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To enable Microsoft Edge’s enhanced security mode, open Settings and more (the three-dot menu), choose Settings, select Privacy, search, and services, then open Security. Turn on Enhance your security on the web and choose Balanced or Strict. Balanced is Microsoft’s recommended choice for most people; Strict protects every site by default but can interfere with normal web tasks.
What enhanced security mode is
Enhanced security is an Edge browser setting designed to reduce exposure to certain memory-related vulnerabilities. It does this by disabling just-in-time (JIT) JavaScript compilation and enabling additional operating-system protections for the browser, including Hardware-enforced Stack Protection and Arbitrary Code Guard (ACG).
Edge also adapts how aggressively it applies these protections. With the default Balanced mode, sites you visit infrequently or that Edge considers unfamiliar receive the additional protections, while frequently visited sites are generally left out so that ordinary browsing remains compatible. Strict mode applies the protections to all visited sites by default.
This is a browser-hardening control, not a general privacy switch. It does not replace Edge’s tracking prevention or Microsoft Defender SmartScreen. Tracking prevention limits trackers, while SmartScreen helps identify malicious websites and downloads. Those features have separate settings and continue to operate independently.
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Check your prerequisites and current state
- Use a current consumer installation of Microsoft Edge. Microsoft does not publish a single version number for this setting in its consumer instructions, and labels can change as Edge updates.
- Open Edge’s own Settings page rather than a Windows security panel. The control is located inside Edge.
- Check the switch before changing anything. Microsoft says enhanced security may already be enabled for some users as the feature continues to roll out and undergo development and testing.
- If the browser is managed by an employer, school, or another organization, an administrator policy may control the switch, the available modes, or site exceptions.
- There is no special hardware requirement, extension, subscription, or separate security product to install. The setting is built into Edge.
If your screen uses slightly different wording, search Edge Settings for enhance your security. A managed browser can show a locked switch, a policy notice, or fewer choices than a personal installation.
Turn on enhanced security in Edge
- Open Microsoft Edge.
- Select Settings and more, represented by the three-dot button in the upper-right corner.
- Select Settings.
- In the Settings sidebar, select Privacy, search, and services.
- Scroll to the Security section.
- Find Enhance your security on the web and turn the switch on.
- Choose a browsing mode: Balanced or Strict.
The mode choice takes effect in Edge; you do not need to install an extension or buy hardware. If the switch was already on, selecting or changing the mode is the only action required.
After choosing a mode, open a few sites that matter to you and test the actions you normally perform. Check sign-in, file uploads, video playback, payment forms, and business or school applications rather than assuming that a page’s home screen tells you everything works.
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The two modes use the same underlying protection mechanisms but differ in how broadly Edge applies them. Use the comparison below before selecting a mode.
| Mode | Sites protected by default | Compatibility expectation | Exception-management burden | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced | Unfamiliar sites and sites you visit infrequently. Frequently visited sites are generally excluded. | Microsoft says most sites should work as expected. | Usually low; add an exception only when a particular site needs a different treatment. | Most personal users who want additional protection without changing every site. |
| Strict | All sites by default. | Some site features or ordinary web tasks may not work as expected. | Higher; you may need to configure exceptions for sites that fail. | Users who prefer maximum browser hardening and can troubleshoot compatibility. |
Why Balanced is the normal starting point
Balanced concentrates the extra defenses where Edge has less familiarity with a site, while avoiding unnecessary changes to sites you use regularly. Microsoft labels it as recommended and says most websites should continue to work normally. Select it if you want enhanced security but depend on web applications for everyday work, banking, school, shopping, or communications.
Balanced is not the same as turning protection off for all familiar sites forever. Edge adapts to browsing habits, and an unfamiliar or rarely visited domain can still receive the stronger treatment. The result is a compromise between broader protection and fewer interruptions.
When Strict makes sense
Strict is appropriate when applying the protections to every site matters more than seamless compatibility. It can be useful on a secondary browser profile, a high-risk browsing profile, or a device where you are willing to maintain site-specific exceptions. Microsoft explicitly warns that Strict is not recommended for most users because completing daily tasks can require configuration.
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Strict does not mean that every site will fail, nor does it guarantee protection against every threat. It changes Edge’s execution defenses; SmartScreen, tracking prevention, operating-system updates, account security, and safe browsing habits remain separate parts of your security setup.
A practical selection rule
- Choose Balanced if you want a set-and-forget setting.
- Choose Strict if you accept that some sites may need individual exceptions and you know how to reverse an exception.
- If you are unsure, start with Balanced, verify the sites you rely on, and move to Strict only after deciding that occasional troubleshooting is acceptable.
- If several essential sites need exceptions under Strict, Balanced is likely the more practical global choice.
What changes inside the browser
JIT JavaScript compilation is disabled
Modern websites often execute JavaScript. JIT compilation turns frequently executed JavaScript into optimized machine code while a page runs. Enhanced security disables this compilation path, reducing one class of attack surface associated with memory corruption. Pages can still run JavaScript; the change is how Edge processes it.
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Because sites can be built around different JavaScript engines, scripts, and frameworks, the visible effect varies. Many pages will look and behave normally, while a complex web application may expose a problem in a sign-in flow, editor, upload control, video component, or payment step. That is why testing a site’s important workflow is more useful than checking only whether its front page loads.
Additional operating-system defenses are enabled
Microsoft describes two additional protections in this feature. Hardware-enforced Stack Protection helps detect certain attempts to divert normal program control flow. Arbitrary Code Guard (ACG) restricts how executable code can be created or modified in protected processes. Together with the JIT change, these measures are intended to make memory-based exploitation more difficult.
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These are implementation protections inside the browser and operating system. They are not a promise that a site is trustworthy, a replacement for malware protection, or a guarantee that an exploit is impossible. Keep Edge and the operating system updated and continue to treat unexpected downloads, links, and sign-in prompts cautiously.
Edge adapts to browsing habits
In Balanced mode, Edge evaluates familiarity and visit frequency rather than applying the same treatment to every domain. A site you rarely visit can receive the stronger settings even if a frequently used site does not. This adaptive behavior is why the same mode can appear to behave differently across sites.
Do not infer that a site is unsafe merely because the Added security indicator appears. The indicator reflects Edge’s security treatment for that site, not a reputation verdict. Conversely, the absence of the indicator is not a safety rating; it means only that the site-level enhanced-security control is not being shown or applied in that context.
Fix a site that stops working correctly
Strict mode can expose compatibility problems, and an individual site can occasionally behave differently under enhanced security. Do not immediately disable the feature for every site. First identify whether the problem is limited to one domain.
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Change the setting from the address bar
- Open the affected site in Edge.
- Look beside the address bar for the Added security indicator.
- Select Added security to open the site’s security information.
- Find Use enhanced security for this site.
- Switch the setting off if the site needs compatibility, or on if you want to force enhanced security for that site.
- Reload the page and retry the failed action. Some applications also require signing out and back in after a reload.
Turning enhanced security off for a site adds that domain to an exception list. The exception affects that site rather than changing the global mode for every other domain.
Use an exception only for the narrow site scope that needs it. If a service uses separate sign-in, content, or payment domains, check which domain shows the failure before adding entries. Avoid creating a broad exception for an entire category of sites when one domain is enough.
Manage all exceptions centrally
- Open Settings and more and select Settings.
- Choose Privacy, search, and services.
- Scroll to Security.
- Open Site preferences for enhanced security.
- Review the site lists and add or remove domains as needed.
The lists let you specify sites that should always apply enhanced security and sites that should never apply it. Use the narrowest exception that solves the problem. If a site later updates and works normally, remove its exception so it benefits from the global mode again.
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Keep a short record of why an exception exists, especially on a work or family computer. An exception can outlive the compatibility issue that created it, and an old entry can silently reduce protection for a site long after its software has changed.
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- Confirm that the problem occurs only in Edge and only on the affected site.
- Reload the page and retry the specific feature, such as sign-in, file upload, video playback, or a payment form.
- Test a private window or a fresh profile to rule out stale cookies, extensions, or cached scripts.
- Check whether the failure disappears when the site’s enhanced-security setting is temporarily changed.
- If changing the site setting does not help, restore it and investigate the site, an extension, network filtering, or the site’s own outage instead of keeping a broad security exception.
Verify that the protection is enabled
Return to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Security and confirm that Enhance your security on the web remains on. Confirm the selected mode as well. For a site-level check, open the site and inspect the Added security indicator; its site information panel shows whether enhanced security is being used for that domain.
Verification matters because a site exception can override your global choice. A browser update, profile change, synchronization setting, or organization policy can also make the visible state different from what you expected.
Check both levels after troubleshooting: the global mode tells you the default behavior, while the site-preference list tells you whether a particular domain is being forced into or out of enhanced security. If the two appear inconsistent, remove a stale exception or check whether the browser is managed.
Enhanced security versus other Edge protections
| Feature | Primary purpose | Where it differs |
|---|---|---|
| Enhance your security on the web | Hardens browser execution against some memory-related attacks by disabling JIT compilation and enabling additional operating-system protections. | Controls browser code-execution defenses and site-specific exceptions. |
| Tracking prevention | Limits trackers that can follow activity across websites. | Controls privacy and tracking behavior, not the browser’s JIT or operating-system protections. |
| SmartScreen | Helps identify malicious websites and downloads. | Focuses on reputation and threat detection, not the enhanced-security mode’s execution mitigations. |
Turning on one of these features does not automatically configure the others. Review each feature separately if you are building a broader Edge security setup. Enhanced security also does not replace strong account passwords, multifactor authentication, operating-system updates, or caution with downloads.
Troubleshooting common problems
The switch or mode options are missing
Make sure you are in Edge’s Privacy, search, and services > Security page, not a similarly named Windows setting. Install available Edge updates and reopen the browser. If the device is managed, an organization policy may hide or lock the control. In that case, only the administrator can change the policy or permit exceptions.
The switch is already on
Do not turn it off simply because you did not enable it yourself. Microsoft says the feature can be enabled by default for some users during ongoing development and testing. Review the selected mode and the site-preference lists instead.
A work application fails after selecting Strict
Use the address-bar procedure to test an exception for that one application. If the exception restores the required function, keep the global protection enabled and document the affected domain. If several essential applications fail, Strict may impose too much daily configuration; change the global mode to Balanced and remove unnecessary exceptions.
A site remains broken after its exception is changed
Reload completely, close and reopen the tab, and retry the operation. Then test without extensions or with a clean profile. If the site still fails, the cause may be unrelated to enhanced security, such as a browser compatibility defect, an expired session, blocked third-party content, a network filter, or an outage on the site.
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The indicator is not visible
The Added security indicator is relevant when Edge is applying or offering enhanced security for the current site. If it is absent, use the central Site preferences for enhanced security page to inspect the domain’s exception status and confirm the global mode.
Changing the setting seems to do nothing
Reload the affected tab after changing a site preference; an already-running page may not immediately reflect the new treatment. For an application with a persistent session, sign out and sign in again. If the behavior remains unchanged, test a fresh profile and check extensions or network controls before assuming the browser setting is responsible.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Managed devices, updates, and changing labels
Microsoft’s consumer instructions do not provide a universal platform-by-platform compatibility matrix or a fixed Edge version for this feature. Exact labels, availability, and policy behavior can change as Edge updates. Managed environments can impose settings that differ from an unmanaged personal installation.
If you are documenting the procedure for an organization, first check the installed Edge version and the applicable browser policies. Take screenshots only after confirming the current labels on the target device. A policy-controlled browser may show the setting but prevent changes, or it may apply a mode without allowing users to create exceptions.
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How to turn the feature off
If you need to disable enhanced security globally, return to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Security and turn off Enhance your security on the web. A site-specific exception is preferable when only one website has a compatibility problem because it preserves the protection for other sites. On a managed device, the global switch may be unavailable or may turn back on after policy refresh.
Turning the global switch off does not uninstall anything and does not remove the separate tracking-prevention or SmartScreen settings. If you later turn enhanced security back on, review the mode and existing site lists rather than assuming every previous exception has disappeared.
Recommended setup for most readers
- Open the Security section and confirm the global switch is on.
- Select Balanced unless you have a specific reason to protect every site by default.
- Visit the sites you rely on and test sign-in, uploads, payments, video, and other essential workflows.
- If one site fails, use its Added security panel rather than disabling the feature everywhere.
- Review the central exception list periodically and remove entries that are no longer needed.
This setup gives most people the protection Microsoft intends without requiring constant site-by-site maintenance. Move to Strict when you have a clear security reason and are prepared to handle compatibility issues deliberately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where exactly is the enhanced security setting in Edge?
Open Settings and more > Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Security. Turn on Enhance your security on the web, then select Balanced or Strict.
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Which mode should most people choose?
Choose Balanced. Microsoft labels it recommended, applies extra protection to unfamiliar or infrequently visited sites, and says most sites should work as expected. Strict protects all sites by default but may require exceptions.
Does Strict mode block JavaScript?
No. Enhanced security disables just-in-time JavaScript compilation, but pages can still run JavaScript. The change affects how Edge processes code and can cause compatibility problems for some web applications.
What should I do if one website stops working?
Select the Added security indicator beside the address bar, open the site information, and change Use enhanced security for this site. Reload and retry. This creates a site-specific exception instead of disabling protection globally.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsCan I manage exceptions without opening the affected site?
Yes. Go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Security > Site preferences for enhanced security. There you can review sites that always apply or never apply enhanced security.
Is enhanced security the same as SmartScreen or tracking prevention?
No. Enhanced security hardens browser code execution. SmartScreen helps identify malicious websites and downloads, while tracking prevention limits trackers. Each feature has separate controls.
Does turning on enhanced security cost anything or require hardware?
No. It is a built-in Edge setting. Microsoft’s instructions identify no required purchase, accessory, extension, or subscription.
Why is the switch already on when I did not enable it?
Microsoft says some users may see enhanced security enabled as the feature undergoes ongoing development and testing. Check the selected mode and site exceptions before changing the global switch.
Can an employer or school control this setting?
Yes. Managed-device policies can control whether the setting is available, which mode is used, and whether users can create exceptions. Contact the administrator if the control is locked or keeps changing.
Should I turn enhanced security off for every site if one site fails?
Usually not. First test a site-specific exception. Keeping the global setting on preserves protection for other sites. Remove the exception later if the site begins working normally.
The Bottom Line
In Edge, go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Security, turn on Enhance your security on the web, and start with Balanced. Use Strict only if you accept possible compatibility work, and handle individual failures with the site’s Added security exception rather than disabling protection everywhere.
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