Removing the Bing or Co-Pilot sidebar in Microsoft Edge
Alright, I’ll admit I got a bit annoyed with this one. That Bing or Co-Pilot button in Edge? Sometimes it pops up out of nowhere, and honestly, it can be pretty distracting if you don’t use those features. I’ve spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out how to just make it disappear — because it’s not always obvious, especially after updates to Edge or Windows change things around. So, here’s what eventually worked for me, with a few caveats.
Starting with Edge itself
First things first: open Microsoft Edge. Might sound obvious, but I kept forgetting I was working in Edge and not Chrome or another browser. Once it’s open, look close to the top right corner of the window—there should be a three-dot menu (the ellipsis). That’s your ticket to all the settings. Click on it, then choose “Settings” from the dropdown menu. Sometimes, depending on your version, finding the Settings option can be a bit tricky — it might be tucked away or relocated, so look for the gear icon or a menu titled “Settings.”
Exploring Appearance or Sidebar Settings
When you’re in the Settings page (usually at edge://settings), find the section called Appearance. On my setup, it was pretty straightforward, but on newer builds, it might be moved around a bit. Sometimes, it shows up under Features, or under a section labelled Side toolbar. The key is to look for options related to “Show Sidebar” or “Sidebar”. If you find an option named “Sidebar visibility”, switch it off.
Flip that toggle to “Off” or uncheck it, and the sidebar should disappear. Usually, that’s enough, but sometimes the Bing or Co-Pilot button stubbornly remains. If that happens, you might need to check other settings.
Disabling Co-Pilot
Look for an option called “Show Co-Pilot” or “Enable Co-Pilot”. It might be directly under Appearance or inside the sidebar options. Turning it off usually involves flipping a toggle to “Off.” Some folks also find this setting under edge://settings/privacy or content settings, especially if it’s linked to notifications or prompts. If you notice options about “Show notifications,” turn those off as well, since Bing or Co-Pilot might send automated prompts sometimes.
If after doing all this the Bing button or Co-Pilot still shows up, don’t worry — there’s another trick involving experimental features.
Using edge://flags for Advanced Control
Type edge://flags into the address bar. This page reveals experimental features and hidden toggles. Search for keywords like Bing Button or Sidebar Features. If you find a setting controlling the Bing button or sidebar behaviour, try disabling it. But heads up — messing with flags can be risky, and sometimes it causes UI glitches or breaks things. Proceed with caution and only if the regular settings aren’t doing enough.
Final Step: Restart Everything
After turning off these options, close the Settings tab, then fully exit Edge (sometimes just closing the window isn’t enough — a complete restart might be needed). Launch Edge again, and check if the sidebar and buttons are gone. Sometimes, you might need a full restart of Windows in addition to the browser restart, as caches can keep UI elements lingering.
If they still stubbornly remain, go back and double-check your settings. I’ve often needed to toggle certain options a couple of times to make sure they stick. Also, verify your Edge version at edge://settings/help, since UI layouts and options can change with updates.
To Wrap It Up
The main thing is to explore Appearance and related sections for toggle options like “Show Sidebar” or “Show Co-Pilot”. If needed, cautiously check out edge://flags. Don’t forget to fully restart Edge — and sometimes Windows — to ensure changes take effect. It’s a bit of trial and error, but once it’s sorted, you’ll enjoy a cleaner, less cluttered UI.
Hopefully, this saves you some time — it took me ages to find all these hidden settings! Make sure the sidebar’s gone, and that no notifications or prompts are popping up. Fingers crossed this guide spares someone else from spending a weekend fighting with Edge’s interface!