Microsoft is pruning Edge again, this time by retiring the browser’s sidebar app list for Microsoft account users. New apps can no longer be added, pinned apps will disappear in a future update, and Copilot is being left alone – because of course it is.
The move fits a broader cleanup across Microsoft’s products. The company has been steadily backing away from the ”everything everywhere” approach that made Windows 11 feel overloaded in the first place, and Edge is now getting the same treatment. That makes sense for a browser fighting Chrome, where simplicity is often a selling point rather than a design flourish.
Microsoft removes Edge sidebar app list
Microsoft says the sidebar app list is being retired ”in the near future,” starting with Microsoft account users. There is no confirmed retirement date yet. The change stops new sidebar apps from being added right away, while existing pinned apps are scheduled to be removed later.
That’s the sort of change users notice fast, especially if they treated the sidebar like a mini command center. Microsoft is clearly betting that the feature was useful to a smaller group than the clutter it created for everyone else.
Copilot stays in Edge
The part Microsoft wants no confusion about: Copilot is not going anywhere. In fact, the company says it will continue to ”improve and enhance it,” which is a very Microsoft way of saying the AI assistant is still the star of the show even as other extras are benched.
That also tells you where the company’s priorities sit. Microsoft is trimming the features that look optional, but it is keeping the one that supports its broader AI pitch across Windows, Edge, and the rest of its software lineup.
Why some Edge users may push back
Not everyone will cheer. Reports cited by Windows Latest suggest some users are attached enough to the sidebar that they would abandon Edge if it disappeared. That tracks with how browser habits work: once people build a workflow around a feature, removing it feels less like simplification and more like losing a desk drawer they actually used.
The open question is whether Microsoft has correctly judged the trade-off. If the sidebar was a niche power-user feature, the cleanup may help Edge feel lighter and less crowded; if it was a quiet differentiator, Microsoft may have just handed a few loyal users a reason to look elsewhere.