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Microsoft Edge is one of the rare browsers that offers both privacy and versatility. One such privacy feature automatically deletes any browsing data, including cookies and site data. That means you can leave a clean slate every time you quit and relaunch Edge, making it difficult for third-party cookies to track you across sessions and devices. And it’s customizable.
To start, click the three-dotted Menu button from the toolbar, and choose “Settings.” From the sidebar, go to the “Privacy, Search, and Services” section, and find “Choose what to clear every time you close the browser.”
Here, enable the data points you want to clear. You can choose between browsing history, download history, cookies, cached images, passwords, autofill data, and site permissions.
Once you select “Cookies and other site data,” you’ll see a new section called “Don’t clear.” If there’s a website where you do need to save cookies, such as a site you use regularly for work, you can click the “Add” button and add the website as an exception here. Now, the next time you quit Microsoft Edge, it will automatically clear and delete all the personal data that you have selected.
Other essential Microsoft Edge privacy options
While you’re in the Settings section, you should take some time to enhance the overall privacy and security of the app.
From the “Privacy, Search, and Services” section, make sure “Tracking Prevention” is enabled. Microsoft recommends the “Balanced” setting, but if you want to block majority of trackers and disable features like personalized ads, go to the “Strict” setting. When you do that, though, know some websites might not function properly. If that happens, you can go back to Tracking Prevention > Exceptions > Add a site to add the website to the whitelist.
