- Microsoft has finally removed the Edge Sidebar by default with the latest update.
- New Edge users will find the Sidebar hidden by default. And existing users can update to Edge 129 to remove the Sidebar.
- Microsoft is in the process of removing more features from Edge to make the browser bloat-free.
Microsoft Edge is a feature-packed browser for sure, but lately, the Redmond giant has been cramming endless features into the browser, making it completely bloated. In fact, after the AI boom, Microsoft started calling Edge an AI browser by integrating Copilot and other pointless features. Thankfully, some sense has dawned on Microsoft and it’s in the process of removing redundant features from Edge.
After removing Math Solver, Grammar Tools, etc. last year, Microsoft has now removed the Sidebar from Edge. The change applies to Edge version 129 and later. New users will have the Sidebar completely disabled by default. And existing Edge users who didn’t use the Sidebar will find it hidden after updating to version 129.
You can manually remove the Edge Sidebar by going to edge://settings/help and updating your browser to version 129. After that, move to edge://settings/sidebar and turn it off. You are done. By the way, Microsoft recently canceled Edge’s big UI refresh which was in the works for many months.
I like that Microsoft is putting an effort into making the Edge browser bloat-free. Due to incessant feature additions, I have stayed with Chrome as it offers clean and faster performance. If Microsoft wants users to stay on Edge, it must prioritize performance and efficiency over shiny new AI features. What is your take on this? Let us know in the comments below.
