Forum Discussion
Top feedback summary for September 24
tomscharbach My fear is that if they allow Google integration back in, then that means they have to put in all the Google components that is required for Google integration to work - and *if* that is the case, I will strongly disagree!, as I fear this will return the spying tools back to Google, which this browser had gotten rid off. I don't see how it is possible to restore Google integration without these components, but if it *is* somehow possible, I am fine with allowing the feature.
I wonder ...
I had thought - and posted here - that I couldn't see the point of having the browser logging into a Google account, as if you allow autofill of saved passwords,, going to google.com or the GMail, Google Keep etc pages it logs you in anyway as is.
But, if logging the Edge browser (not just a page) into a Google account meant that the browser synced with the Google account - synced favorites, history, passwords etc - as of yesterday that strikes me as potentially useful.
I for one feel that I need to use browsers on laptop and phone that sync with each other (i.e. they both sync to some same cloud account), which I currently have with Android and desktop Firefox, both syncing with my Mozilla account. Yesterday I really looked at Android Edge for the first time and realised I would never use it (because it uses bottom controls, and I won't use apps with bottom controls). With Android Edge as the only Android browser desktop Chromium Edge will sync with (via the Microsoft account), the fact that Android Edge's design means I won't use it therefore means I can't use desktop Chromium Edge. But if desktop Chromium Edge had the option to log into and sync with my Google account, that would mean it would sync with Android Google Chrome, which (at least at the moment, and unless they suddenly force bottom controls on it) I am prepared to use, unlike Android Edge.
So, IF enabling desktop Chromium Edge to log into Google accounts includes it then being able to sync with the favorites, passwords, history et al in the Google accounts, that would then mean that Chromium Edge had a choice of Android browsers it would work/sync with, which puts it back in contention as a desktop browser for people like me who won't use Android Edge. And given the latest browser use statistics that came out yesterday, and Microsoft's woefully small share even just in the desktop section and even adding IE and Edge together, ANYTHING that adds options that might tempt any users at all is worth them doing. Frankly, on the current trend things are heading towards Microsoft abandoning making browsers completely, which would be a shame.
- DavidGB, there are third party apps that provide bookmark syncing across browsers. I used to use Xmarks, which actually sync'd all browser's internal bookmarks/favorites. I now use Roboform as a password manager and cross-platform + cross-browser bookmark syncing tool (replaced LastPass for me because of the cross-browser bookmark support). I do not think different browsers should share or allow for sharing data with each other. I can see the benefits from a usability perspective, but the security holes that would create are too big. Don't chance it, especially when it's Google at the other end.
By the way, there was a lot of feedback on mobile Edge to MOVE THE CONTROLS TO THE BOTTOM of the screen, because on a large screen and using touch one-handed, they are otherwise unreachable to many people when at the top. I have fairly large hands, and even I can't reach the very top of my modest-sized Galaxy S10E screen with one-hand, unless I move the phone so that I then can't reach the bottom of the screen, meaning I can't swipe to type. I understand not everyone has the same preferences, but the control placement is logical.(a) I want the total syncing, not just bookmarks but history and open tabs etc too, plus send this tab to other platform. Which only comes currently by using the same brand - desktop Firefox with Android Firefox, desktop Chrome with Android Chrome, or desktop Edge with Android Edge.
(b) I have a phone with a 6" screen, and am 6' 3" with fairly large hands. I simply can't use the phone one handed, and don't, ever. One-handed means holding it low, well below the centre of gravity, which is uncomfortable and unstable, and I can't reach both the right-most icon of the android navigation bar and any bottom controls of the browser and the left-most icon of navigation bar and browser without radically shifting the phone in my grip - my thumb won't fold enough to get to the left button if I'm holding it so I can hit the right one. So it's incredibly awkward and slow fumbling between grips to go from a button on the left to one on the right. Plus I end up mostly either clipping and getting the navigation bar button rather than the bottom control browser button I was aiming for, or vice versa. Hopeless
But I don't have any need to use it one handed. I very comfortably always use the phone two handed: phone in left hand, bottom resting on bent inward little finger with thumb and forefinger above the centre of gravity, so stable, and right hand forefinger tapping, holding and swiping. But I'm disabled, all movement causes pain, and the bigger the movement the more pain. With top controls, mostly it's just shifting my finger joints whch doesn't hurt much, and just the odd dive for an Android Navigation key at the bottom. With bottom controls I have to shift the whole hand, even arm to go from top to bottom, which hurts more; and given that there are still some controls at the top - for one thing many web pages have their menu navigation at the top - there's a lot more whole hand and arm movement shifting from top to bottom and back, causing pain level to rise much faster and me to have to stop sooner. Plus the bottom browser controls are still too close to the Android navigation bar buttons and I still tend to catch and hit the wrong one as often as not.
Perfectly logical reason to have as many controls at the top as possible, especially as websites often have controls of their own at the top of the page.
I don't mind there being OPTIONS for things I don't want. Have a setting for user choice of top or bottom controls - fine.
But I simply don't use apps with bottom controls I can always find an alternative app of a particular type that has top controls, so do. At the moment Android Firefox and Google Chrome have top controls, so i am prepared ot use either. If either goes to bottom controls with no choice, then I won't use them any more. If Android Edge had an OPTION for top or bottom controls I would consider using it, but as it only has bottom controls I won't.
And the problem with going by lots of people on yada-yada forum want blah is that (i) they are by their nature a bunch of techie types, not typical users, and (ii) the people who want something, some change, post about it, while the people who are happy with what they have usually don't. E.g. in the Microsoft Launcher community forum I didn't post about wanting to KEEP the top control tabs on the feed until after they moved them to the bottom, because I didn't know they were thinking of moving them and of course I don't post about all the many things I thought were right about the app, only those I thought wrong or needing improvement. Of course I posted about it after they moved the feed tabs to the bottom - and have moved to using Nova Launcher until/unless I either get the tabs in the feed back at the top, or the ability to swipe between tabs anywhere but the very top is restored (yes, they moved the tabs to the bottom in the ML feed AND removed the ability to just swipe between tabs - if they'd left the swipe I'd just have ignore the bottom tabs and swiped near the top).
I thought your issue wasn't sync. but anyway, as i said before and saying again, full sync is there between Edge classic on desktop and Edge on Android.
once full sync is enabled on Edge insider, it will be enabled on Android version too. there is No problem about that. I think by now you've mentioned more than 10 times that "you don't use", "you won't use" and I said ok fine don't. trust me saying that one that is enough. don't know what else to say, nobody is forcing you to do anything.
your problem is only the design of Android Edge and that is another feedback, which can be fixed. it's not a reason to compromise everybody's data and hand them over to Google because one user doesn't like the design. if you don't like the design then it should be fixed, Not give the data to Google.
