Ongoing sync between Microsoft Edge and Chrome - Discussion

[akhator]

Thanks for your feedback requesting the ability to have ongoing sync between Microsoft Edge and Chrome. 

While we recognize this need, we’re currently focused on creating great 1st party sync experiences with your Microsoft account and Work or School account. If you are a Chrome user today, you already have option available to import all your data from Chrome to have Microsoft Edge personalized with all your browsing data.

If you are still looking for ongoing sync between Microsoft Edge and Chrome, please share some more details about your scenario.

1. Why would you like an ongoing sync between the two? What problem would it solve for you?
2. Do you expect to leverage this ongoing sync only for a short period of time (for instance during initial assessment of Microsoft Edge) or for long period (continue to use multiple browsers)?
3. How would the absence of this ability change your perspective on Microsoft Edge adoption?
4. Would the creation of a Chrome extension fulfil your requirement?

We will keep you updated as we better understand the needs of our community.

[#2]

@akhator 

1. Why would you like an ongoing sync between the two? What problem would it solve for you?

Yes - I need to use different browsers at different places.

1. Do you expect to leverage this ongoing sync only for a short period of time (for instance during initial assessment of Microsoft Edge) or for long period (continue to use multiple browsers)?

Long Period

1. How would the absence of this ability change your perspective on Microsoft Edge adoption?

It would make it harder, sadly

1. Would the creation of a Chrome extension fulfil your requirement?

Maybe - but only if it's a two-way sync (to and from Edge)

[#3]

@akhator 

Total respect to all the privacy concerns in this discussion - I appreciate that we're thinking about this.

Personally, I ended up here searching for a way to continuously sync my bookmarks and bookmarks bar between Google Chrome and Edge Chromium.  This is something I would use.

Perhaps one way to offer peace of mind around this is to implement it as an optional extension, and have the extension permit us to choose what gets sync'd.  Like in my case - bookmarks only - but one could opt-in for deeper syncing like search history, etc.

[#4]

@GavinF 

FYI, there is "a" way and it's does work, albeit it flakes out a bit and you have to make sure you turn off Favorites / Bookmarks sync in Chrome and Edge.

https://www.xbrowsersync.org/

Just make sure you backup the bookmarks regularly.

[#5]

I have seen that you have decided to kind of close this thread, but I still would like to express my sincere interest in this issue. Similar to many others, I would like to have more freedom in choosing different browsers on different devices, ideally with the option to sync my bookmarks, history and open tabs (and potentially even autofills/passwords) between different browsers and digital ecosystems. 

1. Why would you like an ongoing sync between the two? What problem would it solve for you?
   Using different browsers in different settings (workplace vs personal, mobile vs desktop, even running two browser instances on the same machine to better separate different activities)
2. Do you expect to leverage this ongoing sync only for a short period of time (for instance during initial assessment of Microsoft Edge) or for long period (continue to use multiple browsers)?
   it will certainly be a requirement to make the switch, as it makes it easier to test Edge on a single device for some time, but I could also imagine using it long-term if it's more convenient to use different browsers in different settings
3. How would the absence of this ability change your perspective on Microsoft Edge adoption?
   I won't adopt it until this issue is addressed
4. Would the creation of a Chrome extension fulfil your requirement?
   Potentially, but an alternative might be to include the google account in the list of accepted profiles

@akhator 

[#6]

Yes, similar to a LOT others, this is a good idea! I use Chrome sometimes just because websites are broken in Edge.

[#7]

@akhator I would love absolutely an extension for Microsoft Edge which can be logged into my Chrome account in the cloud, and which can update bookmarks/passswords/creditcards/etc in the cloud the instant I make such changes in Edge, and which pulls changes from my Chrome account in the cloud into Microsoft Edge the instant I make them.

The use case is of course so I can continue to use Chrome on other devices besides this particular PC.

If I switch to using Edge on all of my devices, I would want to be able to remove the extension.

[#8]

@Freddie-Zhang 

Spoiler

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@Freddie-Zhang wrote:
Yes, similar to a LOT others, this is a good idea! I use Chrome sometimes just because websites are broken in Edge.

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Websites can't be broken in Edge and work in chrome because they use the same underlying engine. and it;s No way the reason to compromise user data to a 3rd party company like google with their bad history of user data handling.

[#9]

@HotCakeX 

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@HotCakeX wrote:

@Freddie-Zhang 

Spoiler

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@Freddie-Zhang wrote:
Yes, similar to a LOT others, this is a good idea! I use Chrome sometimes just because websites are broken in Edge.

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Websites can't be broken in Edge and work in chrome because they use the same underlying engine. and it;s No way the reason to compromise user data to a 3rd party company like google with their bad history of user data handling.

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Not true at all. We have a couple of different websites that will not work in Edge, but work in Chrome. In fact, one of them actually says you are using an old browser, please choose Chrome, IE, or Safari!

[#10]

@Keith Davis 

Spoiler

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@Keith Davis wrote:

@HotCakeX 

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@HotCakeX wrote:

@Freddie-Zhang 

Spoiler

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@Freddie-Zhang wrote:
Yes, similar to a LOT others, this is a good idea! I use Chrome sometimes just because websites are broken in Edge.

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Websites can't be broken in Edge and work in chrome because they use the same underlying engine. and it;s No way the reason to compromise user data to a 3rd party company like google with their bad history of user data handling.

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Not true at all. We have a couple of different websites that will not work in Edge, but work in Chrome. In fact, one of them actually says you are using an old browser, please choose Chrome, IE, or Safari!

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Oh it is true.

and the problem you are talking about is Not related to the browser but the website developer who relies on old outdated technology to detect browsers.

when a website says you are using an old browser, by mistake, then you should contact that website's developer and let them know about their mistake.

[#11]

@HotCakeX 

I understand that (I'm a web developer myself), but that does not matter, and trying to get some of these huge companies that we rely on (like Quest Diagnostics) to change is like trying to turn the Titanic with a boat oar. :) We don't have a choice, we have to use this company and we have to use their portal. 

[#12]

@Keith Davis 

Spoiler

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@Keith Davis wrote:

@HotCakeX 

I understand that (I'm a web developer myself), but that does not matter, and trying to get some of these huge companies that we rely on (like Quest Diagnostics) to change is like trying to turn the Titanic with a boat oar. :) We don't have a choice, we have to use this company and we have to use their portal. 

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That does matter and matters a lot. Microsoft is bigger than those companies if you wanna talk like that. (which isn't related here)

and Microsoft Edge is a popular browser, it's Their loss and Their problem. you should be contacting them and talk to their forum (if any).

[#13]

@HotCakeX 

I prefer to continue using the Chrome on android rather than downloading Edge which is about 87MB. I would also like to keep some memory free and limit the number of apps installed.

Do you really think Google's Chrome would enable sync from Microsoft Edge and allow users to switch their browser?
But if Microsoft comes up with this feature, I believe more people would switch to Edge.

[#14]

@akhator 

Why would you like an ongoing sync between the two? What problem would it solve for you?
I use an Android phone which has Chrome pre-installed. I prefer to continue using the app as Edge for my android phone is too big (about 87MB) and I would like to keep some memory free and limit the number of apps installed. However, on PC Edge is doing good and using up much lesser memory when compared to Chrome. Moreover, sync in Chrome has been quite helpful for me to access and sign into websites quickly cross-device. After switching to Edge, it has become difficult to access content that I have already come across on the other browser without beginning from scratch.

Do you expect to leverage this ongoing sync only for a short period of time (for instance during initial assessment of Microsoft Edge) or for long period (continue to use multiple browsers)?
As long as I use android I would require this assistance, therefore long period.

How would the absence of this ability change your perspective on Microsoft Edge adoption?
From my answer above, I hope it is quite clear about the importance of this feature to users like me. In its absence I might have to switch back to Chrome. 

Would the creation of a Chrome extension fulfil your requirement?
If it can sync data in real time, it might be enough.

[#15]

Hi, I recently switched to the new version of Edge on my Windows 10 pc and it's a vast improvement on previous versions. However, I use Google Chrome on my phone and tablet so I need to be able to automatically sync bookmarks as it's so easy to forget to manually sync when adding or editing bookmarks. @akhator 

[#16]

HotCake, I'm not sure why you assumed that an ongoing sync only implied the syncing of extensions. I'm not sure about everyone else, but at least for me I just need this feature to sync my chrome browsing history. And to be quite honest, I don't think most people want or even care about their extensions being synced, I think most people are just looking for their history and bookmarks being synced, me included.

[#17]

@hussain5416 I completely disagree. Also I think you are a bit mistaken. If you think that I (we) want every single thing from chrome synced to edge, including extensions and google services, then you are wrong. Most people like me just want their history and bookmarks synced because we prefer using Chrome on our phones, and we want to be able to find the webpages we've visited on Edge on Chrome mobile.

Obviously nobody really wants two completely different things mixed together. Please have an open mind and understand why such a feature is important to users who have just migrated from Chrome. I'm not going to tolerate opening every webpage from Edge to Chrome just because I want it synced with my phone/tablet.

[#18]

@NamishB 

"However, I'm sure most of us would agree that the number of such users won't be many."

I would suggest otherwise.

I'm sure most of us would also agree that the new chromium Edge is gaining more traction from Chrome users. Having that said, because more and more Chrome users are migrating to Chrome, some of these users:

• A) still use and prefer Chrome on their mobile devices, and therefore
• B) need to access their desktop browsing history on their phones

But obviously we can't do that anymore because we're using two different browsers.

"On the contrary, many of us do not want any kind of Google's services incorporated in Microsoft Edge browser."

Like what I said to HotCake, I'm not quite sure why you assumed that syncing implies the importation of google services. To me, syncing just means being able to see your ongoing browsing history (and/or bookmarks) from Edge to Chrome. If such a suggestion was phrased to explicitly mention syncing google services including extensions, then I would also have to object to that as well. I'm not looking for syncing extensions, in fact I dislike that feature from chrome. 

"Hence, I'm convinced and strongly suggest that a Chrome extension would be the best option, and that too only if it's absolutely necessary to implement such a feature."

There's just only one (huge) problem with that: you can't install extensions on the mobile Chrome app. I don't believe that I am the only one who uses Edge on their computer while using Chrome on their phone.

In fact, if I could guesstimate, I would say that the majority of users who need this feature are because of this exact reason. On the other hand, I'm not sure why anyone would need to use both Chrome and Edge on their desktops simultaneously, but if such a use case exists, it's an obscure one (e.g. coding?).

Basically I am arguing that:

1. this feature is essential for the above reasons, and
2. that your suggestion is futile also for the above reasons

Obviously nobody really wants two completely different things mixed together, especially is they serve identical purposes. Please have an open mind and understand why such a feature is important to users who have just migrated from Chrome. I'm not going to tolerate opening every webpage from Edge to Chrome just because I want to view it on my phone/tablet.

[#19]

You are talking about a completely different thing that most people weren't even complaining about. It's not about syncing your Google accounts, it's about syncing our browsing history. I really couldn't care less about how it syncs (obviously the assumption is through your G-account), I just want to be able to see my browsing history. That is all.

Maybe there is a way to achieve that without getting google services involved, who knows.

[#20]

You completely missed the point of this feature. The point isn't the need to make Edge more like Chrome (as if anybody would think that), but rather to be able to access our browsing history from Edge to Chrome.

Why? Well first of all I'm not talking about desktop Chrome, I'm talking about mobile Chrome. Some people like me want to use Chrome on their phones while using Edge on their computer. And so if we want to access the webpage we just visited on our computer, we can't do that anymore.

Of course these are my own needs, but probably some people have similar needs too with their bookmarks.

[#21]

@HotCakeXBut he never said the F word, so quite frankly your analogy is flawed. Just because his perspective is different from yours doesn't make it "rude". In fact, in the world of academia, having a different perspective is very valuable, no matter how radical or "rude" it may seem.   

As the golden rule suggests, please learn to accept people's perspectives, or else don't expect other people to appreciate your perspectives.