Configuring 5 Key Settings in Microsoft Edge

If you are working on a Windows device and have taken advantage of the free operating system upgrade to Windows 10, changes are noticeable even if the upgrade was from Windows 8 or 8.1.  One change with a big impact on daily usage is the switch from Internet Explorer as Microsoft's included browser to Edge.  Edge is the native web browser included with Windows 10.

Listed below are steps for how to change 5 basic settings of the Edge browser to configure it for each person's unique needs.

To set the default landing page(s)

• Open Edge and click the 3 button icon in the upper right corner.
  
  
  


• In the drop down menu, select "Settings".
• In the Settings pop out menu, click the radio button next to "A specific page or pages" under the "Open with" section.
• In the drop down menu set to MSN by default that appears below the radio button, select "Custom".
  
  
  


• Type the web address for the desired default web page and press the + symbol next to the box.  Be sure to click the + symbol or the page will not be saved.
• Continue to add pages as desired.
  
  
  


• Click the X next to the "about:start" page to remove the Edge start page from the pages that open when Edge is launched.

To make the home page button visible

• Click the 3 button menu in the upper right corner and select "Settings".
• In the Settings pop out menu, click the "View Advanced Settings" button.
  
  
  


• Toggle the button next to "Show home button" to enable it.
• Type the preferred web address and click the "Save" button.  If a default web page was already set, this value will pre-populate.  Otherwise the about:start page will pre-populate here.
  
  
  

To import your favorites

• Click the 3 button menu in the upper right corner and select "Settings".
• In the Settings pop out menu, click the "View favorites settings" button.
  
  
  


• In the Favorites settings, toggle the button to turn on the favorites bar.
• Check the box next to either Internet Explorer, Chrome, or both to import favorites from those browsers.
• Click the "Import" button.
  
  
  

To change the default search provider to Google Search (or others)

• In Edge, go to www.google.com.
• Click the 3 button menu in the upper right corner and select "Settings".
• At the bottom of the Settings menu click the "View Advanced Settings" button.
  
  
  


• Scroll half way down the advanced settings and click the "Change" button under the heading "Search in the address bar with".  
• With Google open, Google Search is an option listed as discovered.  Click on "Google Search" to select it.  
• Click the "Set as default" button to save this setting.
  
  
  


• NOTE:  Follow the same steps to set this value to other search engines like Yahoo, etc.

To disable the prompt to save passwords

• Click the 3 button menu in the upper right corner and select "Settings".
• In the Settings pop out menu, click the "View Advanced Settings" button. 
• In the "Privacy and services" section, toggle the button next to "Offer to save passwords" to disable this feature.
  
  
  

As with any new iteration or version of software, default settings often find themselves in new locations.  With the upgrade to Windows 10, Edge is the new default browser and its configurable settings are organized differently than its predecessor, Internet Explorer.  While other browsers can also be downloaded onto Windows 10, it is always good to know how to use more than one browser as different programs and services work better with some browsers than others.  Additionally, some companies do not let users install their own software for security reasons.

Whatever the reason you may find yourself using Edge as a web browser, knowing how to modify some of its most common settings will speed up your efficiency and improve Edge's usefulness.

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