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Microsoft Edge comes built into every Windows 10 and Windows 11 PC.
Microsoft Edge is the free web browser from Microsoft that comes built into Windows, also available on the official website and the Microsoft Store. It runs on the same Chromium engine as Google Chrome, so websites and most Chrome extensions work the same way.
What sets it apart is Copilot. Copilot is built into Edge itself now, so it can read your open tabs, summarize a page, or quiz you on it with one click. You do not need a separate app or a special mode.
Edge is also simpler than it used to be. Microsoft has removed several older extras, such as Collections, the sidebar app list and Drop, to make room for Copilot.
This guide covers what Edge does today, how to install or repair it, the Copilot features, shortcuts, and whether you can remove it. Questions? Reach out to us directly.
What Is Microsoft Edge?
Edge replaced Internet Explorer as the Windows browser and switched to Google’s open-source Chromium engine in 2020. That means a site that works in Chrome works in Edge, and you can install extensions from the Chrome Web Store as well as Microsoft’s own Edge Add-ons store.
Sign in with a Microsoft account and Edge syncs your favorites, passwords and history across Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iPhone. Microsoft has started rolling out sign-in with an Apple account too.
Microsoft now ships a new major version of Edge about every two weeks. Updates install on their own in the background, so most people never have to think about them.
Copilot in Edge: What It Can Do
For most of 2025, Edge had a separate “Copilot Mode” you had to switch on. Microsoft retired Copilot Mode in May 2026 and moved its features into normal Edge. Click the Copilot button in the top right corner of the toolbar to use them.
Ask about your open tabs
With your permission, Copilot reads across every tab you have open. Ask it to compare two products or pull the key points from three articles without switching tabs.
Vision and voice
Share your screen with Copilot and talk to it hands-free. Edge shows a clear visual cue whenever Copilot can see the page.
Study and Learn
Type “Quiz me on this topic” while a page is open and Copilot builds a quiz or flashcards from it.
Journeys
Edge groups your recent browsing into topic cards on the new tab page, with a summary and a next step. Free on desktop in English-language markets.
Turn tabs into a podcast
Copilot can read a set of tabs back to you as a short audio show. English only, and you must be signed in with a Microsoft account.
Browse with Copilot
Copilot clicks through sites and fills in steps for you. It is limited to Microsoft 365 Premium subscribers in the US, with usage limits.
You choose what Copilot sees. Each of these features asks before it reads your tabs or history, and you can switch them off one by one in Edge Settings. Microsoft lists the full details in its May 2026 Edge announcement.
Key Features of Microsoft Edge
These images come from Microsoft’s own Edge feature pages and show the current Edge design.
Tab search, vertical tabs and Workspaces
Click the arrow at the far left of the tab bar to search your open and recently closed tabs. The same menu lets you turn on vertical tabs, which move your tabs to a side panel where full page titles stay readable.
Workspaces save a group of tabs under one name, such as “Trip planning”, so you can close them and reopen the whole set later.
Two pages side by side in one tab
Split screen shows two web pages next to each other in a single tab. It is handy for comparing prices or copying notes from one page into another without juggling two windows.
Reading mode and Read aloud
Reading mode strips ads and clutter from an article. Its toolbar has Read aloud, Translate, Summarize and Explain, plus a button to chat with Copilot about the text.
Edge Search Bar on your desktop
The Edge Search Bar is a small search box that floats on your desktop, outside the browser. Its visual search lets you upload an image or crop part of your screen to identify an object or translate text.
Sleeping tabs
Tabs you have not used for a while go to sleep and give their memory back to Windows. Pick the timer under Settings, System and performance.
PC gaming boost
Edge cuts its own resource use while a game is running, so the game gets more of your PC.
Scareware blocker and SmartScreen
Edge blocks fake virus warnings, tech support scam pages, phishing sites and dangerous downloads.
Edge Secure Network
A built-in VPN-style service that hides your IP address on public Wi-Fi. Microsoft lists 5 GB a month for personal Microsoft accounts, where available.
How to Install or Reinstall Microsoft Edge
Edge is already on every Windows 10 and Windows 11 PC. You only need these steps if it is missing, broken, or you are setting up Edge on a PC that someone else cleaned out.
From the official website
1 Open the Edge download page at microsoft.com/edge/download in any browser.
2 Click Download for Windows and save the small installer file.
3 Run the installer. It downloads the rest of Edge and opens it when it is done.
4 Sign in if you want sync: click the profile icon at the top and use your Microsoft account.
From the Microsoft Store
1 Open the Edge listing on the Microsoft Store. Check that the publisher reads Microsoft Corporation.
2 Click Get or Install, then open Edge from the Start menu.
Edge acting up? Repair it instead of reinstalling. Close Edge, open Settings, then Apps, then Installed apps. Find Microsoft Edge, choose Modify, then Repair. Microsoft says your browsing data and settings should not be affected.
System Requirements
Edge runs on any PC that runs a supported version of Windows. Microsoft will keep updating Edge on Windows 10 version 22H2 until at least October 2028, even if you do not pay for Windows 10 Extended Security Updates.
Microsoft Edge vs Google Chrome
Both browsers run on the same Chromium engine, so speed and site support are close. The real difference is whose services each one is built around.
If you live in Gmail, Google Docs and an Android phone, Chrome fits better. If you use Outlook, OneDrive and Microsoft 365, Edge fits better. Our Chrome for Windows guide and the full list of browsers for Windows cover the other options.
Microsoft Edge Keyboard Shortcuts
These come from Microsoft’s own shortcut list. Ctrl + Shift + T is the one to remember: it brings back a tab you closed by mistake.
Edge Features Microsoft Has Retired
If you are looking for something that used to be in Edge, it may be gone on purpose. These were removed between Edge 145 and Edge 155, all in 2026, according to Microsoft’s release notes.
Collections
Removed in Edge 149. Saved pages could be moved to Favorites before the removal; notes and images were not carried over.
Sidebar app list
Apps pinned to the right side of Edge were removed in Edge 150 and 151. The Copilot button took over that space.
Drop
The send-files-to-yourself panel was retired in Edge 152. Files you shared through it stay in your OneDrive.
Copilot Mode
Retired in May 2026. Its features now work in normal Edge, and Copilot Actions became Browse with Copilot.
Workspace sharing
Workspaces still exist, but you can no longer share one with another person.
Live video translation
Real-time translation of videos was retired in Edge 155.
Can You Uninstall Microsoft Edge?
Only if your PC is set to a country in the European Economic Area (EEA). EU rules require Microsoft to let those users remove Edge, so the Uninstall button works there. Windows checks the region you picked when the PC was first set up.
In the EEA
Open Settings, then Apps, then Installed apps. Click the three dots next to Microsoft Edge and choose Uninstall.
Everywhere else
The Uninstall button is grayed out. Set another browser as your default instead: Settings, Apps, Default apps, pick the browser, then Set default.
Skip the force-uninstall commands you see online. Windows uses a part of Edge called WebView2 to show web content inside other apps, including Widgets, Copilot and parts of Windows itself. Ripping Edge out with a setup command can break those, and a later Windows update often puts Edge back anyway.
Common Problems and Fixes
Edge is slow with many tabs
Press Shift + Esc to open Edge’s own task manager and close whatever uses the most memory. Then check that sleeping tabs is on under Settings, System and performance.
Edge will not open or keeps crashing
Repair it: Settings, Apps, Installed apps, Microsoft Edge, Modify, Repair. If Modify is missing, your work or school manages Edge on that PC.
Edge runs after you close it
Turn off Startup boost and “Continue running background extensions and apps” under Settings, System and performance.
A Chrome extension will not install
Open the Chrome Web Store in Edge and click Allow extensions from other stores when Edge asks. A few Chrome extensions still will not work.
Blank or flickering pages after a driver update
Turn off “Use graphics acceleration when available” under Settings, System and performance, then restart Edge.
Copilot button is missing
Copilot features depend on your country and language, and a work account may have them switched off by the IT team.
Tips for Getting Started
1 Import from Chrome on day one. Settings, Profiles, Import browser data copies your bookmarks, passwords and history across in a minute.
2 Try vertical tabs for a week. Once you have more than ten tabs open, readable titles down the side beat tiny icons across the top.
3 Check what Copilot can see. Open Settings and look through the Copilot options so you decide which tabs and history it can use.
4 Use split screen for comparisons. Two product pages side by side in one tab is faster than flipping back and forth.
5 Keep Edge even if you prefer another browser. Set your favorite as default instead of removing Edge, so the Windows features that rely on it keep working.
Community Poll: What Do You Think of Edge?
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Microsoft Edge free?
Will Microsoft Edge keep working on Windows 10?
What happened to Collections in Edge?
Where did Copilot Mode go?
Does Edge have a free VPN?
How do I update Microsoft Edge?
Support and Community
- Microsoft Edge, Microsoft’s own Edge site.
- Microsoft Edge Support, official help articles.
- Edge release notes, what changed in each version.
- Edge Add-ons, extensions and themes made for Edge.
- Edge Insider channels, Beta, Dev and Canary builds to try features early.
- r/MicrosoftEdge on Reddit, user questions, bug reports and tips.
More Windows software guides: Google Chrome · Firefox · Brave · Opera · Vivaldi · Microsoft Copilot · Dark Reader for Edge · Best Browsers for Windows
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