Permanently remove Edge Sidebar

Question

Permanently remove Edge Sidebar

Bob Brogden 80

I am running Windows 10 Pro. My question is about Edge which on my PC is at Version 112.0.1722.34 : Sometime, in the last couple of weeks after an automatic update, Edge started displaying a new slender sidebar on the right-hand side of the screen. I have found that I can get rid of this by clicking on the gear at the bottom of the sidebar (which indicates Always Show Sidebar is Off), I then click on the slider button to turn it on, then click again to turn it off. The sidebar then stays disabled until such time as I bring up my Favorites (bookmarks) and if I pin the bookmarks to the right sidebar then the new slender sidebar also comes up on the right, and to get rid of it I again have to go through the gear/turn on/turn off the show sidebar button. This is an annoying extra step to have to perform. How can I just get rid of this useless slender right-hand sidebar? It is useless and using up screen space.

Anonymous

2023-04-17T09:51:42.58+00:00

Hi @Bob Brogden

Have you tried my solution and does it work for you? I am glad to help if you have any other questions.
Bob Brogden 80 Reputation points

2023-04-25T06:33:45.59+00:00

Thanks Yu. Yes this worked. In my initial attempt to do this 2 weeks ago, I had the misunderstanding that this Group Policy Editor was under the settings for Edge. I finally did a search for it and I found that is hidden in the Control Panel under Administrative Tools. Once I got into the Group Policy Editor -> Administrative Templates, there was no Microsoft Edge entry. So I downloaded the Edge Template: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/business/download?form=MA13FJ Then click on Download Windows 64-bit Policy (link below the big black Download button). I then downloaded the Edge Policy Templates to a temporary directory, extracted unzipped, and copied the msedge.admx file to C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions and copied msedge.adml to C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions\en-US. Then I went back in to the Group Policy Editor and disabled the Show Hubs Sidebar as you described below.
Anonymous

2023-04-25T06:41:24.61+00:00

Hi @Bob Brogden

I'm glad that it works! If there's any other issue about this case, feel free to come back anytime.

If the answer is the right solution, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Regards,

Yu Zhou
Bob Brogden 80 Reputation points

2023-04-25T19:25:38.3533333+00:00

Yu yes -- Answer Accepted -- Done. Hopefully anyone else searching for how to get rid of the Edge Sidebar will see your solution and also they will see my additional steps to get the Policy Editor to configure Edge. My only other comment is that I don't understand the purpose of Microsoft putting in the Edge settings a "Show Sidebar" switch that only works temporarily. Seems like a bug to me.
SteveM-8247 5 Reputation points

2024-03-07T20:50:16.91+00:00

Great answer - seems like a long way to go just to turn off an interface element, but I followed Bob's instructions to first download the policy files, copied them to the right folders and then used local group policy editor to disable the sidebar. Great answer/solution! Thanks

Accepted answer

2 additional answers

Your answer

Anonymous

2023-04-17T09:51:42.58+00:00

Hi @Bob Brogden

Have you tried my solution and does it work for you? I am glad to help if you have any other questions.
Bob Brogden 80 Reputation points

2023-04-25T06:33:45.59+00:00

Thanks Yu. Yes this worked. In my initial attempt to do this 2 weeks ago, I had the misunderstanding that this Group Policy Editor was under the settings for Edge. I finally did a search for it and I found that is hidden in the Control Panel under Administrative Tools. Once I got into the Group Policy Editor -> Administrative Templates, there was no Microsoft Edge entry. So I downloaded the Edge Template: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/business/download?form=MA13FJ Then click on Download Windows 64-bit Policy (link below the big black Download button). I then downloaded the Edge Policy Templates to a temporary directory, extracted unzipped, and copied the msedge.admx file to C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions and copied msedge.adml to C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions\en-US. Then I went back in to the Group Policy Editor and disabled the Show Hubs Sidebar as you described below.
Anonymous

2023-04-25T06:41:24.61+00:00

Hi @Bob Brogden

I'm glad that it works! If there's any other issue about this case, feel free to come back anytime.

If the answer is the right solution, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Regards,

Yu Zhou
Bob Brogden 80 Reputation points

2023-04-25T19:25:38.3533333+00:00

Yu yes -- Answer Accepted -- Done. Hopefully anyone else searching for how to get rid of the Edge Sidebar will see your solution and also they will see my additional steps to get the Policy Editor to configure Edge. My only other comment is that I don't understand the purpose of Microsoft putting in the Edge settings a "Show Sidebar" switch that only works temporarily. Seems like a bug to me.
SteveM-8247 5 Reputation points

2024-03-07T20:50:16.91+00:00

Great answer - seems like a long way to go just to turn off an interface element, but I followed Bob's instructions to first download the policy files, copied them to the right folders and then used local group policy editor to disable the sidebar. Great answer/solution! Thanks

Answer 1

Anonymous

Hi @Bob Brogden

If you want to disable Edge Sidebar permanently, you can use this policy HubsSidebarEnabled. If you disable this policy, the Sidebar will never be shown.

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If the answer is the right solution, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Regards,

Yu Zhou

Chris Watkins 0 Reputation points

2023-07-06T12:49:55.48+00:00

Hello Yu Zhou,

Is it possible to permanetly disable the Edge sidebar so that no-one can ever access it again? Ie not a toggle, or reversible solution.

I am asking in the scenario where someone is accessing games from the sidebar.

Thanks!

Answer 2

ratan yadav 5

i am looking for the solution for windows 11 for the same , canyou help

Diane Velasquez 0 Reputation points

2023-12-07T20:13:35.1733333+00:00

I agree - removing all the 'junk' still leaves the settings gear and the space blank -The removal option does not show on the "latest" update to 11 - so now what- It just popped up and started loading whatever - I need screen space as I am visually disabled-

Answer 3

Jacquelyn-3436 0

The "show sidebar" switch is superfluous to me.

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Permanently remove Edge Sidebar

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