Microsoft Edge, while feature-rich, can sometimes feel bloated and slow. A lot of those features are just not useful for everyone. Here’s how to streamline Edge for better performance and privacy.
Disable Edge’s data collection services
Edge, like many browsers, collects usage data. While this data is intended to improve the user experience, it can also raise privacy concerns and potentially impact browser performance. Here’s how to limit that.
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Open Microsoft Edge and click the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner. This opens the main menu.
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Select Settings from the dropdown menu.
- In the left sidebar, click on Privacy, search, and services.
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Scroll down to the Optional diagnostic data section.
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Toggle off the switch next to Help improve Microsoft Edge by sending optional diagnostic data about how you use the browser, websites you visit, and crash reports. Turning this off limits the data Edge sends back to Microsoft.
- Also, disable the options under Personalization & Advertising, such as Improve your web experience by allowing Microsoft to use your browsing activity including history, favorites, usage, and other browsing data to personalize ads, search, news, and other Microsoft services. Limiting personalization can also improve privacy.
- Continue scrolling to the Services section and disable any services you don’t use by toggling them off. Consider disabling options like Suggest similar sites when a website can’t be found and Show suggestions to follow creators in Microsoft Edge. These features can be helpful for some, but unnecessary for others.
Clean up the sidebar
The Edge sidebar offers quick access to tools and apps, but it can be cluttered. Customizing or disabling it cleans things up.
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Click the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner of Edge to open the menu.
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Select Settings from the dropdown menu.
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In the left-hand menu, click on Sidebar.
- To disable the sidebar entirely, toggle off the switch next to Always show sidebar. If you prefer a minimal look, this is the way to go.
- Additionally, turn off Personalize my top sites in customize Sidebar and Allow sidebar apps to show notifications by toggling their switches off. These reduce clutter and notification spam.
- If you want to keep the sidebar but get rid of specific apps, re-enable the sidebar by toggling Always show sidebar back on.
- Scroll down to App specific settings, and click on the app you wish to disable, such as Copilot.
- In the app settings, toggle off options like Show Copilot and Show shopping notifications to disable the app from the sidebar.
Turn off Microsoft Rewards
Microsoft Rewards encourages Edge and Bing usage with redeemable points. If you don’t use it, turning it off minimizes distractions.
- Open Edge Settings and go to the Profiles section.
- On the right side, click on Microsoft Rewards.
- Toggle off the option Earn rewards in Microsoft Edge to disable this feature.
Turn off Microsoft Shopping in Edge
Edge’s shopping features can help with product and price comparisons. If you don’t need them, disable them for a cleaner experience.
- In Edge Settings, click Privacy, search, and services in the left sidebar.
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Scroll down to the Services section.
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Toggle off the option Save time and money with Shopping in Microsoft Edge to disable shopping features.
Clean up the home page
Edge’s home page displays ads, background images, and quick links that some users find cluttered. Customizing it reduces distractions.
- On the Edge home page, click the gear icon to access Page settings.
- Under Quick links, set the option to Off to remove promoted links.
- In the Content section, select Content off to disable news feeds and other content.
- Scroll down and toggle off Show weather. You can also disable the background image.
Disable the tabs action menu
The tabs action menu manages tabs, but disabling it simplifies the toolbar if you don’t need it.
- Open Edge Settings and click Appearance in the left sidebar.
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Scroll to the Customize toolbar section.
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Toggle off the switch next to Show tab actions menu to remove it from the toolbar.
Turn off unwanted toolbar features
Edge’s toolbar includes shortcut buttons that you may not use. Disabling them declutters the interface.
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In the Edge Settings, go to the Appearance section.
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Under Customize toolbar, find the Select which buttons to show on the toolbar section.
- Toggle off buttons for features you don’t use, such as the History button, by clicking their respective switches.
Change the language settings
Adjusting language settings can disable text prediction and grammar assistance.
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In Edge Settings, select Languages from the left-hand menu.
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Scroll down to the Writing assistance section.
- Toggle off Use text prediction and Enable grammar and spellcheck assistance to disable these features.
Customizing these settings declutters Microsoft Edge for a more efficient browsing experience. You can always re-enable features you find helpful later.