The Edge Sidebar Clutter
Microsoft Edge has increasingly integrated new tools and features directly into the browser interface. One of the most prominent additions is the Sidebar, a vertical panel on the right side of the screen that houses tools like Microsoft Copilot, Outlook, games, and shopping assistants. While some users find these quick-access widgets useful, many others find the Sidebar distracting, especially when it pops open automatically during web searches or when hovering near the edge of the screen, consuming valuable horizontal screen real estate.
How to Permanently Hide the Microsoft Edge Sidebar
If you prefer a clean, minimalist browsing experience, you can disable the Sidebar entirely within the browser’s settings.
1. Open the Microsoft Edge browser.
2. Click the three horizontal dots (Settings and more) located in the top-right corner of the window.
3. Select Settings from the bottom of the drop-down menu.
4. In the left-hand sidebar, click on Sidebar.
5. In the main pane, locate the setting labelled Always show sidebar.
6. Click the toggle switch to turn it Off.
Disabling the Copilot Hover Trigger
Turning off the “Always show” setting removes the persistent bar, but you might still notice the Copilot (formerly Bing Chat) icon hovering in the top-right corner. By default, simply moving your mouse over this icon will automatically slide the Sidebar back open. To stop this aggressive auto-opening behaviour:
While still in the Sidebar settings menu, look under the “App and notification settings” section and click on Copilot. Locate the toggle switch labelled Show Copilot and turn it Off. If you want to keep the Copilot icon but stop the auto-opening, turn off the toggle for Automatically open Copilot in the sidebar instead. Your browser will now remain clean and free from unexpected slide-out panels.