bring back edge sidebar

Question

bring back edge sidebar

Yash 1

Why does Microsoft seem to do the opposite of what users want instead of listening to them? Many people use the sidebar because it saves space and keeps important things like emails, Teams, and other tools easily accessible without having to switch tabs. Pushing an unnecessary Copilot feature under the excuse of “simplifying the browser” feels misleading.

Copilot isn’t what causes Edge to slow down it’s the sidebar? lol. At Microsoft, are people even using their own products? It doesn’t seem so, as just opening their presentations shows many of them using other browsers instead of Edge.

Why is it so hard to let users choose whether they want the sidebar or not?

Oghenetefa Okotete 0 Reputation points

2026-08-06T18:06:42.6633333+00:00

I stopped using it on mobile and pc the day I saw the announcement. I had to settle for Vivaldi (too slow), then Opera GX (good enough), just because of the sidebar.

To the team behind the decision, F*ck you!
Oghenetefa Okotete 0 Reputation points

2026-08-06T18:11:17.5333333+00:00

I'll give feedback for old time's sake as to why I hate Copilot. The UX is just so distasteful because it tries and does take over your whole freaking screen space; the microanimations are so... can't even describe it... But it's definitely not smooth! Then there was the issue of the AI wiping our chat history to start over, because it got offended.

2 answers

Your answer

Oghenetefa Okotete 0 Reputation points

2026-08-06T18:06:42.6633333+00:00

I stopped using it on mobile and pc the day I saw the announcement. I had to settle for Vivaldi (too slow), then Opera GX (good enough), just because of the sidebar.

To the team behind the decision, F*ck you!
Oghenetefa Okotete 0 Reputation points

2026-08-06T18:11:17.5333333+00:00

I'll give feedback for old time's sake as to why I hate Copilot. The UX is just so distasteful because it tries and does take over your whole freaking screen space; the microanimations are so... can't even describe it... But it's definitely not smooth! Then there was the issue of the AI wiping our chat history to start over, because it got offended.

Answer 1

The Edge sidebar behavior is changing because Microsoft is retiring the current sidebar app list (also called the App Tower) as part of a broader simplification of Edge, while keeping Copilot and the side pane.

From the available information:

Sidebar app list (App Tower) is being retired
- The sidebar app list is being phased out over upcoming Edge updates.
- New apps can no longer be added to the sidebar, and apps currently pinned there will be removed in a future update.
- This retirement starts with Microsoft account (MSA) users and is gradual; users will be notified when accessing it before it is fully removed.
Copilot and the side pane are not being removed
- Copilot is explicitly stated as not affected by this change and will continue to be improved.
- The side pane itself is also not being removed. What is changing is the app list/App Tower model for sidebar apps, not the existence of a side pane in Edge.
Admin control over sidebar in organizations
For managed environments, IT admins can still control whether the sidebar is available at all:
- The HubsSidebarEnabled policy controls whether the sidebar is allowed or blocked. Disabling it blocks all sidebar apps and removes access to the Discover app.
- EdgeSidebarCustomizeEnabled controls whether users can customize the sidebar (add/delete apps).
- EdgeOpenInSidebarEnabled controls whether users can open websites or apps in the sidebar via Settings and more > Open in sidebar.
- There are also policies to block specific sidebar apps (historically via extension IDs, now recommended via URL-based blocking starting Edge 127).
These options are available through Group Policy under Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge for organizations that want to standardize behavior.
Outlook/Teams integration with the Edge sidebar
For the specific scenario of emails and chats opening in the Edge sidebar:
- When a web link is opened from Outlook for Windows or Teams for Windows, the link opens in Edge and the associated email or chat opens in the Edge sidebar for side-by-side viewing.
- Users who do not want Outlook email to auto-open in the Edge sidebar can turn it off in Edge settings:
  - Go to edge://settings/sidebar (or Settings and more > Settings > Sidebar).
  - Under App and notification settings, select Outlook.
  - Turn off Automatically open Outlook email context in the side pane.
- Outlook/Teams admins can manage which browser is used for links and whether this side-by-side experience is enabled at the org level.
User choice vs. product direction
The documentation shows that:
- In enterprise environments, admins still have granular control to allow or block the sidebar and its customization.
- For consumer users, the sidebar app list/App Tower is being retired and new apps cannot be added, so the previous “pin anything here” model is intentionally being removed.
- Copilot and the side pane remain as the primary side-surface experience going forward.

There is no documented way to revert the retirement of the sidebar app list once the change reaches a given Edge build. For managed environments, the closest available control is via the Edge policies that enable/disable the sidebar and its customization; for consumer environments, the change is a product decision and is being rolled out gradually.

References:

Answer 2

Hello, thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A.

I understand the use of having this feature in the Microsoft Edge web browser. However, since the feature has been fully retired by Microsoft, your feedback will be important to help drive future improvements.

I recommend submitting your feedback directly from within the Microsoft Edge browser, where it can be shared straight with the developer team. To submit your feedback, click the three horizontal dots in the upper-right corner of Edge, select Help and feedback, and then click Send feedback.

Reference - Sidebar app list is being retired in Microsoft Edge