How to show the Favorites bar in Microsoft Edge: 4 ways

By default, in the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge, you can only see the Favorites bar when you open a New tab. However, if you’d like to view the Favorites bar in Edge all the time or get rid of it altogether, there are several methods you can use. This guide illustrates how to show the Favorites bar in Microsoft Edge in four different ways, so you can quickly access the websites you visit frequently:

Contents

1. First things first: How to add a website to the Microsoft Edge Favorites bar
2. 1. How to show the Favorites bar in Edge using a keyboard shortcut
3. 2. How to enable the Edge Favorites bar from its right-click menu
4. 3. How to display the Favorites bar in Edge from the Favorites menu
5. 4. How to show the Microsoft Edge Favorites bar from the browser’s Settings
6. How many sites do you store in the Edge Favorites bar?

First things first: How to add a website to the Microsoft Edge Favorites bar

The Edge Favorites bar is located at the top of the screen, under the address bar. If there are any websites you want to keep on hand, it’s easy to add them to the Microsoft Edge bookmarks or Favorites. To begin, open Microsoft Edge and visit the website you want to add. Then, click or tap on the “Add this page to favorites” button in the address bar (it looks like a star next to a plus sign) or press Ctrl + D on your keyboard.

Add a page to the Microsoft Edge Favorites

A window pops up, where you can rename the favorite and change the folder where it’s saved. Then, click or tap on Done.

Press Done to finish adding the website to Favorites

The star icon turns blue, indicating that the website is added to the Microsoft Edge Favorites. However, the bar is nowhere to be found. Open a new tab by pressing Ctrl + T on your keyboard, and you can see the new bookmark in the Edge Favorites bar.

The site is added to your Microsoft Edge bookmarks

When you access a website, the Favorites bar is set by default to automatically disappear, thus making more room for its contents. However, if you want to permanently display the Favorites bar in Edge or if you’d rather hide it for good, keep reading to find the most convenient way to change this setting.

TIP: If you find yourself in need of a page several times a day, you might want to consider setting it as your homepage in Microsoft Edge instead. Alternatively, you can also pin a website to the taskbar or the Start Menu in Windows 10.

1. How to show the Favorites bar in Edge using a keyboard shortcut

The fastest way to permanently enable or disable the Microsoft Edge Favorites bar is by simultaneously pressing Ctrl + Shift + B on your keyboard.

Press the keys at the same time to toggle the Favorites bar

Using this shortcut after opening a New tab, when the Edge Favorites bar is visible, hides it for good. However, if you already accessed a website, press the keyboard shortcut to always display the Favorites bar in Edge.

NOTE: Unfortunately, this method doesn’t let you return the bar to its default setting of showing up Only on new tabs, so check out the other options in this guide as well.

2. How to enable the Edge Favorites bar from its right-click menu

The Favorites bar comes with its own contextual menu. First, open a new tab to view the Favorites bar in Edge. Then, right-click or press-and-hold on the bar to open a contextual menu. Finally, go to “Show favorites bar” and click or tap on the setting you want for the Microsoft Edge Favorites bar.

Show the Favorites bar in Edge from its contextual menu

TIP: If you want, you can take your bookmarks with you by syncing your Microsoft Edge Favorites.

3. How to display the Favorites bar in Edge from the Favorites menu

You can also use the Favorites flyout to show or hide the Edge Favorites bar. To begin, press Ctrl + Shift + O on your keyboard or click/tap on the Favorites icon to open a list of your saved Microsoft Edge bookmarks.

Access the Microsoft Edge Favorites

Press on More options (...) from the flyout, and then click or tap on “Show favorites bar.”

Press Show favorites bar from More options

This opens the “Show favorites bar” pop-up, where you can choose to display the feature Always, Never, or Only on new tabs.

Choose when you want to view the Favorites bar in Edge

TIP: If you’re into customizing your browser, you might also be interested in enabling and disabling Dark Mode in Microsoft Edge.

4. How to show the Microsoft Edge Favorites bar from the browser’s Settings

There’s another method to see the Edge Favorites bar at all times, display it on new tabs, or completely hide it. Click or tap the “Settings and more” (...) button in the top-right corner and access Settings.

Access the Microsoft Edge Settings

From the panel on the left, tap on Appearance - if you can’t see the panel, first, maximize the window or click or tap on the hamburger button on the top-left, next to Settings. On the right side, in the Customize toolbar section, you can find the “Show favorites bar” option. Click or tap on the dropdown menu next to it and choose how often you want to see the Edge Favorites bar.

Display the Favorites bar in Edge from the browser's Settings

TIP: A faster way to open the Customize toolbar section is by right-clicking or pressing-and-holding on “Settings and more” (...) and then accessing the only available option.

Another way to reach the Customize toolbar Settings

How many sites do you store in the Edge Favorites bar?

We like the new Microsoft Edge, even if we didn’t add many entries to its Favorites bar. Before you close this guide, we’d like to know how many websites are stored in your Favorites bar. Do you have a long list of web pages organized in folders, or just a few sites you visit frequently? Comment below, and let’s discuss.