How to change Microsoft Edge homepage and new tab function?

Question

Issue: How to change Microsoft Edge homepage and new tab function?

Every time I open Microsoft Edge, it opens the default Microsoft website with tons of news articles and whatnot on it. It also forces me to browse the web via Bing, which I am not a fan of. I am pretty new when it comes to this browser (I switched from Chrome), so I'd appreciate some instructions on how to change my homepage and change the way the new tab opens.

Solved Answer

Microsoft Edge has a relatively long history with plenty of missteps on the way. Initially, it was released as a replacement for the terrible Internet Explorer browser, which is known for its slowness, security vulnerabilities, lackluster user interface, and much more. It turned out that the new browser was much safer, faster, and user-friendly than its predecessor.

However, despite it being marketed in various campaigns, the browser did not hold up to Microsoft's expectations – users were still unwilling to install it. That being said, only 3 to 4% of users opted for Edge during its six-year operation.^[1] Thus, the tech giant announced in 2018 about the Chromium-based Edge, launched in early 2020.

Upon release on the new Chromium Edge, it seems like the users, along with tech outlets, were definitely impressed with the improvements made. The new browser not only provided a new look and feel but was also able to support Chrome-extensions, along with all the related user accounts. Besides, many users praised it for being so privacy-focused – a trait that is not compatible with Google's outlook on its users, considering its business model (ads and data tracking).

Of course, no browser is perfect – users complained that the notifications are not working or that the browser is overall working slowly. These problems are relatively rare, however, and most are enjoying the new features of the new Edge. According to the latest statistics, the browser now holds around 11% of the market share, which is pretty impressive, considering that the growth came in a short period of time.^[2]

If you are happy with the browser but are still quite new to it, we are here to explain how to change the homepage and setup new tab functionality on Chromium-based Edge. Below you will find detailed instructions on how to do that. In the meantime, you should check other articles where we explain how to stop the browser from opening a New Tab every time a link is clicked, how to delete cookies, oh how to uninstall the app if desired.

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1. Change the homepage on Chromium Edge and make the home button visible

In order to change the homepage to your preferred one, proceed with the following steps (note that this will only load when you open the web browser or when you press the Home button):

• Open Microsoft Edge
• Click on the three vertical dots at the top-right and select Appearance from the left menu
• Under Customize toolbar, next to Show home button, click the switch button to move its position to the right (On)
• Below, pick the second option under New tab page
• Here, you need type in the address of the webpage you want to see each time you open Edge, e.g., for Google you would have to choose www.google.com.

2. Change new tab functionality

• Once again go to Edge's settings
• From the left menu, pick On startup
• On the right side, select Open specific page or pages option
• Under Pages, pick Add a new page
• In the pop-up window, type in the URL of your preference, e.g., www.google.com
• Click Add.

Note that you could also pick the Continue where you left off option, which would simply open the tabs before closing down the web browser.

3. Change Address Bar and Search engine

When you freshly install Edge, your homepage will be tied up to Bing, which, unsurprisingly, is not one of the most preferred search tools there is. In fact, part of the browser's new success was acquired due to the adaptation of some of Chrome's features (since it is based on Chromium, open-source^[3] software), although users are not aware that the default search provider change be changed within Edge's option

If you are not a fan of Bing, here's how to change your default search provider:

• Open Edge once again and go to Settings
• Select Privacy, Search, and services
• On the right side, scroll to the very bottom of the page and click on Address bar and search
• Here, click on the drop-down menu next to the Search engine used in the address bar
• You can now select which provider you want to choose for your searches
• Next, click on the drop-down menu near Search on new tabs uses search box or address bar and select Address bar.

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