Whether Microsoft Edge is the default browser on your computer or downloaded manually, sometimes things just don't work and you may need to uninstall it. There are many reasons why one might want to uninstall Microsoft Edge. For example, people using the browser often experience slowdowns and crashes when launching it. Or maybe you just have a preference for Firefox or Chrome.
In this article, we will show you how to uninstall Microsoft Edge on different operating systems. Plus, you'll learn how to reinstall it on your device, just in case you change your mind.
How to Uninstall Microsoft Edge on Windows 10 PC
Microsoft Edge is the default web browser for Windows. In addition, Microsoft Edge is integrated with the new Windows 10 update, which supports many applications on this operating system. According to Microsoft, this web browser cannot be uninstalled because it is an essential component of Windows. Although you can always install other browsers and use them instead, Microsoft Edge will remain on your desktop and menu.
Although Microsoft claims that it cannot be done, it is possible to uninstall Microsoft Edge from your Windows 10. Depending on whether it was installed automatically or manually, there are two ways to do this.
If you have manually installed Microsoft Edge on your Windows, here is how you can uninstall it:
- Click on the "Start" icon in the lower left corner of the screen.
- Go to "Settings" in the left sidebar.
- Select "Applications" in the new window.
- Switch to "Apps & Features" on the left side of the window.
- Locate "Microsoft Edge" in the list of applications and click on it.
- Choose the "Uninstall" button.
- Confirm that you want to uninstall Microsoft Edge.
That's all we can say about it. On the other hand, if Microsoft Edge was automatically installed on your Windows 10, the uninstallation process would be slightly more complicated. But it is not impossible.
To do this, we will use the command prompt. Follow the instructions below to see how to do this:
- Open Microsoft Edge.
- Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select "Help and feedback".
- Switch to "About Microsoft Edge" in the drop-down menu.
- Copy Microsoft Edge version number and save it somewhere.
- Type "Command Prompt" into your computer's search bar and select "Run as administrator."
- Copy this command and paste it into the Command Prompt window:
cd %PROGRAMFILES(X86)%MicrosoftEdgeApplicationxxxInstaller
Notes: Replace the "xxx" with the version number of Microsoft Edge that you saved earlier. - Press "Enter" on your keyboard.
- Do the same with the following command:
setup.exe --uninstall --system-level --verbose-logging --force-uninstall - Press "Enter" again.
This command will immediately uninstall Microsoft Edge from your Windows 10. You won't even need to restart your device. However, even if you uninstalled Microsoft Edge, it may be automatically reinstalled with your next Windows 10 update. If you want to make sure that doesn't happen, here's what you should do:
- Go to the search bar in the lower left corner of your screen and type “Regedit”.
- Select "Run as administrator".
- Copy this code and paste it into the registry editor:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoft - Click on the “OK” button.
- Locate the Microsoft folder in Registry Editor and right click on it.
- Choose "New" from the context menu, then select the "Key" option.
- Give it the name "EdgeUpdate. "
- Right-click on the “EdgeUpdate” and choose “New” once again.
- Proceed to “DWORD (32-bit) Value. "
- Name the folder “DoNotUpdateToEdgeWithChromium”.
- Double click on the value.
- Under "Value data", enter "1"
- Select "OK".
Now that you have done this, Microsoft will be permanently removed from your Windows 10. Although this process may seem complicated, it will only take a few minutes if you follow all the steps in this guide.
How to uninstall Microsoft Edge on a Mac
Unlike Windows 10, uninstalling Microsoft Edge from your Mac is much easier and only takes you a few minutes. To learn how to do this, follow the steps below:
- Select the "Go" tab at the top of your screen.
- Choose "Applications" from the drop-down menu.
- Look for "Microsoft Edge" in the list of apps.
- Right-click the icon and navigate to "Move to Trash".
- Confirm that you want to uninstall Microsoft Edge.
Now that you have successfully removed Microsoft Edge from your Mac, remember to delete all cache and leftover data. Here's how to delete that old data:
- Choose the "Go" tab again, but this time select "Go to Folder" from the drop-down menu.
- Type “~/Library” in the search field of the new window.
- Select "Go".
- Find all folders connected to Microsoft Edge and right-click on them.
- Select "Move to Trash" for each of the folders.
Here are some of the folders that contain Microsoft Edge leftovers:
- Library/WebKit/
- Library/Application Help/
- Library/Registered Application Status/
- Library/Preferences/
- Library/Caches/
How to Uninstall Microsoft Edge and Reinstall
Some users prefer to uninstall and reinstall the browser. By doing this, it is possible that the web browser works much faster and no longer lags or crashes. In fact, by doing this you could also solve many other problems. First, we will see how you can uninstall Microsoft Edge from your device:
- Launch Microsoft Edge and navigate to the three dots in the upper right corner.
- Switch to "Help and feedback" from the drop-down menu.
- Choose the “About Microsoft Edge” option.
- Find the Microsoft Edge version number at the top of the page and save it somewhere.
- Open "Command Prompt" and select "Run as administrator".
- Copy this command and paste it into the Command Prompt window, but replace the "xxx" with the version number of Microsoft Edge:
cd %PROGRAMFILES(X86)%MicrosoftEdgeApplicationxxxInstaller - Press "Enter" on your keyboard.
- Copy and paste the following command:
setup.exe --uninstall --system-level --verbose-logging --force-uninstall - Press "Enter" again.
Now that you've uninstalled Microsoft Edge, let's see how you would reinstall it:
- Open your browser and head to the Microsoft Edge website.
- Scroll down to find your operating system. Microsoft Edge is available for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android devices.
- Click the "Download" button.
- Choose "Accept and download".
- Click on the “Close” button.
It is more or less that. Now that you have reinstalled Microsoft Edge on your device, you will need to authorize it to import data from your device again. You also have the option to import all your bookmarks and autofill data from Google Chrome.
Can you uninstall Microsoft Edge on an Xbox One?
One of the main reasons someone might want to uninstall Microsoft Edge from their Xbox One is that they just aren't using it. Another reason is that Microsoft Edge tends to lag behind this console. When using this browser, you may need to constantly restart the device or use a factory reset to get the browser working again.
However, Microsoft Edge is built into the system on the Xbox One console. Therefore, you cannot disable, remove, or block Microsoft Edge on your Xbox One. The only thing you can do is to block certain websites on your Xbox One console to make sure no one can access them. However, this option only allows you to block specific websites, not web browsers.
Remove Microsoft Edge from your device
Not everyone uses Microsoft Edge, and those who do may grow weary of its constant lag. Depending on the operating system you are using, uninstalling Microsoft Edge can be relatively simple or somewhat complicated. Nevertheless, if you follow the steps in this guide, you will be able to uninstall Microsoft Edge from your device in no time.
Have you ever uninstalled Microsoft Edge from your device? Why did you uninstall it and what method did you use? Let us know in the comments.