Microsoft’s web browser, now based on Chromium, has multimedia control buttons disabled by default. Here’s how to take advantage of it.
Since Microsoft made the choice to adopt Chromium to build its new Edge, the Redmond firm’s web browser seems to have won over its audience. In a few months, Microsoft Edge version Chromium even passed Firefox.
It is, it must be said, much more efficient than its predecessor. More modern, but above all faster, Edge even has the luxury of taking on new features, such as Collections. And if it has its own catalog of extensions, it is also compatible with all extensions of the Chrome Web Store.
But Microsoft’s web browser has more than one trick up its sleeve. As on Chrome, it includes multimedia control buttons to manage the playback of audio and video content in any tab of the browser. Disabled by default, here’s how to take advantage of it right away.
1. Go to the flags
Launch Microsoft Edge and go to the browser flags by entering the address edge: // flags.
As a reminder, flags are experimental features, currently being tested in the browser, but not enabled by default. Some of these features under testing can then be built into the browser natively or, in some cases, disappear for good.
2. Activate the flag
In the search box displayed at the top of the Edge Experiences interface, search for Global Media Controls. Click on the drop-down menu displayed on the right and change the Default value to Enabled. Then click on Restart to restart the web browser.
Then go to your favorite site to start playing audio or video content.
You should see a new icon appear in the Edge toolbar. Click on it to bring up the mini multimedia controller. You can then control music or video playback and, in the case of a video, activate Picture-in-Picture mode to continue playback in a remote window.