If you use a third-party browser like Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox as your primary gateway to the internet, you have likely unpinned Microsoft Edge from your Windows 11 taskbar to save space. However, many users have discovered that after a major Windows Update, Microsoft occasionally forces the Edge icon back onto the taskbar without permission.
This aggressive behavior is part of Microsoft’s strategy to encourage Edge adoption, but it is incredibly frustrating for users who want complete control over their desktop environment. To stop Windows 11 from automatically repinning the Edge icon, you must apply a quick fix in the Windows Registry.
How to Stop Microsoft Edge from Pinning Itself
Before proceeding, remember that the Registry Editor is a powerful tool. Follow these steps exactly to ensure you don’t accidentally modify other system settings.
- Press Win + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
- Type
regeditand press Enter. Click “Yes” if the User Account Control prompt appears. - Navigate to the following path by copying and pasting it into the address bar at the top of the window:
HKEY_LOCAL_MECHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge
(If the “Edge” folder does not exist under Microsoft, right-click the “Microsoft” folder, select New > Key, and name it “Edge”).
- Click on the Edge folder.
- Right-click in the empty space on the right side of the window and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
- Name this new value exactly:
DoNotPinToTaskbar - Double-click on DoNotPinToTaskbar and change the “Value data” from 0 to 1.
- Click OK and close the Registry Editor.
What This Does
By creating this specific Group Policy override, you are explicitly instructing the Windows operating system to ignore any internal commands from Microsoft Update packages that attempt to place the Edge shortcut on the taskbar. You can now safely unpin the Edge icon one final time, confident that it will not return after your next system restart.