Mastering Microsoft Edge: 20 Pro Tips for Power Users

Welcome to the definitive guide on how to use Microsoft Edge like a pro. Whether you’re a seasoned user or a newcomer, these 20 tips will help you harness the full capabilities of Microsoft’s latest browser, enhancing your online experience and boosting your productivity.

1. Enable Sleeping Tabs

Reduce CPU and memory usage by enabling the sleeping tabs feature in Edge. Navigate to Settings, select the System tab, and toggle on ‘Save resources with sleeping tabs.’ This feature automatically pauses inactive tabs, significantly decreasing resource consumption. For instance, if you have multiple tabs open with news articles or social media feeds that you aren’t actively using, they’ll be put to sleep, freeing up your device’s resources for other tasks. This is especially beneficial for users with limited memory or those running demanding applications.

2. Configure Tracking Prevention

Bolster your privacy online by configuring Edge’s tracking prevention. Access Settings, proceed to Privacy, search, and services, and set Tracking prevention to Strict. This limits harmful trackers and minimizes ad personalization. It’s like having a personal shield against companies and websites that are trying to gather information about your browsing habits. By blocking trackers, you can reduce the chances of targeted advertising based on your online activity. You can even add exceptions for trusted websites if you prefer, ensuring that websites you frequently visit can operate normally while still maintaining a high level of privacy protection.

3. Try Vertical Tabs in Edge

Switch to vertical tabs for a fresh browsing perspective. Use the vertical tabs button to alternate between horizontal and vertical layouts. Future updates will allow resizing the vertical tabs bar, offering more customization options. This provides a different visual experience, especially for users who have multiple tabs open. You can easily glance through the list of tabs without having to scroll horizontally, making it more convenient to manage multiple open pages. The ability to resize the vertical tabs bar will further enhance this feature, allowing users to adjust the layout to their preferred screen space and viewing preferences.

4. Enable Startup Boost

For a faster browser launch, enable Edge’s Startup Boost. Accessible via Settings, System, and Startup boost, this feature ensures the browser runs with minimal processes in the background, ideal for users with older or low-end machines. The Startup Boost feature is similar to a pre-load for your browser, getting it ready to go before you even click the icon. This is particularly useful for devices with limited resources or those running older operating systems. It reduces the time it takes for Edge to launch and load web pages, resulting in a smoother and more responsive browsing experience.

5. Use Collections

Save interesting web content for later with Edge’s Collections feature. Right-click on a page to add it to a new collection or save all open tabs. The integrated search within Collections helps you find similar content online, perfect for creative projects. Imagine you’re researching a topic for a school project, you can easily create a collection to store all the relevant web pages, articles, and images you find. You can even add notes and tags to each item in your collection for easier organization. The integrated search feature allows you to quickly find the information you need within the collection, eliminating the need to browse through multiple tabs or websites.

6. Enable Kids Mode in Edge

Create a safe browsing environment for children with Kids Mode. Choose from two age ranges during setup for customized themes and strict Bing SafeSearch. Follow our guide for detailed setup instructions. Kids Mode is like having a sandbox for your kids to explore the internet safely. It blocks inappropriate content, limits access to certain websites, and provides a controlled environment where children can browse without encountering harmful material. This feature is essential for parents who want to provide their children with a safe and enriching online experience.

7. Disable URL Copy and Paste

Revert to traditional URL copying by adjusting Edge’s settings. Visit Settings, Share, copy, and paste, and select Plain text. This tweak eliminates the new copy and paste mechanism, restoring familiarity. This feature was introduced in Edge to enhance copy and paste functionality by including relevant information about the copied link, such as a preview of the website or a brief description. However, if you prefer the traditional approach of simply copying the URL, you can disable this new mechanism in the settings. This allows you to revert to the familiar method of copying and pasting plain text links without any additional information.

8. Immersive Reading Mode with Read Aloud

Enjoy distraction-free reading and listening to articles using Immersive Reading Mode. Utilize the immersive reader button or press F9 to enter the mode. Click ‘Read aloud’ to have Edge narrate the page, perfect for multitasking. Imagine reading a long article online but finding it difficult to focus due to distractions. Immersive Reading Mode comes to the rescue by removing all the clutter from the web page, focusing only on the text and images. This makes it easier to concentrate on the content and reduces eye strain. Furthermore, the read aloud feature allows you to listen to the article while performing other tasks, making it an excellent tool for multitasking. This is especially helpful for people who prefer to listen to content or who have visual impairments.

9. Try Caret Browsing

Enhance text selection capabilities by activating caret browsing. Press F7 to place a cursor on your browser, allowing precise text selection. Press F7 again to deactivate the feature when needed. Caret browsing is a handy tool for selecting specific pieces of text with precision. Instead of using your mouse to highlight text, you can simply use the keyboard to place a cursor and navigate through the text, selecting specific words, phrases, or even single characters. This method provides a more accurate and efficient way to select text, especially for those who prefer using the keyboard over the mouse.

10. Use Web Capture Tool

Capture and annotate screenshots effortlessly with Edge’s Web Capture tool. Access it from the three dots menu or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+S. Draw over the screenshot before saving, streamlining your workflow. This is a fantastic tool for taking screenshots of web pages and annotating them directly in the browser. Instead of relying on external screenshot tools, you can capture the entire page or just a specific section and then use the built-in drawing tools to highlight important information, add notes, or blur sensitive parts. This allows you to quickly and easily capture and share information from the web without leaving your browser.

11. Use Sidebar Search

Initiate searches without leaving your current page using the sidebar search. Select text, right-click, and choose Bing sidebar search. Unfortunately, this functionality cannot be remapped to other search engines. Imagine you’re reading a news article and come across a term you’re unfamiliar with. Instead of having to open a new tab and search for it on Google or another search engine, you can use the sidebar search to quickly look up the term without leaving the current page. This allows you to stay focused on the current content while simultaneously researching related information, saving time and effort. While it’s limited to Bing, this feature is a great example of how Edge is striving to provide more integrated and convenient browsing experiences.

12. Use Google Chrome Extensions in Edge

Maintain your favorite extensions by enabling support for Chrome Web Store. Visit edge://extensions/ and activate the ‘Allow extensions from other stores’ toggle. Install Chrome extensions on Edge for a seamless transition. This is a significant advantage for users who have been using Chrome and have accumulated a collection of useful extensions. By enabling support for the Chrome Web Store, you can continue using your favorite extensions in Edge without having to find alternatives. This allows for a seamless transition from Chrome to Edge, preserving your customized browsing experience.

13. Use Smart Copy

Retain original formatting when copying text with Smart Copy. Access it via right-click or the ‘Ctrl+Shift+X’ shortcut. This feature ensures copied content maintains its structure, improving efficiency. Smart Copy is a powerful tool for preserving formatting when copying text from web pages. Instead of just copying the plain text, Smart Copy retains the original formatting, including fonts, colors, headings, and lists. This is particularly helpful when you’re copying content for use in documents, presentations, or other applications where formatting is important. It saves you the hassle of re-formatting the content manually, ensuring that it maintains its intended appearance.

14. Create QR Codes to Share Web Pages

Share web pages conveniently using QR codes. Click the address bar and the QR code button to generate a code. Download and distribute the code; others can scan it to access the page. In today’s mobile-first world, QR codes have become a popular way to share information quickly and easily. Edge allows you to generate QR codes for web pages, making it convenient to share articles, product links, or any other web content with others. They can simply scan the code with their smartphone or tablet to access the page directly, eliminating the need to type in long URLs or search for the content manually.

15. Customize the New Tab Page

Personalize your new tab page by selecting from various layouts. Click the Settings icon on the new tab page and pick Focused, Inspirational, Informational, or Custom. Opt for a clutter-free interface with the ‘Focused’ option. The new tab page is often the first thing you see when you open your browser. Edge allows you to customize this page to reflect your preferences and make it more useful. You can choose from a variety of layouts, such as Focused, which provides a clean and minimalist interface, or Inspirational, which displays beautiful images and quotes. The Informational layout provides quick access to news and weather updates, while the Custom option allows you to personalize the page with your favorite websites and content.

16. Change Search Engine in New Tab Page

Ensure the new tab page respects your default search engine. Visit ‘Settings-> Privacy, search, and services -> Address bar and search,’ and adjust the dropdown menu under ‘Search on new tabs uses search box or address bar’ to Address bar. Sometimes, the search engine used on the new tab page may not match your default search engine setting. This can be confusing and frustrating, especially if you’re used to using a specific search engine. To ensure that the new tab page uses your preferred search engine, you can adjust this setting in the browser settings. By choosing “Address bar,” you ensure that the search engine used on the new tab page aligns with your default search engine, providing a more consistent and personalized browsing experience.

17. Enable IE Mode

Boost compatibility with outdated websites by enabling IE Mode. Access Settings, Default browser, and toggle on ‘Allow sites to be reloaded in Internet Explorer mode.’ This feature is invaluable for web developers and those accessing legacy government websites. Not all websites have been updated to be compatible with modern browsers like Edge. In such cases, enabling IE Mode can be a lifesaver. It allows you to load the website in a simulated Internet Explorer environment, ensuring compatibility with older technologies and code. This is especially useful for web developers who need to test websites on older browsers or for users who need to access legacy government or financial websites that may not be fully functional in modern browsers.

18. Disable Shopping Feature

Avoid unwanted coupon notifications by disabling Edge’s shopping feature. Navigate to Settings, Privacy, search, and services, and turn off ‘Save time and money with Shopping in Microsoft Edge.’ Edge includes a built-in shopping feature that aims to help you find deals and coupons while you browse. However, if you find these notifications intrusive or unnecessary, you can easily disable this feature in the settings. This prevents Edge from tracking your shopping activity and presenting you with coupon suggestions, providing a more streamlined and distraction-free browsing experience.

19. Use Edge Workspaces

Organize your tabs efficiently with Edge Workspaces, an upcoming feature. Though not yet available in the stable build, it promises to let you create separate workspaces for different tasks, each opening in distinct browser windows. Explore our guide to get a head start. Edge Workspaces is an exciting new feature that will revolutionize how you manage your tabs. It allows you to create separate workspaces for different projects, tasks, or even just different browsing contexts. Each workspace will have its own set of tabs and browser windows, providing a more organized and focused browsing experience. While not yet released in the stable version of Edge, you can get a sneak peek and explore the functionality through our guide.

20. Try News and Weather Widget

Stay informed with the News and Weather widget, exclusive to Edge Canary. Install Edge Canary and enable the feature. Customize your new tab page with the widget for quick access to weather updates and news feeds. Edge Canary is the experimental version of Microsoft Edge, where new features and updates are tested before being released to the public. The News and Weather widget is a great example of these experimental features. It allows you to add a convenient widget to your new tab page, providing quick access to news headlines and current weather information. To try this feature, you need to install Edge Canary and enable the widget in the settings. This provides a personalized and informative way to stay up-to-date with the latest news and weather conditions without having to open separate apps or websites.

Implement these tips and tricks to transform your browsing experience with Microsoft Edge. Whether you’re seeking enhanced privacy, improved productivity, or simply a more enjoyable online journey, Edge offers a plethora of features to cater to your needs. Don’t hesitate to explore experimental features for an even more tailored experience. Share your favorite tips in the comments section and let us know how you’ve optimized your Edge usage.