Microsoft shows Seamless Updates prototype for Edge with no restart

Microsoft has introduced a prototype called Seamless Updates for Microsoft Edge that moves the browser, its related processes and open tabs to a new version in the background, without showing a restart prompt. The company described the work on the Microsoft Edge Blog, according to forest.watch.impress.co.jp.

In a demo, a form being edited stayed intact while Edge updated underneath it. The goal is to remove the need to press an Update button at all and to apply updates within minutes of a release.

Microsoft said the prototype is at an early stage and that no code for it is included in Edge or Chromium yet. The company called on the industry to consider the new approach.

An existing preview feature, Instant Updates

Edge already offers a preview feature called Instant Updates, which restarts the browser when the PC is idle and then restores open tabs. It skips the restart while the user is editing documents, downloading files or watching video, or during InPrivate browsing.

Around Edge 156, the Instant Updates option was renamed Restart to update on idle. Instant Updates is disabled by default; it can be enabled in edge://settings/help preview options or configured through the Microsoft Edge management service.

Microsoft cited AI accelerating both vulnerability discovery and attacks as the reason to shorten the gap between a patch and its installation, and said it may sometimes ship its own patches without waiting for the Chromium release cycle in emergencies.