Microsoft brings data-saving features to Microsoft Edge

Such as Google Chrome and Firefox browsers usually turn on the automatic update function, which helps users to complete the upgrade and quickly block security flaws.

However, the high frequency of these open-source software changes can sometimes be a bit annoying, especially in the cellular networks will waste more traffic.

Therefore, Microsoft engineers proposed to set functional restrictions on the browser’s automatic update function and suspend the update when the user uses the cellular network or the network is billed by traffic. This feature is currently available in the Microsoft Edge Canary version.

In a Chromium commit, the developer noted: “It’s indeed true that a lot of code in Chromium assumes metered iff cellular. If we have support for IsConnectionMetered() API via NetworkChangeNotifier, that would definitely be better.”

The interface newly developed by Microsoft engineers can detect the current user’s network environment, for example, whether the current device is connected to the network through a cellular network.

But for now, this interface has not been enabled, so automatic detection will not be performed. Microsoft’s current strategy is to allow users to manually turn on or off the update.

That is to say, in a network environment that is billed by traffic, the browser will only be automatically updated if the user manually turns on this option. If it is not turned on, the automatic update will not be enabled.

This does help users who use cellular network connections to save traffic. Usually, cellular network connections are billed by traffic and the price is not cheap.

For example, long-term automatic updates of the browser may consume more traffic, so this new feature of Microsoft is actually quite useful for some users.

Google Chrome estimates that it will also support this feature based on the code submitted by Microsoft engineers. The corresponding option has not been seen in the latest Chrome Canary version.