Modern web browsers, including Microsoft Edge, come equipped with aggressive pop-up blockers enabled by default. While this is fantastic for general browsing security and preventing annoying advertisements, it can be highly problematic in specific professional environments. Many legacy enterprise web applications, internal company portals, banking websites, and academic testing platforms rely entirely on spawning secondary pop-up windows to display critical information, generate reports, or process payments. If you are configuring a workstation specifically dedicated to interacting with one of these legacy systems, you may need to turn the pop-up blocker off completely.
This guide explains how to completely disable the built-in pop-up blocker in Microsoft Edge, allowing all websites to freely launch secondary windows.
Disable the Pop-up Blocker via Edge Settings
You can turn off the pop-up blocker directly from the browser’s settings menu. This method requires no administrative privileges and is the quickest way to restore functionality to your legacy web apps.
- Open Microsoft Edge.
- Click the three horizontal dots (Settings and more) located in the top-right corner of the browser window.
- Select Settings from the drop-down menu.
- In the left-hand navigation pane, click on Cookies and site permissions.
- Scroll down the right-hand pane until you find the “All permissions” section.
- Locate and click on Pop-ups and redirects.
- At the top of the menu, you will see a toggle switch labelled Block (recommended).
- Tap the switch to toggle it to the Off position (the switch will turn grey).
Understand the Security Implications
As soon as you flip that switch, the change is instant. Microsoft Edge will no longer intercept any pop-up windows from any website on the internet.
While this solves the issue with your legacy web portal, it drastically reduces your browser’s security posture if you intend to use it for general web surfing. You are now entirely vulnerable to malicious websites launching hundreds of invisible tracking windows, aggressive advertising, or scareware pop-ups.
A Better Alternative: If you only need pop-ups for one specific website (like your company’s intranet portal), it is highly recommended to leave the master “Block” switch turned On. Instead, use the Allow section directly below the toggle. Click the Add button and type the exact URL of your legacy portal (e.g., https://portal.mycompany.local). This ensures your internal apps work perfectly while the rest of the internet remains safely blocked.