While Internet Explorer became a joke among browsers, Microsoft Edge is a breath of fresh air and a worthy rival to Chrome. To get the most from it, learn how to customize Microsoft Edge to boost productivity, from changing the theme to customizing the sidebar and everything in between.
Clear the Edge Start Page
The first time I launched Edge, I was horrified at all the clutter. News stories, recommended shortcut links, notifications, weather, etc. For productivity, I prefer a nice clean start page. Customize Microsoft Edge from the moment you launch it by clicking the Settings cog at the top right.
Microsoft Edge start page before changing settings.
Choose from a variety of settings:
- Quick links – Show no links or one or two rows. I’d highly recommend turning off the sponsored links option. You can even reduce and eliminate ads while using Edge.
- Show feed – Show nothing or choose between three formats.
- Background – Turn the background on/off or change to your own.
- Show weather – Turn on/off.
- Custom theme – Change the theme.
- Content settings – Adjust content.
- Notification settings – Choose what notifications to receive.
Once you’re done, your start page looks exactly like you want versus the default in your face content dump.
Microsoft Edge after customizing the start page.
Customize Microsoft Edge Theme and Color
Personalizing the theme and color of Microsoft Edge makes you enjoy using the browser more. You can even make changes based on your mood or project to boost productivity.
Click the three dot menu at the top right of Edge and select Settings. Choose Appearance from the left sidebar. Select between a light/dark theme and then select a color. Choose between one of the presets, a custom color, or pick a theme from the Microsoft Edge Add-ons store or Chrome Web Store.
Add Shortcuts to the New Tab Page
Have a set of sites you use for work or school all the time? Sure, you could just bookmark them, but I personally find Microsoft Edge’s New Tab shortcuts to be faster.
Open any new tab and select Settings gear/cog near the top right. Then, turn on Quick Links. Ensure Show sponsored links is off. Choose whether you want one or two rows of links. Then, exit the Settings window.
You’ll now see a row of links just below the search box. Click the + button to add a new shortcut to any site you want. Anytime you want to remove a shortcut, such as Microsoft’s default shortcuts, hover over the shortcut, click the three dots, and select Remove. From this same menu, you can even pin a page to your taskbar for easy access.
Turn on Vertical Tabs
If you rarely have more than one or two tabs open, this probably won’t help you, but if you’re a tab hoarder like me, you have a dozen or more open at any given time. Customize Microsoft Edge by arranging your tabs the way you prefer.
Stick with the standard horizontal tabs or switch to vertical tabs. It’s usually easier to see and organize tabs when they’re horizontal, especially with numerous tabs open. To the left of your first tab, select the Tab actions menu. Select Turn on vertical tabs.
Now, your tabs are neatly organized on the left and more of the tab/site name shows, making it easier to find what you need.
Organize and Group Tabs in Edge
You can even go a step further to organize your tabs in Edge – grouping. You can manually group tabs or let Edge’s AI automatically sort and group your tabs. The process works the same for both horizontal and vertical tabs.
For AI organization, click the Tab actions menu and select Organize tabs. Tabs are auto sorted into groups based on their main purpose. For instance, Edge grouped mine into Technology and Shopping. You can rename the groups and even change the group color if you want. If you’re happy with the results, click Group tabs.
If you don’t like the results or want to group tabs based on other criteria, use the manual method. Right-click any tab and select Add tab to new group. Name your group, choose a color, and you’re all set. Then, right click any tab you want to add to this group, and select Add tab to group. Select the group name. Or, create a new group.
When grouped, you can expand or collapse an entire group of tabs at once to save space and stay more organized. Ungroup tabs at any point by clicking the three dots next to the group in vertical tabs or right-click the group name (horizontal and vertical) and select Ungroup.
Using the Edge Sidebar
The Microsoft Edge Sidebar is a useful tool once you get it set up. Customize Microsoft Edge with quick links to web pages and apps in a sidebar pane on the right side of your browser.
On the right side of your screen, look for a + icon to open the sidebar. If you don’t see this, open the three dot menu at the top right of Edge, select Settings -> Sidebar and select Always on.
Now, open the sidebar. Search for sidebar apps in the search box or scroll down to view recommendations. There’s also a Quick Access menu for sites/apps you use frequently. Once you select something, it opens in the sidebar. Adjust the size of the sidebar pane by dragging the left edge of the pane itself.
Once something’s open, right-click its icon in the sidebar and choose Pin to sidebar. This adds it permanently for quick access. If you don’t pin it, it’ll go away when you close the browser.
You can also add websites too. Open any webpage like you normally would. Then, open the sidebar and select Open in sidebar just below the Quick Access menu. This opens the site in the sidebar. Then, use the same method to pin the site for easy access later.
The sidebar is also great if you need to work on two things at once. For instance, you might do research in your main pane and open Microsoft Word in the sidebar to write a quick blog post about it or complete a homework assignment. It really is a productivity dream when used properly.
Set Your Search Engine and Start Page
Just like most browsers, you can customize Microsoft Edge by setting your preferred search engine and start page. So no, you’re not limited to Bing.
Click the three dot menu and open Settings. Select Privacy, search, and services. Scroll down to Address bar and search. Select one of the built-in in options or add your own.
For the start page, select Start, home, and new tabs from the Settings screen. Change what loads when you open a new tab, including opening one or more pages when you start Edge.
Install Extensions
Microsoft Edge has its own extensions store. Click the Extensions icon next to the address bar or go to Settings -> Extensions. Choose Get extensions for Microsoft Edge. Add any extensions you need to boost productivity. Manage them from the Extensions icon at any time. You can even install many Chrome extensions in Edge.
Get a Productivity Boost With Copilot
You may already know Microsoft’s AI, Copilot, is built in to Edge. But, did you realize how much you can customize your conversations and results? Click the Copilot icon in the top right of the browser to open the tool. In the Chat tab, choose between Creative, Balanced, and Precise for your results.
Customize Copilot even more by using the Compose tab. Enter up to 2,000 characters in your prompt. Then, choose a tone, format, and length to quickly compose emails, paragraphs, and more.
Create Collections
Bookmarks and shortcuts are nice, but Microsoft Edge Collections are perfect for organizing most any sites, videos, books, etc, that you find online. Create as many collections as you want and even add notes to individual items. I’ve found these are great for research.
Click the Collections icon near the address bar. If you don’t see it, click the three dot menu and select More tools -> Collections. Stick with the defaults or delete them and add your own groups. Then, visit any web page you want to add to a collection. Click the + icon next to the group you want to add the page to.
If you ever have trouble using Microsoft Edge, learn how to fix unresponsive issues. Or, if you decide Edge isn’t right for you, uninstall the browser instead.
Image credit: All images by Crystal Crowder
Subscribe to our newsletter!
Our latest tutorials delivered straight to your inbox