Forum Discussion
Elliot Kirk
Microsoft
MicrosoftImprove discoverability of the home button since some users are asking for it - Discussion
We have received a lot a feedback about the need for a home page button to be added to the browser’s user interface. Chromium has always supported a home button, but by default it does not show next to the address bar. As we read through the feedback, we began to feel that the desire for a home button seemed to depend on whether or not you had one on your previous browser. To address this need, we have added the home button setting to the settings that we migrate when you install the latest versions of Microsoft Edge. You can also always go into the Settings->Appearance->Customize and add or remove the home button from the address bar. We hope that this addresses the main problems that most people have encountered with the home button. Many early adopters of the Insider versions of Microsoft Edge did not get this first run experience and just received the default Chromium configuration, which doesn’t show the home button. We would like to hear what you think on this issue though. Is this the main issue you had experienced? If you had your home button setting migrated, would that meet or exceed your expectations?
I use the home button frequently while at work, but not when using Edge. Frequently I will start on the series of pages my browser is set to open initially, and will work for quite a while. Many of the pages I've opened will lead to other pages, which I will close as I proceed with my work. Eventually I will have one or two tabs open and will want to return to the pages I set for when I initially open my browser; in Chrome and Edge I must close the browser and reopen, in Firefox I can set the home button to multiple pages. The home button as it exists in Chrome and Edge is useless, since I can just as easily set a bookmark on the toolbar for a single page.
ElTwo
One small thing regarding Home button... when in Reading view with an article from the Home Page it takes one back to the Home page, obviously. Without it, one goes back to the article, that has, already, just been read in RV so, no reason to go back to that. Going back to the article & then back to the Home page is extra unnecessary steps & clicks.
Cheers,
Drew- if you don't want to go back then user can start searching for something right form the address bar, click on any favorite links or open a new tab, they all offer more options than home button
Found this great article
The meaning of the Home button in browsers
https://ux.stackexchange.com/questions/33096/the-meaning-of-the-home-button-in-browsers
Until I saw this discussion I hadn't noticed the lack of a home button. I think it has been superseded by the quick links on a new tab, but can understand other people's usage is different. Your strategy seems to be the right one.
BedfordTim
Tim, one just has to go to Settings > Appearance and turn it on... and tell it what page to use.
Cheers,
DrewThanks, but as I said I have lived quite happily without a home button some time, and now I think about it, it is just extra clutter.
Elliot Kirk I am sure that I would miss that wonderful part of the interface as I have had a Home button since forever, it is part of the furniture so to speak, I use it very regularly and am sure the Browser would feel naked without it!!
Elliot Kirk I turned on the home button before and it turned back off in an update, which is annoying. You should add the option to turn on the home button in setup.
I use the Home button, although my home page is set to the New Tab page, so I can quickly start fresh and access top sites and bookmarks. The importance of the Home button has decreased since Chromium opens to the New tab page and shows the bookmarks bar on the New Tab page by default.
You are probably right that whether people use it depends on if they have used it before. I feel like for those that regularly use it, it is a very basic thing all browsers need to have, while those that never use it won't ever start using it. For that reason, grabbing the previous default browser's Home button configuration is an elegant solution for future users.
The only thing I want to add is that for every button that is placed next to the address bar, you should have the ability to right-click it and hide it. Right now, you can do that with the Favorites button and the Feedback button, but why not for the Home button and the Profiles button?
I agree with that, Google chrome changed the browsing habits.
I can't even think of a time when I used to use home button. right now opening a new tag page is the fastest thing for me because my home button also points to the NTP.also your suggestion about right-clicking on each button and have the option to "hide" them is very good, users won't need to go and find the relevant option in settings.
DinosaurTim
Tim,
Couple thoughts:
1. Remind the Home button showing or not is optional, same as Edge.
2. Home page can be set to whatever.
3. This may seem trite, but... from Reading view without the Home button one goes back to the article not, to the Home page (if that's where the article was).
4. I, too, use the Home button heaps of times, have used it forever, long before Edge or Edge C.
5. Another reminder - Edge C is not finished & besides telling extension icons to be on the toolbar OR NOT, I hope we see the "Show on toolbar" that you, actually, are talking about, in Edge C soon. Here it is from Edge
Cheers,
DrewThat picture is from classic Edge, not Edge insider!
Elliot Kirk
Just thought I'd mention that if ones frame of reference is Edge, it is not showing by default and is an On/Off toggle or option there, as well. If you look at it that way, it's a consistent scenario. For many, like myself, a Home button showing IS wanted & used. It could be showing by default, sure, although, turning it On isn't a very big deal/ordeal, really... though, one must know that is necessary & available. That brings us back to people looking around, learning & discovering what's available or not & thus needing things, already, by default & without choices. One should explore & become familiar with Settings & the rest under the ellipsis early in the game. We must be mindful that not all End Users are as savvy, experienced or instinctive, as Insiders.
Cheers,
DrewHi Elliot Kirk
In my experience I didn't need home button and even if i need, it was Super Easy to go to the settings and enable it myself because it's only a toggle button and takes 1 click.
I love the Edge insider settings page because it is well organized and categorized, also it contains a search area that makes everything very easy to find.
I don't like google chrome's settings page which is a single long scrollable page and everything is compact and crammed.
Elliot Kirk I believe that having the home button setting migrated is a good idea. My experience is that once people know it is available, they like to have a Home button. Also if Edge had a home button showing by default after it was initially installed, it would be another thing that differentiates it from other browsers, which as I have said already I think is important.
