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Elliot Kirk
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May 01, 2019

*Updated 9/3* Syncing in Microsoft Edge Preview Channels

Syncing your browser data in Microsoft Edge Preview builds
We heard your feedback and are committed to making sync a more reliable feature across devices. We’ve rebuilt our sync experience from the ground up and we’re making extra effort to ensure that sync meets your expectations. Our goal for sync is to ensure that you have a consistent browsing experience when you choose to roam your favorites, passwords, history, and other data across your devices.


*Updated 9/3* What is the current state of sync and what is the road ahead?

  • You can now sync Favorites, Settings (preference), Passwords & Form-fill data across Windows devices, and across Microsoft Edge on Android and iOS (instructions below).
  • Sync is enabled for both Microsoft accounts (MSA) as well as work or school accounts (AAD).
  • Note that AAD sync is only available for AAD premium accounts (SKUs which include Azure Information Protection) and is not yet rolled out for macOS.
  • We are working on pending attributes and will be enabling them soon (history, extensions & open tabs)
  • As we are building a new system, Edge builds are not expected to sync with earlier versions of Microsoft Edge. You can import your existing favorites from earlier versions of Microsoft Edge.

Enabling sync on PC
When you sign in with your Microsoft account on Microsoft Edge Insider Channels, you’ll get a dialogue asking for consent to enable sync. Once you give the consent, your favorites should start syncing. Note that you can customize the sync behavior from the sync settings page.

 

PC Sync Settings

Note that some attributes might be disabled on this page. They will be enabled on this page as we enable sync for them.


Enabling sync on Android
Our Microsoft Edge app on Android can now sync with the Microsoft Edge Insider Channels. But first, you’ll need to upgrade to the latest version on Google play.
To sync with Microsoft Insider Channels, sign in with your Microsoft Account, ensure that it is selected as your active account, go to Settings > Account and select your Microsoft account, then select Microsoft Edge Insider Channels > Switch.

 

After you switch to Microsoft Edge Insider Channels, you will be asked how you want to handle your existing favorites. You can choose to import and sync your existing favorites with Microsoft Edge Insider Channels. If you choose no, your existing favorites will be deleted before sync is enabled.

 

If you choose to import favorites, when you visit Favorites for the first time, you’ll see all your current favorites and they’ll start syncing with your Microsoft Edge Insider Channels on your PC.

 

Enabling sync on iOS  

We are happy to announce that we have expanded our sync support to iOS.  To begin syncing your favorites between you iOS devices and your other Microsoft Edge Insider devices, you must first update Microsoft Edge for iOS to the latest version on iTunes.  To sync with the Insider Channels you can follow similar steps as those listed above in the Sync with Android section. 

First you will need to sign in with your Microsoft Account, ensure that it is selected as your active account, go to Settings > Account and select your Microsoft account, then select Microsoft Edge Insider Channels > Switch. 

After you switch to Microsoft Edge Insider Channels, you will be asked how you want to handle your existing favorites. You can choose to import and sync your existing favorites with Microsoft Edge Insider Channels. If you choose no, your existing favorites will be deleted before sync is enabled.   

Once you have completed these steps you will see all of your imported favorites in your favorites list. 


What do you think?
We are excited about sync in Microsoft Edge Insider Channels and are very optimistic that we are building it right. However, we want to be sure that sync works across your workflows and browsing scenarios. Please give it a try and let us know how it worked for you. If you run into any issues, use the in-app feedback button to submit the details. If you have other feedback for us about sync, please leave a comment below.


Thank you for trying the new Microsoft Edge.

  • Hi All,

    We have rolled out a fix to the problem where clients were reporting error on sync. We expect an app restart should get the client back into a functional state for sync now. We so much appreciate your patience and willingness to help all this while. Apologies that it took us time to get this fix across to you. If you still see any errors, please submit using in-app feedback button (and drop me a private message so that we jump on it faster). Sincere thanks for working with us on building a better product.

     

    Ankur

     

    CC. @Mike_BNL   , @DiggsMcGee , @bassoprofundo  , @indospot  , @Stephen Berard , @billbyrnes 

     

     

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