Microsoft Edge's new Windows 11 design released — here's how to enable it

The latest update means Windows 11 will benefit from more visual effects, as Microsoft Edge 102 apparently brings the experimental "Mica" effect to more areas of the web browser. While you won't see Mica or Fluent Design in Chrome, Microsoft Edge continues to benefit from them.

For starters, the Mica theme for Windows 11 is an opacity effect applied to a window or title bar. You can view your desktop wallpaper by using Mica's app, and it looks really nice if implemented correctly. It's a fancy translucency effect, but the difference is minimal and has little impact on performance.

If you are using Windows 11, you can enjoy the mica opacity effect by opening File Explorer and using a bright desktop background. Microsoft Edge also supports Mica and Fluent Design, but it's not obvious in most cases. Starting in Edge 102, a better version of Mica and rounded corners integration can be enabled in the browser.

As you can see in the screenshot above, Mica can now be seen in the title bar, tab strip and even the bookmarks/favorites strip. Additionally, Microsoft Edge tabs now have rounded edges as well. Mica integration means less impact on performance compared to Acrylic, and the general idea is to add some sheen to the browser.

To try out the new Windows 11 visual effects in Edge, you can follow these steps:

• Open Microsoft Edge > Settings.
• Go to the Appearance tab.
• Enable two experimental flags "Show Windows 11 visual effects in title bar and toolbar (Preview)" and "Round corners for browser tabs (Preview)".
  
• Restart the browser.

When enabled, Edge will automatically add the mica effect to the title bar and toolbar background. It's visible when you're using the default theme, but also depends on your device and Windows settings.

For example, if your device is missing the necessary GPU driver, you will not be able to use this feature. Microsoft says it's still working on design updates for Chromium Edge for Windows 11, and you may experience some performance issues.

Also worth noting is that Windows 11 version 22H2 will bring Mica and Acrylic to all desktop applications (Win32).

Developers will be able to choose between Mica, Acrylic, and custom designs for the title bar of desktop applications. Previously, this feature was exclusive to UWP apps and desktop apps developed by Microsoft itself.

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