Microsoft Edge browser for Apple Silicon M1 Macs is now available

Mac

Microsoft Edge is now available for all users with native support for Apple Silicon M1 Macs. Now, users who go to download Edge for Mac will be prompted to select whether they want to download the Intel or “Apple chip” version of the browser.

Microsoft has been updating its browser to support Apple silicon for a few weeks with developer betas made available last month. Official Apple Silicon support for apps offers powerful performance and a smoother experience for users.

Edge for Macs with Apple Chip

Edge browser with Apple Silicon support now available for all users

Microsoft first begun tested the M1-optimized version of Edge back in December, just days after it started rolling out new versions of its Office 365 apps which run natively on M1 Macs. These apps include Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote.

In addition to having native M1 support, Edge is “designed to feel at home on a Mac,” with a heavy emphasis on reliability and privacy, according to Microsoft. The browser lets users sync passwords, favorites, and settings across devices and platforms.

The updated browser is available to download now from Microsoft’s website, with MacBook users now given the option to Edge for “Mac with Apple Chip” or “Mac with Intel Chip”. This means that Edge now runs natively on Apple Silicon and does not have to be translated through Rosetta 2 on M1 Macs, such as the latest MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini.

Microsoft Edge browset for Apple Silicon Macs

This update is great news for M1 Mac owners who have been looking to switch to Microsoft’s browser. Though Rosetta allowed Edge to run, emulation often leads to poor performance since computing resources have to be set aside for translation.

Microsoft has recompiled its software for M1 Macs relatively later than its competitions. Rival browsers such as Google Chrome and Firefox have already been optimized to run natively on M1 Macs.

Check out our coverage of other first-party and third-party macOS apps that have been updated for Apple Silicon M1 Macs.

About the Author

Asma is an editor at iThinkDifferent with a strong focus on social media, Apple news, streaming services, guides, mobile gaming, app reviews, and more. When not blogging, Asma loves to play with her cat, draw, and binge on Netflix shows.