Microsoft makes it difficult to enable or disable the sidebar in Edge in favor of Copilot
Well, that’s confusing.
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What you need to know
Microsoft recentlyshipped version 119 of its Edge browser to the Stable Channel, featuring a host of improvements and fixes, including the capability to restore split tabs when restarting the browser.
According to a spot by the folks over atNeowin, the update also ships with a subtle change that most people might have missed. The location of the toggle for turning the sidebar on or off has changed. Previous versions of the browser allowed users to enable or disable the Edge sidebar via theAlways Show Sidebaroption on the edge://settings/sidebar page. However, the option has since been relocated to the Copilot settings section.
Per the description under the option, Edge users will need to have enabled the Show Copilot option to turn the sidebar on or off. Toggling off the Show Copilot option removes the Copilot icon from your sidebar. While this might be handy for users who don’t leverage Copilot capabilities, it removes the Auto-hide Sidebar option, thus making it difficult for Edge users to turn off the sidebar from the settings.
Is this Microsoft’s bid to get more people to use Copilot?
While Microsoft’s decision to make this confusing change toMicrosoft Edgeremains a mystery, it’s rather convenient. TheEdge sidebar is a great productivity tool loved by manyand is gaining quite a bit of traction.
In August, we learned thatBing’s market share has remained stagnantdespiteMicrosoft’s multi-billion dollar investmentmainly centered on AI. Copilot is a by-product of this hefty investment, so it could be possible that Microsoft is making this change to get more users to leverage its capabilities.
Admittedly, there’s a bit of concern brewing among users pertaining to the technology’s safety and privacy. In fact, a recent report suggested thatMicrosoft Edge may use browsing data to personalize Bing Chat AI.
Do you think this change will help boost the number of Copilot users?Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
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Microsoft Edge is the default browser on Windows. It’s based on Chromium, so it’s compatible with the vast majority of the web. There are several Insider versions of the browser, allowing you to test new features and provide feedback to Microsoft.
Kevin Okemwa is a seasoned tech journalist based in Nairobi, Kenya with lots of experience covering the latest trends and developments in the industry at Windows Central. With a passion for innovation and a keen eye for detail, he has written for leading publications such as OnMSFT, MakeUseOf, and Windows Report, providing insightful analysis and breaking news on everything revolving around the Microsoft ecosystem. You’ll also catch him occasionally contributing at iMore about Apple and AI. While AFK and not busy following the ever-emerging trends in tech, you can find him exploring the world or listening to music.
