Microsoft Edge on Chromebooks: Why it doesn’t work and what to do about it

For those who are looking to use Microsoft Edge on their Chromebooks, you might run into a frustrating issue: the app simply doesn’t load. Since its launch, many users have reported seeing a broken page icon when trying to open the Android app, and no amount of troubleshooting seems to fix the problem.

While it’s unclear what’s causing this issue (perhaps it’s Google or Microsoft forcing it not to work so you use Chrome or buy a Windows laptop), it’s clear that for many Chromebook users, the Android app is simply not usable – if it even appears in the play store for your device. However, there is a workaround for those who still want to use Edge: installing the desktop version via the Linux container.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Linux container, it may seem intimidating at first, but it’s truly not as scary as it might seem. Essentially, the steps to get up and running with this alternative browser include enabling said Linux Container from your Chromebook’s settings app, downloading a copy of Edge for Linux from the official Microsoft website, and then installing it with just a few clicks.

You can find our handy guide to enabling Linux on your Chromebook here. Once you have your .deb file for Edge, you can simply double-click it to install it. It may take a moment or two to complete, but once it does, Microsoft Edge should appear in your Chromebook’s app drawer.

While this may take a bit more effort than simply installing the Android app, it will give you the full-fledged version of Edge that is likely to have fewer issues. Oh, and at least it loads, right? Of course, it’s worth noting that there still may be some quirks since it’s not as optimized for Chromebooks as Google’s own browser is.

However, for those who prefer using Edge and are frustrated by the persistent “This page is having a problem” error on the Android app on Chromebooks, the Linux approach is worth considering. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions and if you prefer Edge over Chrome, even if you have a Chromebook.