Microsoft Edge Canary adds a flag to enable an "in-progress" visual refresh for Windows 11 [Update]

Microsoft has added a new flag to Edge Canary that lets users enable a visual upgrade that is in line with the design of Windows 11. The flag termed “Enable Windows 11 Visual Updates” (spotted by eagle-eyed Reddit user Leopeva64) can be found by heading to edge://flags on the latest Edge Canary builds. The flag can be enabled on both Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Currently, the changes to the UI include refreshed font size and positioning in context menus and the ellipsis options. The highlights when hovering on these items are now rounded off at the edges, instead of spanning the option completely. The title bar icons are also aligned in the middle, in line with the design seen in Windows 11. Currently, there isn’t much in the way of any major changes when the flag is enabled.

Additionally, these changes seem to be identical across Windows 11 and Windows 10, including the title bar icons and their alignment. However, since the updates to the UI are still “in-progress”, there might be other major additions to the browser in Windows 11 such as the implementation of the ‘Mica’ material, allowing for translucent title bars and the like.

Considering that these updated elements are still in the early stages of development, it might be a while before they are introduced to the Canary builds by default, before being propagated to other insider builds and eventually the stable channel. It will not be surprising to see the changes make it to the browser in time for the Windows 11 launch later this year.

Update: The Windows Insiders Twitter handle has announced the feature flag and has shared a screenshot of the UI, hinting that the Mica material is also being added, which was not present at the time of writing.