Microsoft's Ignite event for 2022 starts today, and with it come some big news for a lot of products. One of them has to do with Microsoft Edge, which is getting a brand-new feature called Workspaces meant for collaboration. There are some new security features in tow, too.

Microsoft Edge Workspaces

The big new addition here is definitely Microsoft Edge Workspaces, and they're a pretty interesting way to collaborate. With Workspaces in Edge, users can share sets of browser tabs across multiple people, so that everyone has quick access to the same websites and shared files. The idea is that instead of sending someone an email to all the links related to a project, you can share a Microsoft Edge workspace that contains everything they need access to. This way, it's easier to bring new people into a project. Tabs are also updated in real-time as people work inside the workspace, so everyone can stay on top of what's happening.

As most of Ignite's news tend to be, this is a business-focused feature, and if you want to try it, you can head here to join the preview. Microsoft didn't say when you can expect it to be generally available.

Edge security features

Beyond the big new addition, of course, Microsoft continues to improve security in Edge. There are two new features available now and you might have heard of them before. One of them is website typo protection, which protects users from websites that prey on typos for much more popular websites. If you accidentally mistype a well-known address, Edge will try to direct you to the intended website instead of loading a potentially dangerous page.

Another feature Microsoft has added is the enhanced security mode, which helps reduce the risk of attack by disabling just-in-time JavaScript compilation on websites you visit less frequently. JIT compilation is important for some websites to work as intended, but it's also a common attack surface, so Edge makes it so that your most visited websites aren't affected by default. For websites you don't visit often, Edge will disable JIT compilation so you can stay safe when you visit a website you might not trust.

Accessibility

Finally, Microsoft also has some new accessibility features for Edge to make it easier for everyone to find and enjoy what they're looking for on the web. First, there's a new live captions feature, which is fairly self-explanatory. It can generate live captions for content you play on the web, such as a podcast or video, so if you have limited hearing, you can still enjoy audio content. This is something Google Chrome has had for over a year now, too.

Microsoft is also adding instant answers to Edge, which give you quick access to information when you type something on the address bar. For example, you can search for the weather in your city, and Edge will present that information directly as a suggestion before you have to hit Enter. These instant answers are also readable by screen readers, making them even more accessible. On that note, Microsoft is improving the way Edge works with the Narrator in Windows, making navigation more consistent and providing more contextual information about text field and button names. Plus, it will now be easier to update form fields while using the Narrator.

Those features are all generally available now, but there's another one that's only in preview for now. You can now change the page colors inside Microsoft Edge, which can help make pages easier to read by improving contrast.