The Unwanted Data Synchronisation Issue
Microsoft Edge has aggressively positioned itself as a seamless alternative to Google Chrome. To encourage users to switch, Edge includes a feature that automatically imports your browsing history, bookmarks, saved passwords, and open tabs from Google Chrome every single time you launch the Edge browser. If you prefer to keep your work browser completely separate from your personal browser, or if you simply do not want Microsoft accessing your Chrome data, this continuous background synchronisation is a major privacy concern.
Disabling Automatic Imports in Microsoft Edge
You can stop Edge from harvesting data from other browsers by turning off the continuous import setting deep within the browser’s profile management menu.
1. Open the Microsoft Edge browser.
2. Click the three horizontal dots (Settings and more) in the top-right corner.
3. Select Settings from the bottom of the drop-down menu.
4. Ensure you are on the Profiles tab located in the left-hand sidebar.
5. Click on the option labelled Import browser data.
6. Look for a section titled Import browsing data at each launch. If it says “On”, click the Edit preferences button next to it.
7. A new menu will appear detailing exactly what is being synced from Google Chrome. At the very top, click the Turn off button next to the master toggle switch.
8. A confirmation dialog will appear. Click Confirm to stop the continuous imports.
Managing Your Existing Data
Disabling this feature prevents Edge from pulling any future data from Google Chrome. However, it will not delete the data that Edge has already imported during previous launches. If you want to clean your Edge profile entirely, you must manually delete the imported bookmarks and clear your browsing history within the Edge settings. Once cleared, your two browsers will remain completely isolated from each other.