Forum Discussion
Timeline!!
This thing MUST support Timeline without having to add an extension❗ Geeesh 🙄
Cheers,
Drew
sambul95
Sam,
You are mixing apples & oranges. Browser History and having the browser work with Windows 10 Timeline are 2 (very) different things. Sure, one can hold the back button to see past visits & manage that; nothing new.
Timeline is more about the OS than, the browser. It's a Feature of Win10 not, of the browser The browser just has to be compatible with it.
But, Win10 Timeline exists & works, inherently not, 'forced', with the default browser as part of the OS. It can go back a long way (in time), show heaps more activities (than browser history) and one can, actually, 'see' those sites rather than just a list. Plus, there is how one can handle what shows in Timeline, the 'controls' or 'tools' it has AND its search ability. Lastly, it is a nice help when navigating across multiple desktops.
Anyway, the point is, Win10 Timeline works with Edge. But, right now (hopefully this changes, soon!), Timeline will not work with Edge C without adding an extension from the Chrome store. Having to do that should not be necessary any more than it is w/ Edge.
Sure Timeline is browser history, BUT, it is far more than what the back button gives❗ If Win10 offers one all the neat stuff it does, one may as well, actually, use the stuff & be able to use it.
Cheers,
Drew
26 Replies
Drew1903 Agree! We are close to public stable release and native Timeline integration is sadly not here still. 😞
We should not rely on having extensions on something that is native Windows feature and when it already exist from Edge UWP.
Yes there are users who don't need it or dislike it, but there should be a simple switch to turn it off. But I think by default its worth to be enabled, since it can be really useful.archtech
There is a distinction being missed, me thinks. Edge works w/ Timeline and Edge is integrated w/ the OS. Timeline is an OS thing not, a browser thing. Edge C, currently is not integrated and is being tested 'outside' the OS, somewhat as if running as an app. This is why Timeline doesn't & won't work w/ Edge Insider Channels without being 'forced' via extensions to do something unnatural... it comes naturally to Edge because its the OS's browser, presently. This will change and Timeline will continue to work w/ (the new) Edge at transition time & forward.
It won't come or exist innately or inherently for Insider Channels.
The definition of "SOON" can vary, but, it may be wrong to expect anything final until sometime in Q1 2020, maybe springtime is fair & reasonable.
Cheers,
Drew- 20H1 is not releasing in the first quarter of 2020,
https://www.windowscentral.com/windows-10-os-development-schedule-changes
Edge doesn't need to be integrated into the OS. for Taskview (Timeline) to show Edge insider histories, Edge insider needs History syncing.
- Task View (a.k.a Timeline) depends on History syncing.
there are 3 more sync options remaining to be implemented, History, Extension and Collections syncing.
there is still time until the stable version comes out
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Discussions/When-do-you-think-stable-version-of-chromium-edge-would-be-out/td-p/967917
- they already said it comes when they enable history sync. until then, use:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/web-activities/eiipeonhflhoiacfbniealbdjoeoglid/ To get Edge Chromium to support Timeline, install the Web Activities extension for Chrome. I installed it and it worked but stopped working since Jun 26 😒. Hope this will be fixed soon.
[Update: Jul 6] It started working again. My browsing history (Edge Chromium) started to show up in Timeline (Web Activities)
Deleted Try reinstalling the extension, it would surely help. Earlier it wasn't working for me also, now it is working fine...
Check if you have this extension only: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/web-activities/eiipeonhflhoiacfbniealbdjoeoglid
- Another vote for this feature: I never used Timeline before because it didn't have my browser (Firefox).
Having it now, without an extension, would be fantastic and I'd actually use the Timeline feature.ikjadoon
Once Edge C is Win10's default browser, (I suggest) it will work with Timeline. To have it work with Dev, (for) now (or, in the meantime), I made Dev the default browser & grabbed the Timeline extension from the Chrome store.
And, certainly, if one is using Edge, now, that does, of course, work, now, with Timeline.
Cheers,
Drew
Any browser has webpage History feature. I think there is no objective need to integrate into Edge even more shortcuts to OS activities history, as many users tend to ignore or block preserving such OS activity history for privacy reasons. Browser is a very bad place to collect multiple unneeded shortcuts to a variety of OS functions, unless such features improve high demand workflows. There're no advantages in accessing default OS features from browser rather then directly from OS. The simpler browser UI and Settings are - the better. 😰
sambul95
Sam,
You are mixing apples & oranges. Browser History and having the browser work with Windows 10 Timeline are 2 (very) different things. Sure, one can hold the back button to see past visits & manage that; nothing new.
Timeline is more about the OS than, the browser. It's a Feature of Win10 not, of the browser The browser just has to be compatible with it.
But, Win10 Timeline exists & works, inherently not, 'forced', with the default browser as part of the OS. It can go back a long way (in time), show heaps more activities (than browser history) and one can, actually, 'see' those sites rather than just a list. Plus, there is how one can handle what shows in Timeline, the 'controls' or 'tools' it has AND its search ability. Lastly, it is a nice help when navigating across multiple desktops.
Anyway, the point is, Win10 Timeline works with Edge. But, right now (hopefully this changes, soon!), Timeline will not work with Edge C without adding an extension from the Chrome store. Having to do that should not be necessary any more than it is w/ Edge.
Sure Timeline is browser history, BUT, it is far more than what the back button gives❗ If Win10 offers one all the neat stuff it does, one may as well, actually, use the stuff & be able to use it.
Cheers,
DrewIf a certain shortcut, feature, or setting was present in Edge Classic, it doesn't make a sufficient argument to bring it to Edge Chromium. Can the exact same Timeline be accessed from Windows? If YES, why access it from the browser? Because webpages as screenshots look more recognizable? Well, possibly...
Btw Timeline means storing your life info on MS Cloud. Many folks use PC while always disconnected from MS account. Hence they hardly need Timeline shortcuts. It may scare from Edge C privacy concerned users. In addition, duplicate shortcuts to OS features don't give any benefits, just clutter the UI.
Well, MS wants users keeping their life info in the cloud, claiming - its for user benefits, but at times giving no opt out. Users are pushing back, like you see with rejection of new OneNote, or sticking to Win 7. Privacy is valuable for most.
