Microsoft releases Edge 157 stable version with upgraded Copilot features

According to an IT之家 report on November 7, Microsoft quietly rolled out the Microsoft Edge 157 stable release on November 6, bundled with upgraded Copilot features. According to the report, the headline addition is an "accelerated app startup" capability. Microsoft says this feature targets "hot starts" — situations where Edge is already running in the background and the user brings it to the foreground. In heavy multitasking conditions, Microsoft claims startup speed gains of up to 33%, with an average improvement of roughly 15%. The company is reportedly also exploring using the same mechanism to open PDF files more quickly. The acceleration feature is restricted to three specific Windows 11 builds: 25H2, 26H1, and 26H2. Microsoft also notes that users need to be on Edge 150 or a later build before the capability takes effect, meaning users on older channels may need to upgrade before they see faster startup times. On the Copilot side, Microsoft upgrades the new tab page and the sidebar in Edge 157. Search and chat have been consolidated into a more integrated experience, and new voice and visual functions have been added, extending how users can interact with Copilot beyond plain text input. Beyond Copilot, the update log attached to the report covers a series of platform-level changes. Microsoft declared it would phase out native XSLT support: starting with Edge 157 in the preview channels and from Edge 159 onward in the stable channel, XSLT is disabled by default, while exceptions provided through temporary flags and Origin Trial will remain available until Edge 176. Microsoft also retired the legacy WAM-based login flow in favor of OneAuth, with the migration completed within the Edge 157 release. Some users may be asked to log in again after updating. In addition, Apple account sign-in was added, so users who previously had to rely solely on a Microsoft account can now sign in with an Apple account. As of now, Microsoft Edge 157 stable is out and the updates are being rolled out to users; the XSLT transition and WAM-to-OneAuth migration will continue across subsequent releases.