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The reliable way to customize Microsoft Edge toolbar buttons is through Settings and more (…) > Settings > Appearance. From there you can review the toolbar layout and any button controls exposed by your installed Edge version. The Favorites bar and Home button use separate settings, while extension icons are managed from the Extensions area.
Use Edge’s settings instead of hunting for hidden toolbar commands
Edge does not require an add-on or a physical accessory to change its built-in toolbar controls. Open the Settings and more (…) menu in the upper-right corner, select Settings, and then choose Appearance. This is the main place to inspect toolbar layout and button options.
The exact controls are not identical in every Edge installation. Microsoft changes the interface gradually, and some appearance options can differ by Edge version. Treat the labels visible in your own browser as authoritative rather than following an old screenshot literally. If a guide names a switch that you cannot see, first look through the current Appearance page and then check whether Edge has installed a newer interface update.
- Open Edge and select Settings and more (…).
- Select Settings.
- In the settings navigation, open Appearance.
- Review the toolbar-related sections and change only the controls you actually need.
- Return to a normal tab and verify the result; some changes are easiest to judge with a page open rather than on the settings screen.
Appearance is the starting point, not a promise that every individual icon can be independently pinned, moved, or hidden. Edge exposes the options supported by that particular release. This distinction matters when you are trying to reproduce a layout shown in documentation written for another version.
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Choose how the Favorites bar is displayed
The Favorites bar is the row where saved links can remain visible below the address bar. Its display setting is under Settings and more (…) > Settings > Appearance > Toolbar. Under Favorites bar, Microsoft documents three choices:
| Setting | What you see | Best fit | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Always | The Favorites bar remains visible while you browse ordinary pages. | You open saved links repeatedly and want one-click access without opening a menu. | It uses a permanent strip of vertical space. |
| Only on new tabs | The bar appears on new tab pages but is not kept on regular sites. | You want quick access when starting a browsing session but prefer a cleaner page while reading. | You cannot rely on the bar while viewing an already-open website. |
| Never | The Favorites bar is removed from view. | You rarely use saved links or want the most open toolbar area. | Accessing favorites requires another route, such as the browser’s favorites controls. |
Change the Favorites bar setting
- Open Settings and more (…).
- Choose Settings, then Appearance.
- Scroll to the Toolbar section.
- Find Favorites bar and select Always, Never, or Only on new tabs.
- Open a regular website and a new tab to confirm that the behavior matches your choice.
Use Always when the bar is part of your daily workflow, such as opening the same work systems or reference pages many times a day. Select Only on new tabs when you want those links at the beginning of a session but do not want the bar competing with page content afterward. Never is the cleanest choice when you do not depend on visible favorites.
These options control visibility, not whether your saved favorites still exist. Changing the display mode does not describe a deletion of saved links; it changes where the bar is shown.
Show and configure the Home button
The Home button is separate from the Favorites bar. To add it to the toolbar, open Settings and more (…) > Settings > Start, home, and new tab page. Turn on Show home button on the toolbar.
Select what Home opens
After enabling the switch, Edge lets you choose the destination. You can have Home open the new tab page, or enter a specific URL for the page you want to use as Home. The choice is useful when your starting page and your new-tab experience serve different purposes.
- Open the Settings and more (…) menu.
- Select Settings.
- Open Start, home, and new tab page.
- Enable Show home button on the toolbar.
- Choose the new tab page or enter the URL for the page Home should open.
- Select the Home icon beside the address bar to test the destination.
If the icon is missing after you change the setting, return to the same page and confirm that the switch remains enabled. A version change can also alter where the control appears, so compare the current label in your Edge settings rather than relying on the position of an icon from an older image.
Find, pin, disable, or remove extension controls
Extension controls are handled differently from the built-in Home and Favorites settings. In Microsoft’s documented interface, the Extensions entry is beside the address bar. Select it to see extension controls. If that entry is not visible, open Settings and more (…) > Extensions.
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Open the extension manager
- Select the Extensions entry beside the address bar, or open Settings and more (…) > Extensions.
- Choose Manage extensions to open the list of installed extensions.
- Review the extension controls shown for each installed item.
Turn an extension off temporarily
In Manage extensions, locate the extension and switch it off. Disabling is appropriate when you are troubleshooting a page, testing whether an extension affects browsing, or simply want its toolbar control inactive without removing the extension.
Remove an extension completely
- Open the extension’s context menu or its More actions menu.
- Select Remove from Microsoft Edge.
- Confirm the removal when Edge asks.
Removing an extension is different from hiding its icon. If you may need the extension later, use its enable/disable control instead of the removal command. If the goal is only to reduce visible icons, inspect the extension controls first and avoid deleting an extension merely because its button is not where you expect.
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When an extension control seems to have disappeared, open the Extensions area before assuming the extension was uninstalled. The icon may no longer be surfaced beside the address bar even though the extension remains installed and manageable.
Understand what “toolbar buttons” can mean in Edge
People often use “toolbar buttons” to describe three different things: built-in controls such as Home, the Favorites bar itself, and icons supplied by extensions. They do not share one universal switch.
| What you want to change | Where to look | What the setting controls |
|---|---|---|
| General toolbar layout or available built-in buttons | Settings and more (…) > Settings > Appearance | The appearance and toolbar choices exposed by your installed Edge version. |
| Favorites bar visibility | Appearance > Toolbar > Favorites bar | Whether the bar is always shown, never shown, or shown only on new tabs. |
| Home icon and destination | Start, home, and new tab page | Whether Home appears and whether it opens the new tab page or a URL you enter. |
| Extension icons and availability | Extensions or Manage extensions | Extension management, including turning an extension off or removing it. |
This separation prevents a common mistake: looking for the Home switch under Toolbar, or trying to fix a missing extension icon with the Favorites bar setting. Start with the function you want, then use its own settings location.
Build a toolbar that fits the way you browse
If you use saved links throughout the day
Set the Favorites bar to Always. This keeps frequently used links available while you move between sites. The cost is a permanent row beneath the address bar, so use this mode only when the saved-link access is worth that space.
If you want a clean reading area but still use favorites at the start
Choose Only on new tabs. You get the bar when opening a new tab and lose it on ordinary pages, which balances discoverability with less visual clutter.
If you almost never use the bar
Choose Never. This removes the persistent strip from view. Keep in mind that this is a visibility decision; it is not a reason to remove extensions or change the Home destination.
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Enable the Home button and enter that page’s URL. The Home icon then gives you a consistent route back to the destination, while your new tab page can remain a separate experience if that is how you prefer to browse.
If a toolbar icon belongs to an extension
Use the Extensions entry and then Manage extensions. Check whether the extension is enabled before removing it. This workflow preserves the extension when you only need to temporarily stop its behavior.
When your Edge screen does not match these instructions
Edge interface changes can be released gradually. Two people may therefore see different wording, grouping, or icon placement even when both are using Edge. Some options also vary by version.
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- Start from Settings and more (…). Even when an icon moves, the settings menu remains the dependable entry point for Appearance, Home, and Extensions.
- Use the exact labels visible in your installation. Do not substitute a similarly named switch from an older guide.
- Search within Settings for the feature name. Terms such as “Favorites bar,” “home button,” “toolbar,” and “extensions” can help you locate the current section when navigation wording has changed.
- Check whether Edge is up to date. A pending update can account for differences between current documentation and an older interface.
- Test on both a regular page and a new tab. This is particularly important for the three Favorites bar modes, because “Only on new tabs” intentionally behaves differently in those two contexts.
If a documented option is completely absent, do not assume that another control will produce the same result. Microsoft notes that available appearance options can differ by Edge version. Use the controls your installation exposes and avoid promising a button-level customization that your release does not provide.
A quick verification checklist
After making changes, verify each function independently rather than judging the whole toolbar at once:
- Open the Appearance page and confirm the intended toolbar setting is still selected.
- For the Favorites bar, check one ordinary website and one new tab.
- For Home, select the Home icon and confirm that it opens the new tab page or the URL you entered.
- For an extension, open Extensions, enter Manage extensions, and confirm whether it is enabled or disabled.
- If you removed an extension, use its More actions or context menu confirmation as the final check rather than relying only on the missing icon.
Keeping these checks separate makes it easier to identify the actual cause of a mismatch. A missing Favorites bar is a display-mode choice; a missing Home icon is an enablement or version issue; an absent extension icon belongs in the Extensions workflow.
Common mistakes to avoid
Looking for every control on the Appearance page
Appearance is the correct starting point for toolbar layout, but Microsoft does not guarantee a fixed list of individual button toggles for every Edge version. If a control is not listed, do not infer that it is hidden behind an unrelated setting.
Confusing the Favorites bar with Favorites data
The Favorites bar choices describe where the bar is displayed. They should not be treated as a command to delete saved links. Select the mode that fits your access needs, then verify the bar on the page types relevant to that mode.
Removing an extension to hide one icon
Removal is permanent for that installation until you add the extension again. Use Manage extensions and its enable/disable control when the problem is temporary or when you may need the extension later.
Following an old screenshot exactly
Gradual visual updates mean that an older screenshot may show a different arrangement. Follow the current menu names in your browser and treat screenshots as orientation only.
What you can and cannot customize from these settings
You can select the documented Favorites bar display mode, expose the Home button and choose its destination, and manage extension controls. You can also inspect whatever toolbar-layout choices your Edge version presents under Appearance.
You cannot assume that every release offers the same collection of one-click toggles or that every extension icon will remain in the same position. Edge’s version-dependent interface determines which additional layout controls are available. When a desired button is not listed, the practical next step is to check for an updated Edge interface and use the closest supported setting rather than installing an unrelated utility.
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- Open Settings and more (…) > Settings > Appearance and inspect the toolbar choices provided by your version.
- Set the Favorites bar to Always, Only on new tabs, or Never according to how often you use saved links.
- Open Start, home, and new tab page, enable the Home button if you need it, and select its destination.
- Open Extensions and then Manage extensions to disable extensions you are testing or remove ones you no longer need.
- Test the result on a normal website and a new tab, then revisit the relevant section if one control behaves differently from what you intended.
This sequence keeps independent controls independent: Appearance for the general toolbar, Toolbar for the Favorites bar, Start/home settings for Home, and Extensions for add-on icons.
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