Microsoft Edge 137 Update: Major Feature Removals and What They Mean for Users

With the upcoming release of Microsoft Edge version 137, users will witness a wave of significant feature removals that mark a distinct departure from Microsoft’s traditional, gradual approach to browser evolution. Unlike the incremental deprecation strategies often seen in the browser market, Edge’s latest update embodies a more radical, sweeping motion to streamline its experience. While this move is part of Microsoft’s stated goal to create a leaner, more focused browsing environment, it also introduces considerable ramifications for both power users and average consumers who have come to depend on Edge’s unique utilities.

Edge 137: A Pivot Toward Simplification​

Microsoft Edge version 137, which began rolling out to Insiders via the Beta channel and is set for broad public release later this month, will retire a host of features, including the Image Editor, Image Hovers, Mini menu, Video Super Resolution (VSR), and Wallet Hub. The most notable aspect of this transition is not necessarily the sheer number of removals, but the nature of the features being cut: many offer genuinely practical value, especially for users accustomed to an all-in-one browser workflow.

What’s Being Removed?​

Image Editor​

The built-in Image Editor has been a core convenience for many Edge users, allowing for quick, browser-based adjustments such as cropping, applying filters, and simple edits directly from the download dialogue. Previously, this meant users could quickly perfect an image before saving, circumventing the need to launch dedicated programs like Paint or Photoshop for minor tweaks. Its removal stands to reinstate the inconvenience of relying on external tools for simple tasks—a notable loss for users invested in maximizing productivity from within their browsers.

Image Hovers Menu​

The Image Hovers feature enabled instant online searches for related images by hovering over a photo—streamlining research and visual discovery without extra clicks or navigation. Its absence in Edge 137 means users who valued this fluid integration will have to lean more on manual searching or use third-party browser extensions, which may not offer the same seamlessness or privacy assurances.

Mini Menu​

The Mini menu, a contextual quick-access feature, has also been deprecated. While not universally beloved, it simplified workflows for a subset of users by presenting relevant options based on context (such as searches, translations, or dictionary definitions). Its quiet departure further trims the edge off Edge’s UX differentiators.

Video Super Resolution (VSR)​

Perhaps the most technically substantive feature to be cut, Video Super Resolution (VSR) allowed Edge to upscale videos and eliminate compression artifacts during streaming, delivering visually sharper experiences even with lower-quality source content. It worked on both AMD and Nvidia GPUs, broadening accessibility. Its removal is particularly impactful for users without native GPU-specific upscaling tools—Nvidia cardholders can still leverage proprietary VSR, but AMD and integrated graphics users will likely need to resort to third-party solutions such as Lossless Scaling or accept lower-quality video for the time being.

Wallet Hub​

Wallet Hub’s phase-out is arguably the most expected of the outgoing features. Microsoft’s aim here is to move toward a “streamlined experience,” and with version 137, Edge’s Settings will see Wallet replaced with a consolidated Passwords/Personal Information/Payment management hub. While this change is positioned as an upgrade for privacy and password management, it strips away the dedicated wallet experience previously offered to those who depended on Edge for centralized payment processing.

Microsoft’s Motivation: Streamlining Meets Pragmatism​

Microsoft’s changelog suggests these removals are intended to foster a “streamlined experience,” an oft-repeated goal in software development circles, especially as applications balloon in size and complexity. The company asserts that phasing out Wallet Hub—alongside other utilities—will help users manage personal information and payments more intuitively. This echoes broader tech industry trends prioritizing minimalism, simplicity, and speed over exhaustive feature sets that can slow performance or introduce security liabilities.
There are practical considerations behind these decisions. Maintaining a diverse suite of in-browser tools requires ongoing development, design resources, and consistent patching to address vulnerabilities. Each additional feature is a potential attack vector, and as browsers become heavyweight platforms, the risks of code bloat and reduced reliability increase. Microsoft may also be responding to telemetry revealing low adoption rates for certain Edge features—or preparing for a strategic pivot as it doubles down on Edge for Business clientele.

User Impact: Productivity Losses and Workflow Disruption​

While some might welcome a slimmer, possibly speedier Edge, these changes are likely to disrupt established workflows for others.

Productivity Trade-Offs​

Centralizing productivity tools—like the Image Editor and Image Hovers—has always been one of Edge’s selling points. Power users and creatives, in particular, utilized these functions for rapid content curation, quick research, and batch editing. Having to switch contexts and launch external editors or search engines introduces friction back into previously optimized tasks. Edge’s unique productivity proposition notably erodes with these removals, narrowing the differentiation between it and competitors such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.

Accessibility and Inclusivity Concerns​

Features like Video Super Resolution provided tangible benefits for users with visual impairments or those on bandwidth-constrained connections, delivering clearer content without users needing to understand or configure arcane hardware-level settings. With Microsoft’s VSR gone, accessibility is not impossible but measurably less user-friendly.

Third-Party Solutions: A Double-Edged Sword​

Microsoft’s decision not to provide direct replacements for most of these features pushes users toward add-ons and extensions. While the extension ecosystem is vibrant, it is also a minefield—extensions can be privacy nightmares, introduce security vulnerabilities, and often require more permissions than proprietary features. Users will need to vet new tools carefully, with the likelihood that some functionalities, like the seamless video upscaling Edge VSR delivered, either won’t be fully replaced or will only be accessible through paid third-party apps.

Analysis: Strengths, Risks, and What Comes Next​

Notable Strengths​

• Performance Outlook: Fewer built-in tools could reduce resource consumption, leading to faster startup times and lower memory use—sometimes a pain point for browser users.
• Security Profile: By removing less-developed or underutilized features, Microsoft potentially reduces the browser’s “attack surface,” enhancing security for most users.
• Focus on Business Use Cases: While the mainstream user loses some consumer-facing bells and whistles, businesses—where simplicity, security, and manageability matter—may find less clutter and a more standardized experience easier to deploy and support.

Potential Risks​

• User Alienation: By axing features that certain user groups rely on, Microsoft risks sending some loyal users into the arms of rival browsers that better serve niche workflows or creative productivity.
• Ecosystem Fragmentation: As users turn to third-party solutions, the consistent Edge experience fragments. Users may face a patchwork of extensions, each with unique UIs, privacy policies, and update schedules.
• Innovation Slowdown: Trimming features—even if justified by usage metrics—can oftentimes just be a cost-cutting maneuver that stifles innovation. Browsers are not merely windows to the web but platforms for experimentation; losing in-house tools may discourage unique thinking and ambition in browser development.

Industry Context: Parallels and Divergences​

Browsers have traditionally been slow to retire features, instead choosing to hide or gradually phase out underused tools. Mozilla’s Firefox, for instance, has a reputation for keeping legacy features long past their heyday to accommodate power users. Google Chrome, conversely, is quicker to hide less-popular innovations but rarely removes core user-facing functionalities abruptly.
Microsoft’s radical pruning in Edge 137 may signal new ambitions for the Edge platform, especially as it increasingly courts enterprise and education markets. By contrast, average users—those who appreciated Edge for its unexpected richness—might find themselves underserved in this revised landscape.
It stands to reason that this approach will have both advocates and detractors. On one hand, simplicity and speed are evergreen appeals. On the other, the loss of browser-based productivity tools is a concrete inconvenience for anyone who took full advantage of Edge’s broader toolkit.

Practical Advice: Navigating the Changes​

For users affected by the removals, preparedness is key.

• Image Editing: Lightweight tools like Paint.Net (free) or online editors such as Photopea and Pixlr can replace much of Edge’s lost Image Editor functionality, albeit with a more app-based workflow.
• Reverse Image Search: Browser extensions (such as those by TinEye or Google) remain a substitute for the outgoing Image Hovers feature, with caveats about privacy and extension trustworthiness.
• Video Upscaling: Lossless Scaling (freemium on Steam) is one of few alternatives replicating Edge’s Video Super Resolution. Nvidia GPU users retain the manufacturer’s VSR feature, but AMD and Intel integrated graphics users have fewer native options.
• Password and Payment Management: The revamped management hub in Edge Settings promises enhanced integration for passwords and payments, effectively replacing Wallet Hub. Users with complex needs might prefer standalone password managers like Bitwarden or 1Password for continued best-in-class security and cross-platform sync.

Here’s a quick comparison table of alternatives:

Edge Feature	Replacement Option	Pros	Cons
Image Editor	Paint.Net, Photopea, Pixlr	Free, robust tools	Additional steps, not built-in
Image Hovers	TinEye/Google Extensions	Powerful, widely supported	Extension risk, privacy trade-offs
Video Super Resolution (VSR)	Lossless Scaling, Nvidia VSR	Handles upscaling, GPU acceleration (Nvidia)	Cost and setup complexity (AMD/Intel)
Wallet Hub	Revamped Edge management, Bitwarden, 1Password	Centralized, secure	May lose Edge’s native payment UX

Looking Ahead: What to Watch as Edge Evolves​

Beta channel users have begun seeing these features phased out over recent weeks, with full public removal anticipated as Edge 137 hits general release. It remains to be seen whether Microsoft will respond to vocal community feedback (Edge’s forums and web enthusiasts have already noted pushback and concern) by restoring any cut features or introducing evolved replacements in future updates.
Ultimately, Microsoft’s new era for Edge is a bet on streamlined user experience, security, and manageability at the expense of feature innovation and integrated tools. Such bets tend to shift landscape dynamics—some users will adapt, seeking alternate tools or embracing the browser’s new minimalism. Others may migrate elsewhere in search of the richness Edge once readily supplied.
For now, the move is a loud, potentially polarizing testament to Microsoft’s willingness to course-correct on the fly—a stance that may offer long-term benefits to Edge’s overall stability and security, but not without leaving noticeable gaps in short-term productivity and user satisfaction.
As always, the measure of success won’t merely rest on what’s removed, but how well Microsoft listens—and responds—to the needs of its diverse user base as Edge’s future unfolds.

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Source: XDA Microsoft is axing a ton of features with the next Edge update