Microsoft Edge is cluttered, and the company is taking steps to simplify the browser. It’s unclear what all the changes are on the horizon for “decluttering” Edge, but Windows Latest understands that the Sidebar feature is the first casualty. In a support document and a recent version of Edge, Microsoft reconfirmed that the Sidebar is being phased out.
Microsoft Edge’s Sidebar retirement shouldn’t surprise anyone, as we saw it coming in November 2025 when we spotted the deprecation message in the Canary version. However, I find the updated wording in the support document particularly interesting, as it suggests the Sidebar is being removed to simplify Edge.
“We’re simplifying Microsoft Edge,” Microsoft warns.” “The sidebar app list will be retired in the near future, starting with Microsoft account (MSA) users. There is no confirmed retirement date at this time,” Microsoft said in an updated support document spotted by Windows Latest.
Microsoft has never officially confirmed that it’s trying to declutter the Edge browser, so this is a first for the company.
Users are not happy with Microsoft Edge’s Sidebar removal
While I am all for decluttering Edge or even Windows, I do not understand why leadership decided to remove the Sidebar feature, which is one of the elements that differentiated the browser from other Chromium clones. In fact, dozens of users told me that they might stop using Edge if Sidebar is entirely removed, and they have fair reasons to quit.
With Edge’s Sidebar, you could add your favourite web app as a mini app that loaded inside the panel. I personally added Outlook, Bing, and a few other shopping-related web apps, so I could access my favourite or important web apps while browsing the internet. Sidebar actually made Edge’s browser fun, and split screen isn’t even close to the experience.
In our tests, Edge’s Sidebar still works, but it’s only a matter of time before it disappears into thin air. Right now, you can no longer add apps to the Sidebar in Microsoft Edge, but you can continue to use apps like Outlook if you’ve already added them.
“We’re simplifying Edge. New apps can no longer be added, and the quick access list will be removed gradually in future updates. Copilot is not affected—this helps us focus on making it even better,” the company noted in a new alert displayed inside Microsoft Edge when you try to access the Sidebar.
By default, the Sidebar always includes ‘Bing/search,’ so it’s very likely that the Sidebar will still show up for most of you, but only for Bing and other mini apps that were previously added.
In the next few weeks, the Sidebar in Edge will eventually stop working, and when that happens, you’ll no longer be able to access Outlook and other mini-apps without switching tabs. But this change does not affect Microsoft’s favourite Copilot.
Copilot also runs inside the Sidebar, but it’s not being removed, so Microsoft is willing to maintain parts of the Sidebar, but only for Copilot.
Satya Nadella has confirmed Microsoft Edge is not being ignored
During the Q3 earnings call, CEO Satya Nadella confirmed Microsoft wants to win back Windows fans, but that isn’t necessarily limited to Windows or Xbox.
In fact, Nadella clarified that Edge is also being focused on by Microsoft, and there are plans to increase engagement with the browser alongside other products like Bing.
In Satya’s own words, “when it comes to our consumer business, we are doing the foundational work required to win back fans and strengthen engagement across Windows, Xbox, Bing, and Edge… In the near term, we are focused on fundamentals, prioritizing quality and serving our core users better.”
Microsoft also added that Edge is doing better than ever, and it gained market share for 20 consecutive quarters, but it won’t tell us how many users prefer the company’s browser over Google Chrome or even Firefox.
“Our Edge browser has taken share for 20 consecutive quarters, and Bing monthly active users reached 1 billion for the first time,” Nadella noted during the Q3 earnings call.
It’s interesting that Microsoft is trying to focus on the Edge browser, but at the same time, it’s doing away with features like Sidebar, which were actually celebrated by the core audience of the browser.
Do you think it’s a good call to remove Microsoft Edge Sidebar? Let me know in the comments below.
