How to Use Favorites in Microsoft Edge: The Complete Guide

Favorites in Microsoft Edge let you quickly access your go-to websites. Whether you’re researching, reading, shopping, or working, saving pages as favorites means you don’t have to search for them again later. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about using Favorites in Edge—on both Edge for computers, iPhones, and Android devices.

What Are Favorites in Microsoft Edge?

Favorites are Edge’s version of bookmarks. They let you save any webpage and revisit it later with a click. Your favorites sync across devices if you’re signed in with a Microsoft account, making it easy to pick up where you left off.

How to Add a Page to Favorites in Edge

1. Open Microsoft Edge and navigate to the page you want to save.
2. Click the star icon in the address bar. It’s on the right side.
3. A small panel appears—choose a name for the favorite or leave the default.
4. Pick a folder if you’ve set any up, or leave it in the default folder.
5. Click Done.

You’ve just added a favorite. You can repeat this for any page you want to revisit later.

How to Access Your Favorites in Edge

1. Click the star icon with three horizontal lines (called the Favorites menu) on the toolbar.
2. A side panel opens showing all your saved favorites.
3. Click any link to open the site in a new tab.

Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+O to open the Favorites panel quickly.

How to Edit a Favorite in Edge

1. Open the Favorites menu.
2. Find the favorite you want to edit.
3. Right-click it and select Edit.
4. You can change the name, URL, or folder.
5. Click Save.

You can also drag and drop the favorite to a new folder right in the Favorites panel.

How to Delete a Favorite in Edge

1. Open the Favorites menu.
2. Right-click the favorite you want to remove.
3. Select Delete.

Deleted favorites are not recoverable unless you backed them up or synced them with a Microsoft account.

How to Organize Favorites into Folders

1. Open the Favorites panel.
2. Right-click in an empty space and select Create new folder.
3. Name the folder.
4. Drag favorites into the folder to group them.

You can also create folders when adding a favorite. In the panel that appears, click the drop-down and select Add new folder.

How to Search Favorites in Edge

1. Open the Favorites menu.
2. Use the search bar at the top to find saved items quickly.

This is helpful if you’ve saved a lot of pages and can’t remember where you filed something.

How to Sort and Rearrange Favorites

1. Open the Favorites panel.
2. Drag and drop entries to reorder them.
3. Right-click a folder or favorite to rename or move it.

There’s no auto-sort, but manual organization works well for most users.

How to Sync Favorites Across Devices

1. Click the three-dot menu in Edge.
2. Go to Settings > Profiles > Sync.
3. Make sure Favorites is toggled on.

Now your favorites will be available on any device where you’re signed in with the same Microsoft account.

How to Use the Favorites Bar

1. Click the three-dot menu > Settings > Appearance.
2. Toggle Show favorites bar to either:
   • Always
   • Only on new tabs
   • Never

Drag your most-used favorites to this bar for even faster access.

How to Import Favorites from Another Browser

1. Click the three-dot menu > Settings > Profiles > Import browser data.
2. Choose a browser and check Favorites or bookmarks.
3. Click Import.

This pulls in all saved favorites from other browsers like Chrome or Firefox.

How to Export Favorites

Edge doesn’t offer a direct export from the menu, but here’s a workaround:

1. Go to edge://favorites in the address bar.
2. Click the three-dot menu in the panel.
3. Choose Export favorites.

This saves a .html file you can import elsewhere.

How to Restore Deleted Favorites

If you’ve recently deleted a favorite and sync is enabled, there’s a chance it’s recoverable:

• Sign into your Microsoft account at https://account.microsoft.com
• Check if your favorites are listed under Edge sync
• If synced, try signing out and back in to reload from the cloud

How to Use Favorites in Edge on iPhone

Add a Page to Favorites

1. Open the Edge app and go to a site.
2. Tap the three-dot menu at the bottom.
3. Tap the star icon.
4. Choose a name and folder, then tap Save.

Access Favorites

1. Tap the menu icon.
2. Tap Favorites.
3. Browse or search your saved sites.

Edit or Delete Favorites

1. Go to the Favorites list.
2. Tap Edit.
3. Select an item to rename or delete.

Organize into Folders

1. In the Favorites list, tap New Folder.
2. Move items into folders by editing their location.

Favorites on iPhone also sync with Edge on your computer if you’re signed in.

How to Use Favorites in Edge on Android

Add a Page to Favorites

1. Open the Edge app and visit a page you want to save.
2. Tap the three-dot menu at the bottom or top (depending on your layout).
3. Tap the star icon.
4. Rename it if needed, pick a folder, and tap Save.

Access Favorites

1. Tap the three-dot menu.
2. Tap Favorites.
3. Browse through the folders or use the search bar at the top.

Edit or Delete Favorites

1. Open the Favorites menu.
2. Tap and hold the favorite you want to change.
3. Choose Edit to rename or move it, or Delete to remove it.

Organize Favorites into Folders

1. Inside the Favorites section, tap New Folder.
2. Drag or edit existing favorites to place them in folders.

Your Android favorites also sync with other devices when you’re signed into the same Microsoft account.

Advanced Tips for Using Favorites

Use keyword nicknames: Rename your favorites with short, memorable keywords so you can easily search and open them.

Pin folders to the Start menu (Windows only): You can right-click a folder in your Favorites and choose to open it as a new tab group or pin specific favorites as app-like tiles.

Use Edge Collections for more advanced needs: If you’re organizing notes or want to group webpages with comments and annotations, try using Collections in Edge. It works alongside Favorites but offers more flexibility.

Backup Favorites manually: Even if you sync, it’s smart to occasionally export your favorites as an HTML file from edge://favorites, just in case.

Use extensions for better management: Search the Edge Add-ons store for bookmark managers that can offer additional sorting, tagging, or backup features.

Organize by task or goal: Instead of categories like News or Social, consider grouping by actions—like Daily Read, Research Project, or Shopping List.

Declutter regularly: Set a reminder every month or quarter to delete outdated favorites, rename vague ones, and make sure your folders are still relevant.

Troubleshooting Favorites in Edge

Favorites not syncing:

• Go to Settings > Profiles > Sync and ensure Favorites is turned on.
• Try turning sync off and back on.
• Sign out and sign in again to refresh your sync status.

Missing Favorites after update:

• Visit edge://favorites to confirm if they’re truly gone.
• If you exported a backup before, import it again.
• Check other synced devices or Microsoft’s sync portal.

Can’t add a new favorite:

• Make sure you’re signed in.
• Restart Edge to refresh the browser state.
• Clear cache and cookies if problems persist.

Import/export options not working:

• Close all other browsers while importing.
• Try exporting from the edge://favorites page instead of the menu.

Summary

Microsoft Edge’s Favorites feature is more powerful than it first appears. With the right setup, you can save time, reduce clutter, and keep everything you need just a tap or click away. Whether you’re using Edge on your computer, iPhone, or Android device, Favorites help make browsing more efficient and personalized.

Questions? Ask them in the comments form below and I’ll do my best to get you an answer.

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