Tired of Microsoft Edge trying to finish your sentences, or rather, your forms? Disabling the autofill feature is simple. You just need to dive into your browser’s settings. Head to your Profile, then find the sections for Personal info, Passwords, and Payment info. In each of these areas, you will find a toggle switch that you can flip to the “off” position. This stops Edge from automatically saving and filling in your sensitive data, giving you back control over your information.
How to Turn Off Autofill in Edge
This tutorial will walk you through the exact clicks needed to disable all three types of autofill data in Microsoft Edge. By following these steps, you can prevent the browser from automatically entering your personal details, passwords, and credit card numbers into web forms.
Step 1: Open Microsoft Edge and go to Settings.
First, launch the Edge browser. Look for the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner of the window. Click on them to open a dropdown menu, and near the bottom of that menu, you will find and click on “Settings”.
This is the central hub for customizing your entire Edge experience. From privacy settings to appearance, almost everything you can change about the browser lives in this menu. Getting familiar with it is a great first step to making Edge work for you.
Step 2: Navigate to the Profiles section.
Once you are in the Settings menu, look at the navigation pane on the left side of the screen. Click on “Profiles”. This is where Edge manages all the information linked to your user account.
Your profile is what allows Edge to sync your bookmarks, history, and saved information across different devices. If you are signed in with a Microsoft account, this is where that connection is managed.
Step 3: Select ‘Personal info’.
Inside the Profiles section, you will see a few options. Click on “Personal info”. This is the category that stores data like your name, address, email, and phone number.
Edge uses this information to quickly fill out shipping forms, sign-up pages, and other common online forms. It is incredibly convenient, but not everyone is comfortable with a browser holding onto this data.
Step 4: Toggle off ‘Save and fill personal info’.
At the very top of the Personal info page, you will see a switch labeled “Save and fill personal info”. Click this toggle to turn it off. The switch will turn from blue to gray.
This single action disables the most common type of autofill. Edge will no longer offer to save your address when you type it into a new website, nor will it suggest filling it in for you.
Step 5: Turn off autofill for passwords.
Now, go back to the main Profiles menu by clicking “Profiles” on the left again. This time, select “Passwords”. Here, you will find a toggle for “Offer to save passwords”. Click it to turn it off.
This step is crucial for security. While saving passwords in your browser is easy, it can be a risk. Disabling this feature means you will have to enter your passwords manually, but it also means they are not all stored in one potentially vulnerable place.
Step 6: Disable autofill for payment information.
Finally, return to the Profiles menu one last time and click on “Payment info”. Just like the other sections, you will see a toggle at the top labeled “Save and fill payment info”. Turn this one off as well.
This is arguably the most important step for protecting your financial security. By turning this off, you ensure that your credit and debit card numbers are not saved in the browser, preventing them from being automatically filled into checkout pages.
After completing these steps, Microsoft Edge will stop prompting you to save new information and will no longer automatically fill in any forms. You will need to type your name, address, passwords, and payment details manually each time. This gives you complete control over when and where your data is shared online.
Tips for Managing Autofill in Edge
- You can delete any data that Edge has already saved. In each section (Personal info, Passwords, Payment info), you will see a list of saved entries. Click the three dots next to any entry to find the “Delete” option.
- Turning off autofill is a great security practice, especially if you use a shared or public computer. It prevents others who might use the computer after you from accessing your saved credentials or personal data.
- If you find manually typing passwords too tedious, consider using a dedicated password manager. These applications are designed specifically for securely storing login information and are generally considered safer than browser-based solutions.
- Even if you turn off the “save and fill” feature, your previously saved data remains until you manually delete it. It is a good idea to clear out any old information you no longer want stored in the browser.
- Sometimes, browser extensions can have their own autofill features. If you are still seeing forms fill in automatically, check your installed extensions to see if one of them is responsible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will turning off autofill delete my saved information?
No, it will not. Turning off the autofill feature only stops Edge from using the data it has already stored. Your saved addresses, passwords, and credit card numbers will remain in the browser’s settings until you go in and delete them manually.
Can I turn off autofill for just one website?
For personal and payment information, the setting is global, meaning it is either on or off for all websites. However, for passwords, you can manage them on a site-by-site basis. In the Passwords settings, you can add specific websites to a “Never saved” list to prevent Edge from ever offering to save a password for that particular site.
Is it safe to use browser autofill?
It is a matter of balancing convenience with security. For a personal, secure computer that only you use, it is relatively safe. However, it can be a significant security risk on public or shared computers. Many security experts recommend using a dedicated password manager instead, as they often have stronger encryption and better security features than a browser’s built-in tool.
Why is Edge still filling in my information after I turned it off?
If you have followed all the steps and information is still being filled in, there are a couple of things to check. First, make sure you disabled all three categories: personal info, passwords, and payment info. Second, a browser extension could be causing the issue. Try disabling your extensions one by one to see if that solves the problem.
How do I turn autofill back on?
Turning autofill back on is as simple as turning it off. Just follow the same steps to navigate to the Personal info, Passwords, and Payment info sections in your Profile settings. Then, click the toggles to switch them back to the “on” position. Edge will immediately resume its saving and filling behavior.
A Quick Recap
- Open Edge and click the three dots to go to Settings.
- Select the Profiles tab on the left.
- Click on Personal info and turn the toggle off.
- Go back to Profiles, click on Passwords, and turn that toggle off.
- Return to Profiles one more time, click Payment info, and turn its toggle off.
Final Thoughts
Taking control of your digital footprint is more important today than ever before. While features like autofill were designed with the best of intentions, aiming to streamline our online lives and save us a few precious seconds, they also create a centralized hub of our most sensitive data. The convenience of having your address or credit card number pop into a form with a single click is undeniable. But that convenience comes with an implicit trade-off in security and privacy. By learning how to turn off autofill in Edge, you are not just changing a setting. You are making a conscious decision about how your personal information is handled.
This process empowers you, the user, to be the gatekeeper of your own data. It forces a moment of pause before you enter a password or a credit card number, giving you a chance to ensure the website is legitimate and that you are comfortable sharing that information. In an age of frequent data breaches and sophisticated phishing scams, this small bit of friction can be a powerful defense mechanism. It moves you from a passive participant, relying on the browser’s memory, to an active one, making deliberate choices about your data every time.
Furthermore, moving away from browser-based data storage might encourage you to explore more secure alternatives. A dedicated password manager, for example, offers robust encryption and features designed solely to protect your credentials. It is a step up in digital security hygiene. Ultimately, managing your browser settings is a fundamental aspect of digital literacy. Understanding what your browser is doing in the background, and knowing how to customize it to fit your comfort level with privacy, is a skill that pays dividends in peace of mind. You have now taken a significant step toward a safer and more controlled browsing experience.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read over 50 million times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.