Microsoft Edge Workspaces now available in limited public preview

Microsoft announced today that the recently introduced Edge Workspaces feature, which allows users to share groups of tabs with friends and family, is now available as part of a limited public preview for home users.

First revealed in an enterprise public preview at the company's October 2022 Ignite conference for developers and IT professionals, Microsoft Edge Workspaces is designed to provide groups of people with access to the same set of tabs after signing into their Microsoft account.

"Today, we are excited to announce that we're opening Edge Workspaces for a limited public preview. Edge Workspaces provides a great way for you to separate your browsing tasks into dedicated windows so you can stay focused and organized across tasks," the Microsoft Edge Team said.

"Edge Workspaces can help you streamline a task or project, like a trip, in one place versus having to share links with each other back and forth.

"In Workspaces, you can create a single, shared view of your group's web pages and documents within a unique browser window, with real-time updates."

After joining a workspace, all users can add new tabs, documents, and favorites, and they can also keep track of activity linked to this shared set of browser tabs via real-time updates.

It should also be noted that the Edge Workspaces collaborative browsing feature does not involve browser screen-sharing or the sharing of browser data among participants. 

Each of them will only be able to view content they are authorized to access, with access to Edge Workspaces requiring signing in with a Microsoft account. 

Thus, everyone must use their credentials to log in and access email or content, and they will also have to request permission to view a Microsoft 365 document if they are not already authorized.

Microsoft added that Edge Workspaces would not distribute confidential data, such as cookies or credentials, to other users with access to the workspace.

You can get access to the Microsoft Edge Workspace public preview here, but there are some caveats:

• You will need to be signed in to your Microsoft account using Microsoft Edge version 111.0.1661.51 (or higher)
• You will receive five invites to send to friends and family to join the preview (since this is a limited preview, this will be subject to availability)

Microsoft also says the Edge Workspace feature will only be available on Windows and macOS, with the currently limited group of testers to expand during the next several months.