to update. This will take you directly to the change password page of the account in question. And with password generator, Microsoft Edge will even create a brand new, strong password for you and save it to continue to monitor on your behalf. Easy update is only available across a limited number of sites to start, but we will be working diligently to expand this list in the coming months. This is just another way in which Microsoft Edge is the fast and secure browser that helps you save time and money.

[HEADING=1]Rewards just got simpler[/HEADING]

I am a huge fan of Microsoft Rewards. If you aren’t familiar with Microsoft Rewards, it is a loyalty program that gives you points for searching in Microsoft Edge, shopping or gaming with Microsoft. You’re able to collect Rewards points which you can then redeem for gift cards, sweepstakes, exclusives and more. My personal favorite, you can also donate those points to an eligible nonprofit and help make a difference. Awesome, right? Well, we want to make it easier for you to join Microsoft Rewards. That’s why we’re now giving you the option to pin the Rewards experience to the Microsoft Edge tool bar. You can do this by opening the three-dot menu in Microsoft Edge, right clicking on the Microsoft Rewards option and selecting “show in toolbar.” You can also turn on the Rewards experience by enabling the “Microsoft Rewards button” in the Microsoft Edge Appearance settings. From there, you’ll be able to join with one click and start earning points today. Learn more about Microsoft Rewards.

[HEADING=1]Get the most out of your battery life with efficiency mode[/HEADING]

I’ve been spending a lot of time on the go recently, taking kids to soccer practice and coding classes. These usually take place during the day, which usually leads me to sit in my parked car getting work and some of my holiday shopping done. In those cases, it is really important that I maximize my battery life so I can get as much done as possible during those hours. This is why I am excited to introduce efficiency mode in Microsoft Edge. When your device’s battery is low, Microsoft Edge will set itself to efficiency mode and significantly reduce system resource usage like CPU and RAM, extending battery life and helping you get more done while on the go. Thank you, as always, for reading. I am so grateful for all of you and for all that you do! Please continue to send us your feedback as we work to make the web more innovative and open for everyone. I hope that our latest shopping features help you get that holiday shopping done. More importantly, I hope you enjoy the rest of the year with your friends and family. Notes: * For every 10 purchases made in the Microsoft Edge browser through 30 November 2022, Microsoft will contribute funds to have one tree planted through our partnership with the Eden Reforestation Projects, up to a total of £150,000. Visit edenprojects.org for more information about their work. Applicable to online purchases from within the U.K., of products only, and through eligible stores as indicated on qualifying sites. Microsoft reserves the right to cancel, change or suspend this program at any time without notice.

 

Continue reading...