Microsoft Removes Edge Sidebar App List and Collections Starting With Version 149
Microsoft will pull the sidebar app list and Collections feature from its Edge browser beginning with version 149, set to Roll Out next week, as the company strips back tools it considers redundant.
Users running the current stable release, Edge 148, already see a warning when they tap the “+” button on the sidebar: “We’re simplifying Microsoft Edge. Starting with Edge 149, the sidebar app list will be retired.”
Microsoft has also blocked users from pinning new apps to the sidebar in the stable build. Any apps already pinned will continue to work until version 149 ships.
The Collections feature — a built-in tool that lets users save and organise web content — faces the same fate. A settings-level notice in Edge 148 confirms Collections will disappear in the same update.
What Edge Canary Shows
Edge Canary, the early preview channel currently running version 150, shows what the finished removal looks like.
The sidebar and its app list are already gone from the right-hand side of the browser. The “Sidebar” section inside Settings > Appearance — which previously let users toggle the panel to always-on, auto-hide, or off — no longer exists.
Collections has also been fully stripped. Its toolbar shortcut, settings toggle, and “More tools” menu entry have all been removed.
What Replaces Them
Microsoft’s official support page says the retirement will roll out gradually across upcoming updates.
The company expects users to reach services such as WhatsApp or Instagram directly through the web. Built-in Edge tools like Drop — a file and note-sharing feature tied to a user’s Microsoft account — remain available through the toolbar.
Copilot, Microsoft’s AI assistant embedded in Edge, is not affected. “Copilot is not affected by this change, and we’re continuing to improve and enhance it,” the company said.
Timeline
Edge moves through a rapid release cycle, with stable versions incrementing roughly every four weeks. Version 148 is the current stable release, placing version 149’s arrival within days.
Microsoft introduced the Edge sidebar in 2022 as a way to surface web apps and built-in tools without leaving the browser window. Collections, which launched in 2019, allowed users to gather links, images, and notes into named groups — a function some used as a lightweight research organiser.
