Privacy-conscious users often configure Microsoft Edge to automatically wipe all browsing data (cookies, cache, and history) the moment they close the browser. This ensures that no one else using the computer can see what websites they visited. However, if you recently shared a computer and the previous user enabled this aggressive privacy feature, you might find it incredibly frustrating to use. If Edge deletes your history every time you close it, you can never restore your previous tabs, and you have to constantly log back into all your accounts every single morning.
You can dive into Edge’s Privacy and Security settings to explicitly disable this automated self-destruct mechanism, forcing the browser to retain your browsing history, cookies, and active sessions indefinitely.
How to Stop Edge from Deleting History on Exit
You must uncheck the specific rules within the “Clear browsing data on close” menu.
- Open the Microsoft Edge browser.
- Click the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner.
- Select Settings from the drop-down menu.
- In the left-hand navigation sidebar, click on Privacy, search, and services.
- Scroll down the page until you find the “Clear browsing data” section.
- Click the option labeled Choose what to clear every time you close the browser.
- You will see a list of toggles (Browsing history, Download history, Cookies, Passwords, etc.).
- Turn Off the toggle for Browsing history.
- (Highly Recommended) Also turn Off the toggle for Cookies and other site data so you do not have to sign in to websites every day.
Microsoft Edge will immediately stop wiping your data. The next time you close the browser and reopen it, your history will remain perfectly intact, allowing you to easily find the websites you were looking at the night before.