Updated 10/21/2023: On Microsoft Edge, you can now enable the mica material effect (again) in addition to rounded corners, and in this guide, I’ll show you how to complete this task.
The “mica” material is the semi-transparent blur effect that shines through the colors of the desktop background image on the frame of the application, identical to the design language of the Windows 11 elements, including File Explorer.
Although you have been able to enable this visual effect in the previous builds of the web browser, the feature was turned off for a while, but starting with version 120 through the Canary Channel, it’s once again possible to enable it through the “flags” page that offers an interface to try experimental features. In addition, you can also enable the rounded corners effects for tabs and address bar.
This guide will teach you the steps to enable the new Windows 11 visual updates for Microsoft Edge.
Enable mica and rounded corners on Microsoft Edge
To enable the mica visual effect and rounded corners on Microsoft Edge, use these steps:
-
Open Microsoft Edge.
-
Type the following path in the address bar to open the “flags” experimental settings in the new feature location:
edge://flags/#edge-visual-rejuv-mica
-
Use the “Show Windows 11 visual effects in title bar and toolbar” drop-down menu on the right and select the Enabled option.
-
Type the following path in the address bar to open the “flags” experimental settings in the new feature location:
edge://flags/#edge-visual-rejuv-rounded-tabs
-
Use the “Make Rounded Tabs feature available” drop-down menu on the right and select the Enabled option.
-
Click the Restart button.
Once you complete the steps, the title bar and toolbar on Microsoft Edge will appear with a semi-transparent and blur effect known as mica material. Also, tabs will show the same visual effect and rounded corners.
Since Microsoft Edge is available on Windows 11 and 10, it’s important to note that the mica material is only expected to be available on Windows 11. At the time of writing, it’s possible to enable the rounded corners for tabs on Windows 10, but it’s unclear if the company will roll out any of these changes for the older version of the operating system.
Update October 20, 2023: This guide has been updated to reflect that you can turn on the mica material once again in the web browser.
Update October 21, 2023: This guide has been updated with details on how the new design styles will affect the browser on Windows 10.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows expert and the Editor-in-Chief who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He's also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 12 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows, software, and related technologies, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ & Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, and LinkedIn.