The new Microsoft Edge running on Chromium isn’t yet here officially, but a leaked build allows us to try out the browser in anticipation of its highly-anticipated release.
Using the browser on a daily basis isn’t obviously recommended as experimental builds like this can’t by any means become your main driver.
A user agent (UA) string is able to be used to detect what version of a specific browser is being used on a certain operating system. Like other browsers, Microsoft Edge includes this information in the User-Agent HTTP header whenever it makes a request to a site. We have over 444,613 user agents for Edge which you can browse and explore. They are categorised by the browser, operating system, hardware type and so on; you can also see how popular a user agent is. Switch between popular user-agent strings quickly and easily. With this extension, you are able to set a user agent for a specific tab, or a specific domain. Popular browser user agents like safari from iPhone, iPad are easily selectable, with that you may browse certain website as if you are on a mobile device, like twitter.com, youtube.com etc. If you are trying to set the user agent string for MS Edge (chromium) browser then you can refer to the example below. Here, I am using Visual Studio and I have created a Console C# app. You need to add a reference to Microsoft.Edge.SeleniumTools and Selenium.WebDriver. Sample code to set the different user agent string using Selenium Edge web. If you are trying to set the user agent string for MS Edge (chromium) browser then you can refer to the example below. Here, I am using Visual Studio and I have created a Console C# app. You need to add a reference to Microsoft.Edge.SeleniumTools and Selenium.WebDriver. Sample code to set the different user agent string using Selenium Edge web.
However, Edge seems a really polished browser that runs pretty smoothly, despite several important features still missing. But on the other hand, others are already there, including options to change the user agent if you need it.
Obviously, because Microsoft Edge is migrating from EdgeHTML to Chromium, changing the user agent is a different process now, and those who aren’t used to Google Chrome might find it a really difficult process.
And this happens because changing the user agent isn’t really the most straightforward process, as the option is placed in a menu that few people actually find when looking for it.
For many users, switching to a different user agent and thus emulating another browser is a method to bypass certain website restrictions that concern a specific app. For example, if a website doesn’t support Chromium, you can very well change the user agent to mimic a different browser like Mozilla Firefox.
The best example is Skype for Web, which doesn’t work in Firefox anymore, so Mozilla users need to switch to another user agent to connect to the service.
Interestingly, the Chromium-based Microsoft Edge also comes with a user agent for the original Microsoft Edge that’s still available in the existing Windows 10 builds. This is particularly useful for enterprises which developed internal apps specifically for the native Windows 10 browser.
In other words, switching to the Chromium-powered browser shouldn’t cause compatibility issues and still let your users connect to internal apps.
To change the user agent in the Chromium-powered Microsoft Edge, you first need to launch the Developer tools. This can be done either from the menu > More tools > Developer tools or by simply pressing CTRL + Shift + I when using the browser.
For those unfamiliar with this screen, it’s specifically supposed to provide developers with advanced tools that let them analyze code and website performance. Changing the user agent is actually considered a developer option that helps webmasters check their pages against potential compatibility issues with different browsers.
In the Developer tools menu, look in the upper side of the screen for the three-dot menu that looks like this “…” and then click it. Go to More tools > Network conditions and scroll down to see the lower part of the screen.
By default, Microsoft Edge is configured to Select automatically the user agent, so you need to uncheck this option to be able to choose a custom setting. Uncheck this option and then click the Custom drop-down menu to choose another user agent – you can pick from a wide variety of options, including mobile and desktop browsers.
The browser does not need a reboot to save the new settings, and your pages should then reload to apply the custom user agent.
This method is very similar to the one in Google Chrome, and it makes sense given that the two browsers are now running on the same engine.
Third-party extensions that make it possible to change the user agent faster and easier are also available for both browsers – Microsoft Edge now runs all extensions that were developed for Google Chrome, so you can head over to the Chrome Web Store to install any extension you want. This is actually one of the biggest benefits of Microsoft Edge switching to Chromium.
Microsoft Edge is the software giant’s big bet in Windows 10, and although the browser has until now failed to gain traction, it wins new users slowly but surely.
As I told you not a long time ago, I’m one of those people who switched from Google Chrome to Microsoft Edge, mostly because of the high resource usage experienced when running Google’s browser.
Microsoft Edge, on the other hand, has reached its maturity and is now running smoothly on Windows 10 with only rare issues spotted here and there.
But as more people make the transition to Microsoft Edge and discover the Internet Explorer successor, some are trying to figure out how to perform a series of tasks, like switching the user agent.
Believe it or not, but one of the most common questions for Microsoft Edge adopters is how to change the user agent, as apparently, this feature isn’t exactly where it’s supposed to be.
In fact, it is, only that several clicks are required to locate and change it. And you can learn how to do it below.
Where to find user agent settings
In just a few words, the user agent allows a specific application to report a different browser to websites, and this can be helpful in a series of scenarios.
For instance, it can be used by web developers to test the functionality of certain applications in specific browsers, but at the same time, it can also help regular users bypass restrictions that may be applied to some browsers.
All browsers come with such settings, in Microsoft Edge running on Windows 10 October 2018 Update (version 1803) it is located in the Developer Tools menu. To launch this UI, you have to press the F12 key on your keyboard, and then in the top menu, click on Emulation.
Note that with the default window dimensions, the Emulation tab isn’t visible, so you first have to click the little allow that lets you expand the menu and only then open the menu.
Microsoft Edge lets you change not only the user agent string, which can be anything from Internet Explorer and Google Chrome to mobile browsers like Safari, but also devices, with support for Lumia phones, Surface Book, iPhones, and old Nexus models currently being offered.
For some reason, despite Microsoft Edge in October 2018 Update being updated literally a few days ago, the browser can emulate only old devices like the said Nexus phones, iPhone 7, and outdated Lumia models. iPhone X and Samsung phones aren’t included, but on the other hand, there’s a custom tab that lets you create a dedicated profile for a device of your own.
Edge User Agent Change
You can also configure orientation, resolution, and GPS settings should you want a certain location to be used when emulating a different browser.
Edge User Agent Override
After changing the user agent string, don’t forget to return to the original settings, especially if you’re using Microsoft Edge as your daily browser.
Edge User Agent String
Microsoft Edge is currently at a little over 4 percent market share, and the upcoming October 2018 Update is expected to convince a few more users to switch.
Microsoft itself has struggled to keep Windows 10 adopters on Microsoft Edge, but until now this plan has partially failed. Google Chrome, on the other hand, has been the leader of the browser world for a couple of years already, controlling a share of more than 60 percent.
Edge User Agent Stylesheet
Windows 10 October 2018 Update will go live to the production ring in the coming weeks, with Microsoft expected to sign off the RTM build in just a few days. Insiders could get this final build in late September.