Microsoft Edge's visual is looking more and more like Material You

Microsoft is gradually implementing the “Material You” design in its Edge browser, as a recent experiment reveals.

Browser enthusiast @Leopeva64 on X has been keeping an eye out for it for quite some time. Now, Edge’s latest experimental Canary build is adopting the Windows accent color for toolbar buttons.

A side-by-side comparison between Edge and Chrome also shows that both browsers now adjust their color schemes based on the Windows accent color, although Chrome’s approach is a lot more subtle.

Folks are pretty disappointed about the removal of the Mica effect in Edge, which, as the enthusiast says, is linked to ongoing changes in the browser’s vertical tab designs. But that may be temporary, though.

Edge Canary has previously introduced color customization options for menus, dialogs, and tooltips, bringing it closer to Chrome’s feature set, which also includes a similar toggle for accent color integration.

Material You is a visual design language introduced by Google with Android 12, but it shares similarities with the aesthetic approach seen in Windows 11.

With that said though, while Windows 11 has unique design features like rounded corners and Mica effects, Material You brings a similar color-based customization to Android and apps like Chrome. Both, however, also let you customize UI elements and accent colors.

Earlier this year, Microsoft started testing an overhaul to its Edge browser through an internal project codenamed Phoenix to make it feel more modern and native on Windows 11. It’s not a single release but will bring changes gradually here and there, including the addition of Mica to the title bar and a new split-screen feature.