Microsoft Edge's transition to WebUI 2.0 has improved the speed of sections like Downloads, Drop, History, and several other features.

Microsoft Edge has just received a performance boost. A new update has improved the speed of opening the Downloads folder, Drop, history, and the new tab experience in InPrivate mode. Also, the Favorites and Browser Essentials sections have become faster after upgrading to version 132 of Microsoft Edge. On average, several parts of the browser now perform 40% faster than before. It is worth noting that version 133 of Edge has also been released at the time of publishing this news, but these speed improvements started with version 132.

This performance boost is made possible by Microsoft Edge's migration to WebUI 2.0. Microsoft began this process early last year and detailed it in a blog post in May 2024. The post explains how web pages are processed and why migrating to WebUI 2.0 can improve the speed of some elements.

In short, WebUI 2.0 is a new architecture that reduces the amount of code Edge needs to perform certain tasks. The modular structure of this architecture also plays a role in reducing the time it takes to load UI elements in Edge. The biggest change will be visible on low-end devices, such as those that use a hard disk drive (HDD) instead of a solid-state drive (SSD), but all systems should experience improvements.

Reducing the time it takes to open the download folder from 0.927 seconds to 0.428 seconds may not seem like a big change, but Microsoft realized that some elements need to be fast enough to feel really fast in everyday use. Even a few hundredths of a second reduction in load time can change the user experience of a browser.

“Research shows that there are some absolute thresholds for responsiveness that must be met for users to feel the UI is fast. The data showed that our UI could be more responsive,” Microsoft explained.

A new blog post published by Microsoft this week details the changes seen in Microsoft Edge version 132. Now, at least 14 parts of the Edge user interface are 40% faster on average, including Downloads, Drop, History, and the new tab experience in InPrivate mode.

And this is just the beginning!

The good news is that Microsoft isn't done yet. In the coming months, the company plans to roll out similar improvements to other parts of the browser, including settings, print preview, read aloud, and more.

The performance improvements mentioned started with Edge version 132, which was released in the first week of January 2025. The current stable version of Edge is 133, so if you're using this browser, you're probably already benefiting from these speed improvements!

How was this speed increase possible?

• Microsoft Edge has been improving the user interface (UI) performance using data collected from users. Reviewing the collected data showed that in order for users to experience a UI quickly, we need to meet certain standards in terms of responsiveness. There are opportunities for special optimizations for devices with more limited resources. Data analysis showed that the large volume of code packages was one of the reasons for the slowdown in some parts of Edge. Two main reasons for this were: The UI code was not organized in a modular way, so that some parts of the browser unnecessarily used common code. The use of JavaScript to process the UI, which caused loading delays due to client-side rendering.

Returning to faster methods in UI rendering

Using a lot of JavaScript in client-side rendering causes UI lag, especially on slower devices. But before the Web 2.0 era, web pages were rendered using HTML and CSS (server-side rendering), which was much faster.

This brings us to a few key questions:

• Can we increase UI speed without losing the performance of JavaScript frameworks? Yes
• Could the browser itself be the best example for using these techniques? Yes
• How much faster can we get if we remove JavaScript frameworks and just use native web capabilities? Very fast.

Introducing WebUI 2.0: The Next Generation of UI Architecture on Edge

WebUI 2.0 is a new Markup-First architecture that reduces code size and minimizes the use of JavaScript. This architecture:
✅ It has already become more modular.
✅ Uses optimized web components for better performance in modern browsers.
✅ Allows the introduction of new features without increasing the code size.

Browser Essentials was the first part to be moved to WebUI 2.0, and the change has shown better performance across all devices. Microsoft is now moving other parts of the browser to this architecture, so expect Edge to get even faster in the future!

Sleeping tabs

Efficient mode is designed to help extend battery life. It minimizes power consumption by reducing resource usage by altering background tab activity and some foreground activity, and also puts inactive background tabs to sleep after 30 minutes or less of inactivity (if the Resource Saver with Sleep Languages option is enabled). Benefits may vary depending on your device, apps, and specific browser habits.

Performance detector

Microsoft Edge proactively takes steps to reduce resource usage when your device is under stress to help keep your device running smoothly. One way Microsoft Edge does this is by putting tabs to sleep when memory pressure is detected on your device. Sometimes the actions Microsoft Edge takes aren't enough to completely resolve the issue. For these cases, we've built a feature called Performance Detector.

Performance detection helps identify high resource usage (memory (RAM) and/or processing power (CPU)) from background tabs and, when a problem is identified, provides you with a way to fix it.

Update to the new Microsoft Edge

Experience the web in a whole new way by switching to Microsoft Edge from Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge Legacy.

Switch to Microsoft Edge today for faster and more secure browsing. To check if you have Microsoft Edge on your device, look for the icon in your taskbar or in your apps list. If you don't have it, go to the Microsoft Edge download and install page.

To get started quickly and easily with Microsoft Edge, import your browser data from Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge Legacy.

Why update to Microsoft Edge?

Microsoft Edge is built on Chromium and offers a faster, more secure, and more modern experience than Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge Legacy. In addition, Microsoft Edge will soon be the only Microsoft browser that supports web apps and services. Microsoft 365 Microsoft Edge Legacy support ended on March 9, 2021. If you try to access Microsoft web apps from Internet Explorer after August 17, 2021, you may experience performance drops or be unable to connect at all.

Faster performance

Microsoft Edge uses Chromium to provide superior compatibility and performance on the web. Microsoft Edge also offers the best performance on Windows 10 with features like Startup Boost and Sleeping Tabs.

• Startup Boost starts Microsoft Edge faster by running a set of core Microsoft Edge processes in the background, without using additional resources when Microsoft Edge browser windows are open.

• Sleeping Tabs improves the performance of Microsoft Edge when you use multiple browser tabs at the same time. This feature helps optimize your browser's performance and frees up system resources from unused tabs to make them available for the tabs that are active.

Better security

Microsoft Edge overtakes Google Chrome in businesses Windows 10 It's safer. Microsoft Edge includes Microsoft Defender SmartScreen, which helps identify suspicious sites that may contain phishing or malware attacks. SmartScreen also checks your downloads to identify potential risks.

More privacy

• Tracking Prevention: Microsoft Edge gives you better control over how your data is tracked as you browse the web. The browser offers three levels of tracking prevention: Basic, Balanced, and Strict.

• InPrivate Browsing: Microsoft Edge offers InPrivate Browsing, which lets you hide your browsing history, site and form data, cookies, and passwords from other people using the same device.

A smarter browser

Microsoft Edge has built-in learning and accessibility tools that improve your browsing experience and make it easier to find information.

• Immersive Reader is included in Microsoft Edge for some sites so you can hear web content or view articles without annoying ads.

• You can use Collections to organize content on the web. This feature is very useful for doing research, planning a trip, or comparison shopping.

WebUI 2.0: The Future of the Faster, Lighter Web

Microsoft hopes that other websites will adopt this architecture, as smaller packages and less dependency on JavaScript can improve the web experience for everyone.

In the future, some WebUI 2.0 packages will be released as open source so that all developers can benefit from it. Microsoft will also continue to improve the web platform for better performance.

We hope you enjoy the new, faster Microsoft Edge experience!