In October 2022, users spotted a neat change in Microsoft Edge Canary: AI-powered search for webpages that lets you find related matches and locate the needed phrase using misspelled words. According to the recently updated Microsoft 365 roadmap (via), the Smart Find feature will soon be available to all Microsoft Edge users.
Here is how Microsoft describes Smart Find in the Edge browser:
Searching for a word or phrase on a webpage has become easier with AI. Even if you misspell a word in your search query, we’ll suggest related matches and words making it effortless to find what you"re looking for. When you search, simply select the suggested link to quickly locate the desired word or phrase.
And here is an example of Microsoft Edge suggesting related matches on a Wikipedia page:
In addition to AI-powered search, Edge will get two filter options (already available in Edge 116), allowing you to match the whole word and perform case-sensitive searches.
Use Match case to match whole words and accented characters when using Find Filters. Select Show find options then toggle Match case to turn on the filter.
Microsoft says the Smart Find feature will begin rolling out to all users in September 2023. However, you can try it without waiting for the public rollout by downloading Edge Beta, Dev, or Canary from the official Edge Insider website. Note, however, that Smart Find is only available in Microsoft Edge on Windows—there is no support for Linux or macOS.
Another search-related change in Microsoft Edge is the ability to use "Find on Page" in Edge Sidebar. But it is not just a new place for the popup—the updated variant can also show you the entire sentence containing your search. Unlike Smart Find, "Find on Page" for the sidebar is part of a gradual rollout, and it is only available to a subset of Edge insiders.