Apps Browsers Guide

What is Super Drag and Drop in Microsoft Edge and How to Enable It

It might not be a big feature but it will definitely streamline your workflow.

It might not be a big feature but it will definitely streamline your workflow.

by Pallav Pathak

Super Drag and Drop in Microsoft Edge simplifies the way you interact with text and links on web pages, allowing for quicker navigation and searches. While not as widely adopted as Chrome, Microsoft Edge is continually enhancing its features, and Super Drag and Drop is a notable addition.

What is Super Drag and Drop? Typically, browsers require you to drag selected text or links to the address bar to perform a search or open a link. With Super Drag and Drop enabled, you can simply drag selected text or links anywhere on the current page, and Edge will open the content in a new tab automatically. This feature streamlines your browsing by saving time and making searches and navigation more intuitive.

Activating this feature is straightforward, but since it’s not visible by default, you’ll need to enable it through Edge’s experimental settings. Below are the steps to turn on Super Drag and Drop in Microsoft Edge.

Enabling Super Drag and Drop

Open Microsoft Edge and type edge://flags into the address bar, then press the ‘Enter’ key.

This action will open the ‘Experiments’ page, which lists features that are still in testing and not yet part of the stable release.

In the search box at the top of the page, type Super Drag and Drop to find the feature.
Once the feature appears under the ‘Available’ section, click the drop-down menu next to it and select ‘Enabled’.
After enabling the feature, Edge will prompt you to restart the browser. Click the ‘Restart’ button at the bottom right corner.
Once Edge relaunches, type edge://settings/appearance into the address bar and press ‘Enter’ to access the browser’s appearance settings.
Scroll down to the ‘Customize browser’ section and toggle the ‘Enable Super Drag and Drop’ option to turn it on.

Configuring Super Drag and Drop

After enabling Super Drag and Drop, you can customize its settings to suit your preferences.

Click on the arrow next to the ‘Configure Super Drag and Drop’ option to access its settings.
In the configuration options, you’ll find ‘Open Mode’. Click the drop-down menu to choose whether links open in a background tab or a foreground tab when you drag and drop them.
Similarly, under ‘Search Mode’, you can select your preferred search engine for when you drag and drop text. Click the drop-down menu and choose between Bing or another default search engine you’ve set.

Using the Super Drag and Drop Feature

With Super Drag and Drop enabled and configured, you can now take advantage of this convenient feature.

On any web page, select a link and drag it slightly in any direction, then release it. There’s no need to drag it to the address bar or a specific area.

The link will automatically open in a new tab, making it quicker to browse multiple pages.

Similarly, you can select any text on a page, drag it, and release. Edge will use your chosen search engine to search for the selected text in a new tab.

Super Drag and Drop enhances your browsing efficiency by simplifying how you open links and search for information. It’s especially beneficial for users on touchscreen devices or those who prefer a more streamlined browsing experience. If you decide to disable this feature, you can easily revert the changes by returning to the ‘Experiments’ page and setting the feature back to ‘Disabled’. While currently in the experimental phase, Super Drag and Drop shows promise and may become a default feature in future versions of Microsoft Edge.

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