How to Remove Edge From Windows 11

To stop using Microsoft Edge in Windows 11, set another default browser, turn off Edge’s background options, and check its startup settings. Eligible, updated PCs in the European Economic Area (EEA) also offer a normal Uninstall option in Settings > Apps > Installed apps. If that option is unavailable, use the supported settings below instead of deleting system folders or changing their permissions.

This guide covers the current Edge desktop browser on Windows 11. Using Windows 10? Follow our Windows 10 Edge removal guide for its Apps & features menu.

Check Whether You Can Uninstall Edge

Microsoft’s general explanation of Edge’s uninstall restriction describes the browser as a Windows component. Its EEA rollout documentation provides the regional exception.

Windows uses the region recorded during device setup for these EEA changes. Changing the ordinary country setting later does not simply unlock removal. An unavailable button can also require checking Windows updates or your organization’s restrictions; do not assume it proves which region the PC uses. On a managed work or school PC, ask your administrator before removing software.

Uninstall Edge on an Eligible EEA PC

Before removing the browser, install and open its replacement. Check a website and important sign-ins. Import the bookmarks and other browser data you need, then verify they transferred. Read any browsing-data deletion option in the uninstaller carefully; keeping local data is not a substitute for checking your migration.

1. Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
2. Select Apps, then Installed apps.
3. Find Microsoft Edge, the browser. Do not select Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime.
4. Select the three-dot menu next to Edge. If Uninstall is available, select it and follow the confirmation prompts. Approve an administrator prompt only if you intended this removal.
5. Finish the uninstaller and restart if requested. Check Installed apps again, then verify your replacement browser and any websites you previously installed as Edge apps.

If Uninstall is missing or grayed out, stop this method and use the settings below. Microsoft also describes later EEA changes to browser defaults and Microsoft apps. Some Edge-based web apps can still depend on Edge, so check those services before removal.

Illustration: the Edge uninstall menu when removal is unavailable. Check the actual control on your PC.

Set Another Browser as the Default

1. Install and open the browser you want to use.
2. Open Settings > Apps > Default apps.
3. Search for that browser under Set defaults for applications and select it.
4. Select Set default. The wording beside the button includes your chosen browser’s name.
5. Open an ordinary website link from another app to check that your preferred browser launches.

For more detail, see how to change the default browser in Windows 11. Some apps have separate link preferences, so one app opening Edge does not necessarily mean the Windows setting failed.

Unpinning Edge only removes a shortcut. Right-click its taskbar icon and choose Unpin from taskbar, or right-click its pinned Start menu item and choose Unpin from Start. You can still open the installed browser from Start search.

Turn Off Edge’s Background Activity

1. Open Edge. Type edge://settings/system/manageSystem in its address bar and press Enter. This opens the system settings described in Microsoft’s current Startup boost guide.
2. Turn off Startup boost.
3. Turn off Continue running background extensions and apps when Microsoft Edge is closed, if available. In a different Settings layout, look under System and performance or use Settings search for the option.
4. Close every Edge window. Reopen the same settings later if you want to turn either option back on.

Startup boost keeps a small set of browser processes ready to open Edge faster. Turning it off may make the first launch slower. Background mode lets browser apps keep running after the last window closes; turning it off can affect those apps. Microsoft’s background-mode documentation explains this behavior and organization controls. A managed or disabled setting needs your administrator’s help.

These options reduce particular background activity. They do not uninstall Edge, prevent every app from launching it, or guarantee a noticeable speed improvement.

Stop Edge From Opening at Sign-In

The restartable-apps setting affects other apps too. Use it if Windows is reopening Edge from the previous session:

1. Open Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
2. Turn off Automatically save my restartable apps and restart them when I sign in.
3. Open Settings > Apps > Startup. If Microsoft Edge is listed, turn its switch off.
4. Close Edge and check the next time you sign in. If it still opens, check whether a startup shortcut or another app is launching it.

Microsoft documents the first setting in its automatic-start guide. Its startup-app guide explains why not every app appears in the Startup list. You can reverse these changes by turning the same switches on.

Stop PDFs From Opening in Edge

PDF files have their own default-app association. Changing your browser may leave Edge selected for them:

1. Open Settings > Apps > Default apps.
2. Search for .pdf in the file-type box and select the result.
3. Select the current app, choose your installed PDF reader or preferred browser, and select Set default.
4. Open a PDF from File Explorer to check the result.

See how to change file associations in Windows 11 for other extensions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Do I Still See WebView2 Processes?

WebView2 is a separate component that apps use to display web content. A process named msedgewebview2.exe does not mean the Edge browser has returned. Microsoft’s WebView2 FAQ says removing Edge does not stop WebView2 from working. Leave the runtime available for apps that need it.

Will Every Link Use My New Browser?

Ordinary web links should use your selected default, but some Windows features or individual apps can choose Edge. The EEA changes send more Windows web content to the default browser. Outlook and Teams have their own preferences, covered in the default-browser guide above.

Can I Just Rename Edge’s Folder or Deny Access to It?

Do not use that as a routine disabling method. Old instructions for the legacy Edge system folder do not describe the current browser, and changing system-file permissions can disrupt software rather than safely change your preference. Use the available uninstall control or the reversible settings in this guide.

Can I Reinstall Edge or Keep It With Google Search?

Yes. Obtain the browser from Microsoft’s Edge download page if you removed it, then recheck your browser and PDF defaults. If you keep Edge, you can set Google as its search engine without changing which browser Windows opens. Continue updating Edge for security fixes.

Start with the problem you actually want to solve: links opening in Edge, background activity, startup windows, or full browser removal. Change that setting and verify the result before making additional changes.