How to enable sync for browsing data on Microsoft Edge

If you use Microsoft Edge on multiple devices, you can make your life a little easier by syncing history, favorites, passwords, and open tabs across all of them – Here's how.

Microsoft Edge sync browsing data settings
Microsoft Edge sync browsing data settings

The new version of Microsoft Edge (Chromium) lets you sync your favorites (bookmarks), passwords, history, open tabs, extensions, and other settings to your Microsoft account and across devices making it simple and convenient to keep an updated backup of your settings and access your browser data across all your signed in devices, so you don’t have to transfer them manually to other computers.

Usually, you would enable or disable sync during the initial setup, but if you skipped this configuration, or you changed your mind, you can use the Microsoft Edge settings to enable, configure, and disable browser data sync.

In this guide, you’ll learn the steps to enable or disable syncing for history, favorites, passwords, and other data across devices using the new version of Microsoft Edge on Windows 10.

How to enable sync for connected profile on Microsoft Edge

To turn on syncing for favorites, passwords, and other settings on Chromium Edge, use these steps:

  1. Open Microsoft Edge.

  2. Click the Settings and More (three-dotted) button on the top-right corner.

  3. Click on Settings.

  4. Click on Profiles.

  5. Click the Sync option.

    Microsoft Edge sync option
    Microsoft Edge sync option
  6. Click the Turn on sync button.

    Microsoft Edge enable sync settings
    Microsoft Edge enable sync settings
  7. Click the Confirm button.

    Microsoft Edge select sync settings
    Microsoft Edge select sync settings
  8. (Optional) Turn on or off the settings you want to sync to your Microsoft account and across devices. Options include favorites, settings, addresses, passwords, history, open tabs, extensions, and collections.

Once you complete the steps, the new version of Microsoft Edge will begin syncing your data to the cloud and across devices.

How to enable sync for local profile on Microsoft Edge

If you’re not connected with a Microsoft account, you need to complete the profile setup before you sync your information with Edge.

To sync Microsoft Edge settings, favorites, and passwords, use these steps:

  1. Open Microsoft Edge.

  2. Click the Settings and More (three-dotted) button on the top-right corner.

  3. Click on Settings.

  4. Click on Profiles.

  5. Click the Sign in button.

    Microsoft Edge local profile settings
    Microsoft Edge local profile settings
  6. Select a Microsoft account.

  7. Click the Continue button.

  8. Click the Customize option.

    Microsoft Edge local profile connected with Microsoft account
    Microsoft Edge local profile connected with Microsoft account
  9. Turn on or off the settings that you want to sync.

  10. Click the Confirm button.

    Microsoft Edge confirm sync settings
    Microsoft Edge confirm sync settings

After you complete the steps, your profiles will connect to the Microsoft account, and then the browser will begin to sync your favorites, passwords, and the settings you specified.

How to disable sync on Microsoft Edge

To disable browser data sync on the Chromium version of Microsoft Edge, use these steps:

  1. Open Microsoft Edge.

  2. Click the Settings and More (three-dotted) button on the top-right corner.

  3. Click on Settings.

  4. Click on Profiles.

  5. Click the Sync option.

    Microsoft Edge sync option
    Microsoft Edge sync option
  6. Click the Turn off sync button.

    Microsoft Edge disable browsing data sync
    Microsoft Edge disable browsing data sync

Once you complete the steps, Microsoft Edge will stop syncing browsing data to your Microsoft account.

At the time of this writing syncing for history, open tabs, extensions, and collections are not working, but they will be available in future updates.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, 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.