When you sign in to Microsoft Edge using your Microsoft account, the browser automatically starts syncing your data — bookmarks, passwords, browsing history, extensions, and even payment methods. While this feature is convenient, it also means your private information is stored on Microsoft’s servers and may sync across all devices using the same account.
If you value privacy and prefer to keep your browser data stored locally on your computer, you can turn off sync in Microsoft Edge and prevent it from sharing your activity across devices or Windows features. In this detailed article, we’ll explore what syncing really does, why you might want to disable it, and the exact steps to stop it completely — including a few hidden settings many users miss.
1. Understanding Microsoft Edge Sync 🧩
Let’s start with the basics. When you sign in to Microsoft Edge with your Microsoft account (often the same account used for Windows login), the browser automatically activates sync.
Syncing means your browser saves and transfers data like:
- Favorites and bookmarks
- Saved passwords
- Autofill information (names, emails, phone numbers, addresses)
- Browser history
- Extensions and apps
- Open tabs
- Payment methods from Microsoft Wallet
This allows seamless browsing between devices — for example, your saved password on your PC becomes instantly available on your phone. While it’s handy, it also means your private browsing information lives on Microsoft’s cloud servers.
If you share your computer, manage sensitive data, or simply prefer more control over your privacy, disabling sync is a smart move.
2. Why You Might Want to Turn Off Sync 🔒
Before we jump into the settings, it’s worth understanding why you may want to do this. Turning off sync doesn’t just “unconnect” your browser — it helps you regain control over where and how your information is stored.
Here are a few reasons why users choose to disable Microsoft Edge sync:
- Privacy concerns: You don’t want your browsing activity stored on remote Microsoft servers.
- Local control: You prefer all your bookmarks, passwords, and settings to stay on one device only.
- Shared computers: You use a shared PC and don’t want others to access your saved credentials.
- Work environment: You’re using a work or public system where personal sync isn’t allowed.
- Reduced data collection: Disabling sync also stops automatic data sharing with other Windows features.
Now that you understand why this matters, let’s go through the detailed steps.
3. Step 1: Open Microsoft Edge Settings ⚙️
First things first — you’ll need to access Edge’s settings menu.
- Open Microsoft Edge on your computer.
- Click the three-dot menu (⋯) in the top-right corner.
- Choose Settings from the dropdown list.
This opens the full settings panel, where you can manage everything from privacy and appearance to profiles and sync options.
💡 Tip: You can also type
edge://settings/in the address bar and hit Enter to open settings directly.
4. Step 2: Check Your Sync Settings 🧭
Once you’re in the Settings page, look at the left-hand panel and click Profiles.
Here, you’ll see your signed-in Microsoft account (it shows your name or email ID). Beneath that, there’s an option labeled Sync.
Click on Sync to view what data is currently being synchronized. You’ll see categories such as:
- Favorites
- Settings
- Personal info
- Passwords
- History
- Open tabs
- Extensions
- Apps
- Payment and Wallet info
At this point, Edge will show whether sync is On or Off at the top of the window.
If you’re signed in with your Microsoft account, it’s usually On by default.
5. Step 3: Turn Off All Sync Options 🛑
Now that you’re inside the Sync menu, let’s disable everything.
- Under the “Sync” section, toggle off each category — Favorites, Settings, Passwords, History, Open Tabs, Extensions, Apps, Payment Info, etc.
- After turning them all off, you may still notice that the top status says Sync is on. Don’t worry — that’s because you’re still signed in.
Turning off sync options stops active syncing, but your account is still linked. To fully disable synchronization, you’ll need to sign out or remove your Edge profile, which we’ll do next.
6. Step 4: Sign Out or Delete Your Profile 👤
This is the most effective way to completely stop Edge from syncing your information.
Here’s how:
- Go back to Settings → Profiles.
- You’ll see your Microsoft account listed at the top.
- Click Sign out or Remove profile (depending on your Edge version).
⚠️ Important Note:
Removing the profile from Microsoft Edge will not delete your Microsoft account. It only removes your local browsing profile and disconnects the sync link between your browser and Microsoft’s servers.
Once you sign out, Edge will revert to a local profile. This means it won’t store or send your personal information to the cloud.
7. Step 5: Disable Auto Sign-In and Linked Windows Features 🪟
Even after you remove your Edge profile, Windows may try to automatically sign you back in. Let’s prevent that too.
- In Settings → Profiles, scroll down to Profile Preferences.
- Find the option Automatically sign in to Microsoft Edge with your Windows account (wording may vary slightly).
- Toggle this option Off.
This stops Edge from automatically reconnecting your Microsoft ID when you open the browser.
Now you have a truly disconnected profile — Edge will no longer attempt to sync data unless you manually sign in again.
8. Step 6: Stop Edge from Sharing Data with Windows 🧱
Even with sync turned off, there’s one more setting that can still leak your activity — “Share browsing data with other Windows features.”
This setting allows Windows components such as Cortana, Windows Search, or task integration to access your Edge browsing data. If you value privacy, it’s best to disable this too.
Here’s how:
- Go back to Settings → Profiles.
- Scroll down and click on Share browsing data with other Windows features.
- Toggle this option Off.
Now your browsing history, open tabs, and activity will no longer be shared with Windows features or other Microsoft apps.
9. Step 7: Clear Browsing Data (Optional but Recommended) 🧹
You’ve successfully turned off sync and stopped Edge from sharing data. But what about the information that’s already been stored?
Let’s do a quick cleanup.
- In Settings, go to Privacy, Search, and Services.
- Scroll down to Clear browsing data.
- Click Choose what to clear.
- Select Browsing history, Download history, Cookies, Cached images and files, and Passwords (optional if you have them saved elsewhere).
- Choose a time range — All time is recommended.
- Click Clear now.
You can also enable “Clear browsing data on exit” so that Edge automatically wipes temporary files every time you close it. This ensures that no data remains on your system after each session.
10. Additional Tips for Privacy-Focused Users 🔐
If you want to go one step further and strengthen your privacy beyond just turning off sync, here are a few extra tips:
- Use a local Windows account instead of a Microsoft account to prevent automatic sign-in.
- Disable personalized ads in your Microsoft Privacy Dashboard at https://account.microsoft.com/privacy.
- Use tracking prevention: Go to Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Tracking prevention, and set it to Strict.
- Manage permissions: Under Site permissions, review access for camera, microphone, location, and notifications.
- Switch to InPrivate browsing for sessions you don’t want stored locally.
These steps together help ensure that your data stays under your control.
11. Frequently Asked Questions (Q&A) 💬
Q1: Will turning off sync delete my Microsoft account?
No. It only disconnects your Edge profile from syncing with your Microsoft account. Your account itself remains safe.
Q2: Can I still use bookmarks or passwords locally after turning off sync?
Yes. All your data remains stored locally on your computer — it just won’t be uploaded or shared to other devices.
Q3: Do I need to repeat this process on every device?
Yes. Sync is configured per device. If you use Edge on multiple PCs or phones, disable sync on each one separately.
Q4: Does turning off sync make Edge faster?
In some cases, yes. Without background synchronization, the browser can use slightly fewer system resources and start faster.
Q5: What if I want to turn sync back on later?
You can always go to Settings → Profiles → Sign in again, and re-enable sync for the categories you want.
12. Conclusion and Final Thoughts 🧠
We’ve now covered everything you need to know to stop Microsoft Edge from syncing your personal data.
By signing out of your profile, disabling sync options, and turning off related Windows data-sharing features, you’ve effectively isolated your browser activity to your local device.
To recap:
- Turn off all sync options.
- Sign out or delete your Edge profile.
- Disable automatic sign-in.
- Turn off data sharing with Windows.
- Optionally, clear existing browsing data.
Following these steps ensures your passwords, history, and activity never leave your computer — giving you a clean, private, and secure browsing environment.
Privacy doesn’t have to be complicated; it just requires a few extra clicks and awareness of where your data goes.
If you’d like to learn more about Microsoft Edge’s privacy controls, you can visit Microsoft’s official support page:
👉 https://support.microsoft.com/microsoft-edge
Disclaimer:
This article is for educational purposes only. The procedures explained are based on Microsoft Edge’s official settings and may vary slightly depending on your version. Always back up important data before deleting profiles or clearing stored information.
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