Microsoft Edge Stable 111 began its progressive rollout on March 13, 2023, with build 111.0.1661.41. Its notable changes were a redesigned Sidebar and Discover entry point, an Internet Explorer-mode data-clearing policy, and expanded Enhanced Security Mode support. Despite descriptions of “advanced History controls,” Microsoft’s version 111 notes do not announce a new general-purpose Edge History interface.
What’s new in Microsoft Edge 111?
The initial Stable release was build 111.0.1661.41, dated March 13, 2023. Microsoft describes that date as the start of a progressive rollout, so organizations and individual devices did not necessarily receive it simultaneously.
Version 111’s feature notes cover four practical areas:
- Sidebar and Discover access from the Bing toolbar icon, including auto-hide and hover access.
- Administrative controls that affected whether Sidebar and Discover were available.
- A policy for deleting Internet Explorer and Internet Explorer mode history when Edge closes.
- WebAssembly support in Enhanced Security Mode on macOS x64 and Linux x64.
Microsoft 365 users also received an Edge Enterprise New Tab Page layout that gave Microsoft Feed greater prominence and moved productivity cards to the right side.
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How did the Edge 111 Sidebar and Discover changes work?
Edge 111 introduced a new Sidebar/Discover experience. The Bing toolbar icon opened Discover, which Microsoft described as helping with tasks such as composing email, searching and learning. The Sidebar could be set to hide automatically, with access available when the pointer moved over the Bing icon.
Sidebar behavior by policy state
| Administrative state | Release-era behavior |
|---|---|
| Sidebar enabled by an administrator | The Sidebar stayed visible in the browser frame; clicking the Bing toolbar icon opened Discover. |
| Policy not configured | Users could choose to keep the Sidebar always visible or use auto-hide. |
| Sidebar disabled | Both Sidebar and Discover were inaccessible in the initial version 111 behavior. |
Microsoft’s March 24 servicing notes later documented a refinement: administrators could disable Discover while retaining the Sidebar. These are release-era policy behaviors, not a promise that every current Edge version exposes identical controls.
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What appeared on the Microsoft 365 Enterprise New Tab Page?
The Microsoft 365 Edge Enterprise New Tab Page layout gave Microsoft Feed more space. Productivity cards—including Important Emails, Recent SharePoint sites, Upcoming events and To Do—were moved to the right.
Can Edge clear Internet Explorer mode history when I close the browser?
Yes. Edge 111 added the InternetExplorerModeClearDataOnExitEnabled policy. When enabled, Edge deletes browsing history created in Internet Explorer and Internet Explorer mode each time the browser closes.
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Users could also configure the behavior in Settings → Privacy, search, and services, under Clear browsing data for Internet Explorer (the settings page is edge://settings/privacy).
What this History control does not change
This setting targets Internet Explorer and IE-mode data. Microsoft’s version 111 release notes do not describe a redesigned ordinary Edge History page, an advanced search system for regular browsing history, or a new general-purpose History panel. If you are looking for broader Edge history management, this specific feature is not that redesign.
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What security features were added in Edge 111?
Enhanced Security Mode gains WebAssembly support
Microsoft stated: “Enhanced security mode now supports WebAssembly for macOS x64 and Linux x64.” The notes described additional cross-platform ARM64 support as expected in the future, not as a feature already delivered by version 111.
Security servicing across the 111 builds
Security changes were delivered across the 111 maintenance stream, so they should be tied to their specific build rather than treated as part of the March 13 feature release.
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| Build | Date | Documented context |
|---|---|---|
| 111.0.1661.41 | March 13, 2023 | Initial Stable rollout; included the latest Chromium project security updates listed for that release. |
| 111.0.1661.44 | March 16, 2023 | Maintenance servicing. |
| 111.0.1661.51 | March 21, 2023 | Maintenance servicing. |
| 111.0.1661.54 | March 24, 2023 | Chromium updates plus Edge-specific fixes CVE-2023-28286 and CVE-2023-28261. |
| 111.0.1661.62 | March 30, 2023 | Maintenance servicing. |
What did Microsoft’s security baseline guidance say?
Microsoft’s March 14, 2023 security-baseline review found no additional Edge 111 security settings that required enforcement and continued recommending the version 107 security baseline. That was an enterprise configuration recommendation; it did not mean Edge 111 had no vulnerabilities or that later security updates were unnecessary.
Quick Recap
How should organizations interpret Edge 111?
- For Sidebar management: decide whether users need an always-visible Sidebar, auto-hide, or no Sidebar, and account for the later option to disable Discover independently.
- For legacy applications: use the IE-mode clearing policy when closing the browser must remove IE or IE-mode history.
- For security operations: track the installed 111 build and apply servicing updates; the March 24 CVEs belong specifically to build 111.0.1661.54.
- For platform planning: treat WebAssembly support in Enhanced Security Mode as delivered for macOS x64 and Linux x64, while ARM64 support was not yet delivered in these notes.
Edge 111 at a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| When did Stable 111 start rolling out? | March 13, 2023, beginning with build 111.0.1661.41 and a progressive rollout. |
| What changed in the Sidebar? | Discover access through the Bing toolbar icon, auto-hide behavior and hover access. |
| What does the History policy clear? | Internet Explorer and Internet Explorer mode history when Edge closes. |
| Was regular Edge History redesigned? | Not according to the version 111 release notes. |
| Which platforms gained WebAssembly in Enhanced Security Mode? | macOS x64 and Linux x64. |
| Which later build included the named Edge-specific CVEs? | 111.0.1661.54, released March 24, 2023. |
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