Microsoft has finally started rolling out a voice search option to the production version of the Chromium-based Edge browser. The feature was first spotted by some people on the Tech Community forums [1, 2], and it’s available to select users running Edge version 87.0.664.75 or higher.
The new search experience will enable users to use voice commands to conduct a web search in the browser rather than typing text in the search box. To perform a voice search, click the microphone icon in the search bar on the New Tab page and say the search command. The browser will automatically find the information and display the search results on a separate page.
It’s important to note that the voice search option is integrated with the built-in Dictation feature available in Windows 10. If Edge doesn’t have access to the microphone, this can prevent users from using voice search. Users also can summon it with Win + H, too, without clicking, as an alternate shortcut.
As mentioned above, the feature is live in stable Edge 87, so users don’t need to get the Canary or Dev version. This capability will definitely be useful for students, educators, and business users. It appears that the new search experience is a part of a controlled rollout, so not everyone on Edge may have it at this point. Have you spotted the voice search option on your PCs? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
