On Microsoft Edge, the sidebar on the right side gives you quick access to your Microsoft 365 and files as well as other products, such as Outlook, search, games, and tools, including Designer, Drop, Image Creator, and more.
Although the sidebar may work for some people, it’s not for everyone since they add unnecessary distractions, take up a lot of space, and only seem to be tactics to promote more of the company’s services.
If you are a Microsoft Edge user and don’t find this feature useful, you can easily disable it, including the Bing Chat button, which appears to be part of the sidebar, but it’s not.
This guide will teach you the steps to disable the sidebars on Microsoft Edge.
Disable sidebar on Microsoft Edge
To disable the Edge sidebar, use these steps:
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Open Microsoft Edge.
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Click the Settings and more (three-dotted) button.
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Click on Settings.
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Click on Sidebar.
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Turn off the “Always show sidebar” toggle switch.
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(Optional) Under the “App and notification settings” section, click the Bing Chat setting.
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Turn off the Show Discover toggle switch to disable the Bing Chat button in the top-right corner.
Alternatively, you can also click the “Auto-hide sidebar” button at the bottom of the bar. You can also use the “Ctrl + Shift + /” keyboard shortcut to quickly enable or disable the feature. Or you can disable the sidebar by turning off the toggle switch from the “Appearance” settings page.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows expert and the Editor-in-Chief who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He is also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 12 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows, software, and related technologies, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.