Microsoft Edge may soon abandon the term Favorites in favor of Bookmarks, according to code references discovered in recent test builds of the browser. The change, which has not been officially announced, appears to be part of a broader effort to make Edge look and feel more like Google Chrome. For years, Edge has used Favorites to describe saved web pages, a term inherited from Internet Explorer. Chrome, by contrast, has always called them Bookmarks. If the switch happens, Edge users will see Bookmarks in menus, settings, sync options, and the address bar.

The discovery was made by enthusiasts who comb through Edge Canary, the experimental version of the browser that Microsoft uses to test new features. Strings of code in the latest builds refer to a Bookmarks menu and a Bookmarks hub, replacing the old Favorites labels. The star icon in the address bar, which users click to save a page, is expected to remain the same. The underlying functionality will not change: users will still be able to save, organize, and sync their saved pages across devices. Only the name is different.

Microsoft has not commented on the potential rename. The company typically tests changes in Canary and Dev channels before rolling them out to the stable version of Edge. If the feedback is positive, the feature could appear in a future release. If users object, Microsoft may adjust or cancel the plan. The company has a history of testing features and sometimes reversing course based on user feedback.

Why Microsoft Is Considering the Change

The primary reason is competition. Google Chrome dominates the browser market with roughly 65 percent of global desktop usage, while Edge holds a much smaller share. Microsoft has been trying to convince Windows users to stick with Edge instead of downloading Chrome. One way to do that is to reduce the friction of switching. If Edge uses the same terminology as Chrome, users migrating from Chrome will feel more at home. They will not have to learn a new word for a basic feature.

Microsoft has already adopted many Chrome conventions. Edge is built on Chromium, the same open-source engine that powers Chrome. It supports Chrome extensions, syncs with Microsoft accounts, and offers a similar settings layout. The rename from Favorites to Bookmarks would be another step in that direction. It signals that Microsoft is willing to prioritize familiarity for Chrome users over its own historical terminology.

There is also a practical angle. Many websites and support articles refer to Bookmarks rather than Favorites. When users search for help online, they are more likely to find instructions for Chrome. By using the same term, Microsoft can make its own help content more discoverable and reduce confusion. Enterprise administrators who manage both browsers may also appreciate the consistency.

What Edge Users Will See Instead

If the change is implemented, Edge will replace Favorites with Bookmarks in most places. The main menu will show a Bookmarks option instead of Favorites. The bookmarks bar, currently called the favorites bar, will be renamed. The bookmark manager, which lets users organize saved pages into folders, will be called the bookmarks manager. Sync settings will refer to bookmarks rather than favorites. Import and export tools will also use the new term.

Keyboard shortcuts are likely to stay the same. In Edge, Ctrl+Shift+O currently opens the Favorites manager. In Chrome, the same shortcut opens the Bookmark manager. After the rename, Edge users will press Ctrl+Shift+O to open the Bookmarks manager. The star icon in the address bar will still save a page with one click. Right-clicking a page will still offer an option to add it to bookmarks. The underlying database and sync architecture will not change.

Microsoft may also update the icons and tooltips. The star icon is already similar to Chrome's. The three-dot menu will show Bookmarks instead of Favorites. The edge://favorites page, which is the internal URL for managing saved pages, might become edge://bookmarks. Microsoft could redirect the old URL to the new one to avoid broken bookmarks.

Potential Impact on Existing Users

For long-time Edge users, the change could be jarring. Favorites has been part of Microsoft browsers since the 1990s. Internet Explorer used Favorites. Legacy Edge used Favorites. When Microsoft switched to Chromium, it kept Favorites to maintain continuity. Many Windows users are used to the term. Renaming it to Bookmarks may cause momentary confusion. Some users may think their saved pages have disappeared, even though they are still there.

The term Favorites dates back to Internet Explorer 4.0, released in 1997. It was designed to help users keep track of websites at a time when the web was new and bookmarks were less common. Microsoft kept the term through Internet Explorer 11 and into the first version of Edge. When Edge was rebuilt on Chromium in 2020, Microsoft chose to retain Favorites even though the underlying engine was Chrome's. That decision was meant to reassure existing users. Now, that decision may be reversed.

Google Chrome introduced Bookmarks from its first release in 2008. The term was already familiar from Firefox, which called them Bookmarks. Chrome's rise to dominance made Bookmarks the default term for most web users. Today, when someone says bookmark, they usually mean a saved web page. Favorites sounds slightly dated, like a relic from the Internet Explorer era. Microsoft may be acknowledging that reality.

Enterprise environments could face bigger challenges. Group policies, documentation, and training materials often refer to Favorites. IT departments may need to update their guides. Help desk staff may receive calls from users who cannot find their Favorites. Microsoft could mitigate this by adding a setting that lets users choose between Favorites and Bookmarks. Or it could phase the change gradually, with tooltips explaining the new term.

User reaction on forums and social media has been mixed. Some welcome the change, saying Bookmarks is the universal term and that Edge should stop being different for no reason. Others criticize Microsoft for copying Chrome instead of innovating. They argue that Favorites is part of Edge's identity and that changing it makes Edge less distinctive. A few users have threatened to switch to another browser if the change goes through. However, such reactions are common for any UI change.

The Broader Trend of Browser Convergence

The rename is part of a larger trend: browser interfaces are converging. Chrome has become the de facto standard for how a browser should look and behave. Many browsers, including Edge, Brave, Opera, and Vivaldi, use Chromium under the hood. They often adopt similar menus, settings, and keyboard shortcuts. This convergence makes it easier for users to switch between browsers, but it also reduces diversity.

Microsoft has tried to differentiate Edge with unique features. Vertical tabs, collections, sleeping tabs, and built-in AI through Copilot are examples. These features are not available in Chrome. However, when it comes to basic terminology, Microsoft may feel that matching Chrome is more important than standing out. The company wants Edge to be the default choice on Windows, and it believes that a familiar experience will help.

Google, for its part, has also borrowed ideas from Edge. Chrome added tab groups, which Edge had in a different form. Chrome is testing a vertical tabs option. The two browsers are learning from each other. But Chrome's market position means its terminology usually wins. Bookmarks is now the dominant term across the web.

What Happens Next

The change is currently in testing. Microsoft has not shared a timeline. Edge Canary users may see the new Bookmarks labels first. If the feature is enabled by default in Canary, it could appear in Dev and Beta channels within weeks. A stable release could follow within a few months. However, Microsoft sometimes keeps features in testing for a long time or cancels them entirely.

Users who want to try the new terminology can download Edge Canary. They may need to enable a feature flag by typing edge://flags and searching for Bookmarks. The flag might be called something like Enable Bookmarks Hub or Rename Favorites to Bookmarks. As with any experimental feature, it may be unstable. Most users should wait for an official announcement.

If Microsoft proceeds, it will likely update its support documentation and marketing materials. The company may also add a migration assistant that explains the change to users. A notification could appear after an update, saying that Favorites are now called Bookmarks. This would help reduce confusion. Microsoft has used similar notifications for other changes, such as when it renamed Reading List to Collections.

For now, Edge users can continue to use Favorites as usual. The feature is not going away; only the label may change. The saved pages will remain intact. The sync data will not be affected. The star icon will still work. The only difference will be the word on the menu. Whether that small change makes Edge more appealing to Chrome users remains to be seen. Microsoft is betting that familiarity will win over identity.

Source:Windows Central News