Microsoft Edge’s Sidebar is coming to the Windows 11 desktop

One of the best features from Microsoft Edge can now live on your desktop.

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What you need to know

Microsoft is playing around with yet another way to access the Sidebar from Microsoft Edge. An option to detach the Sidebar from Edge is rolling out to Edge Dev and Edge Canary (viaGeekerMag). When detached, the Sidebar looks like a vertical Taskbar that you can use to access Bing, a variety of tools, and any website you pin to it.

The ability to detach the Sidebar is part of a controlled rollout, so it will appear for a subset of users on Edge Dev and Canary. There does not seem to flag to enable the feature if it does not appear for you, so you may just have to sit tight and wait.

Our Managing Editor Richard Devineused the Sidebar for a week, and it changed how he works every day. He liked it so much that it, along with some other features, converted him to use Edge as his main browser.

When I detached the Sidebar from Edge Dev, it hides the Sidebar within any instances of the browser. That makes sense, as you probably wouldn’t want two Sidebars on the same screen. If for any reason the Sidebar sticks around on Edge, you can hide it through the browser’s settings. You can nowhide the Bing icon on Edgetoo.

Here’s how to detach (and reattach) the Edge Sidebar:

Windows Central take

I’ve been effusive in my praise of Edge’s Sidebar since the feature launched. Earlier this year, Iasked Microsoft to bring the Sidebar to Windows 11. I’m not taking credit for the idea, but I am happy to see it implemented. The detached Sidebar looks exactly like the mockup I made when hoping Microsoft would roll out something similar.

So many web apps and services are optimized for mobile devices, that the Sidebar gets a big boost from developers. For example, Telegram, YouTube, and Instagram all look great in the tall aspect ratio of the Sidebar (note that it can be resized). Some websites, such as WhatsApp, open in funny aspect ratios, but that’s something I can live with.

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Edge has been coming out with some great features lately, and I love to see them expand to the desktop on Windows 11. As soon as I had access, I placed the Sidebar on the side of my screen and left it there.

Microsoft Edge | Free at Microsoft

Microsoft has several Insider versions of Edge for testing features and receiving feedback. Some using Edge Dev or Canary will see the option to detach the Sidebar from Edge.

Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He’s covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean’s journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.