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To create another Microsoft Edge profile, open Edge, select the Profile icon in the upper-right corner, choose Set up a new profile, select Personal or Work or school, then choose whether to sign in and sync data or start without your data. Select Confirm and start browsing; Edge opens the new profile in a separate window.
This guide explains what each choice does, how to control synchronization, switch or remove profiles, and when Guest browsing is safer for a temporary session.
What an Edge profile does
An Edge profile is a separate browser workspace. Microsoft describes profiles as a way to keep browser settings, bookmarks, extensions, themes, and other preferences apart. You can use one profile for personal browsing and another for work or school without mixing their saved browser data.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesProfiles are created inside Edge, so you do not need a second browser installation. The profile window has its own settings and browsing context. If you sign in and enable synchronization, selected data can also follow that profile to other devices. If you start without your data, the profile can remain local until you later choose to sign in.
A profile is not the same as a separate Windows or macOS user account. It helps organize Edge data, but it does not guarantee privacy from another person who can use the same operating-system account or unlock the same device. Microsoft’s privacy guidance covers controls for passwords, autofill, payment information, and synced data: Your Microsoft account, your data, your choices.
How to create a new Microsoft Edge profile
These are Microsoft’s documented menu labels. The exact sign-in screen can vary with your account and the option you select.
- Open Microsoft Edge.
- Select the Profile icon in the upper-right corner of the browser window.
- Select Set up a new profile.
- Choose Personal or Work or school. Choose the category that matches the account and browsing purpose for this profile.
- Choose one of the two setup paths: Sign in to sync data or Start without your data.
- Select Confirm and start browsing.
Edge then opens the new profile in a separate Edge window. The original profile window remains available, so you can keep both workspaces open and move between them.
Microsoft’s full instructions are available in Sign in and create multiple profiles in Microsoft Edge.
Which account type should you choose?
Personal is intended for an individual Microsoft account and personal browsing. Work or school is intended for an organization or education account. The choice helps Edge present the appropriate account and sign-in experience; it does not by itself force you to sign in.
If your organization manages the device or account, available sign-in and synchronization behavior may differ. Follow the choices Edge presents rather than assuming every account will show identical prompts.
Rank #2
Sign in to sync data or start without data?
The most important decision during setup is whether this profile should be linked to an account and synchronized across devices.
| Setup choice | What happens | Best fit | Important consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sign in to sync data | You authenticate an account and can synchronize the categories enabled for that profile. | People who want the same Edge data on more than one device. | Review the sync categories before relying on them, and remember that deleting synced data can affect other signed-in devices. |
| Start without your data | The profile is created without importing or synchronizing account-linked browser data during setup. | A separate local workspace, a quick test profile, or a profile you are not ready to connect to an account. | Data in this profile will not automatically appear on your other devices through account sync. |
Starting without data does not prevent you from creating the profile. It simply avoids the sign-in-and-sync path at that point. The account and synchronization experience can depend on your account context, so read each prompt before confirming.
What stays separate between profiles
Each profile can have its own:
- Favorites (bookmarks)
- Browsing history
- Saved passwords
- Extensions
- Browser settings
- Themes and appearance preferences
- Open tabs and autofill information when those categories are synchronized
Separation means an extension installed in one profile is not automatically installed in another, and a favorite saved in one profile does not normally appear in the other. If you sign both profiles into the same account or deliberately move data between them, that separation can change.
Downloads are saved to your device’s file system, not hidden inside a profile boundary. Likewise, websites, files, and notifications may remain visible to anyone who can use the same device. Use an operating-system account with its own sign-in when you need user-level privacy.
Control synchronization after the profile is created
You can choose which categories Edge synchronizes instead of accepting every available category.
- Open the profile you want to configure.
- Open the Edge menu and select Settings.
- In Settings, open Profiles, then select Sync.
- Toggle individual sync features on or off.
Microsoft documents this path and the available controls in Change and customize sync settings in Microsoft Edge.
Depending on the account and options shown, synchronized browser data can include favorites, browsing history, saved passwords, settings, extensions, open tabs, and autofill information. Microsoft’s cross-device guidance explains these categories in Sign in to sync Microsoft Edge across devices.
A practical way to choose categories
- Favorites: Enable this when you want the same bookmarks on your other devices.
- Passwords: Enable only if you are comfortable storing and making those credentials available through the signed-in account on your devices.
- History and open tabs: Useful for continuing research or work, but turn them off if you want less activity shared between devices.
- Extensions and settings: Helpful when you want a consistent setup; disable them if a device needs a different set of add-ons.
- Autofill: Review this separately if the device is shared or if you do not want addresses and form data replicated.
Check the sync status in the profile you are using. If you have more than one Edge profile, configure each profile separately; changing one profile does not automatically change the others.
Switch between Edge profiles
- In the current Edge window, select the Profile icon in the upper-right corner.
- Select the profile you want to use.
Edge opens the selected profile in a new window. Keeping profile windows visually distinct, such as by using different themes, can reduce the chance of entering work information into a personal account, although themes are only an aid and not a security boundary.
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If you cannot find the expected profile, open the Profile menu and check the list of profiles shown there. A profile created in another operating-system account or another Edge installation will not necessarily appear in the current account’s profile list.
Remove an Edge profile safely
Removing a profile deletes that profile from the current Edge installation. Before doing so, decide whether any favorites, passwords, or other data need to be retained or exported through the account or device policies available to you.
- Open the profile you want to remove.
- Select the Profile icon.
- Select Profile settings.
- Under More profiles, find the profile you want to delete.
- Select the delete button beside it.
- Confirm with Remove profile.
Take special care when the profile is signed in and syncing. Microsoft warns that deleting data while signed in and syncing can remove that data from synced devices. Check your sync state and the intended data scope before deleting anything. The cross-device explanation is in Microsoft’s sync guidance.
Removing a profile is different from merely closing its window. Closing the window leaves the profile available in the Profile menu; the removal path deletes the profile from that Edge installation.
Use Guest browsing for a temporary session
For a one-time session, use Edge’s guest option instead of creating a persistent profile:
- Select the Profile icon.
- Select Browse as guest.
Microsoft describes guest browsing as not saving history or data. It is suited to a temporary visit on a shared computer when you do not want to create another named profile. Guest browsing is not a substitute for a separate operating-system account, and it should not be treated as a guarantee that websites, downloads, network administrators, or the device owner cannot observe activity.
Persistent profile or guest session?
| Need | Use | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Separate work and personal bookmarks, extensions, and settings over time | Named Edge profile | The profile remains available and can optionally sync. |
| Use a second account on multiple devices | Named profile with sign-in and selected sync categories | Account-linked data can follow the profile where enabled. |
| Brief browsing on someone else’s computer | Browse as guest | Microsoft says guest browsing does not save history or data. |
| Local testing without account linkage | Named profile with Start without your data | The profile is persistent but starts without account-linked data. |
Common setup problems and how to handle them
“Set up a new profile” is not visible
Open the Profile icon menu rather than the three-dot browser menu. The profile creation command is located in the Profile menu. If the menu still does not show it, inspect the profiles already listed and the account context currently active; the available experience can vary with account settings.
You expected bookmarks or passwords but the new profile is empty
That is normal when you choose Start without your data, or when the relevant sync categories are disabled. Open Settings > Profiles > Sync in that profile and review the individual toggles. Sign-in alone does not mean every category is enabled.
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The new profile opens, but data appears on another device unexpectedly
Check whether the profile is signed in and which categories are enabled under Settings > Profiles > Sync. A synchronized category is intended to be available on signed-in devices. If you do not want that behavior, turn off the category before adding or deleting more data.
You removed data and it disappeared elsewhere
When synchronization is active, deletion can propagate to other synced devices. Stop and verify the sync configuration before making further changes. If the data is important, use any organization-approved backup or export process before deleting the profile.
You cannot tell which profile a window uses
Select the Profile icon in that window to identify the active profile. Assigning different themes or profile pictures can help visually, but always verify the account shown before entering passwords, sending messages, or saving work information.
Recommended profile setups
Personal and work on one computer
- Create a profile from the Profile menu.
- Choose Work or school for the organization account and Sign in to sync data only if your organization permits it.
- Keep personal browsing in a separate Personal profile.
- Review sync categories in each profile instead of assuming they match.
This arrangement separates favorites, extensions, themes, and settings inside Edge. It does not separate files, operating-system notifications, or access to the device itself.
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Creating a named profile can prevent everyday bookmark and extension conflicts, but it is not a substitute for a separate device login. Do not enable password or autofill synchronization unless the account and device are controlled by the person who should access that information.
A temporary research or testing workspace
Choose Start without your data when you want a persistent workspace that is not linked to account sync. For a session that should disappear from Edge after use, choose Browse as guest instead.
Quick Recap
Privacy and account-safety checklist
- Confirm the profile name and account before saving passwords or payment information.
- Open Settings > Profiles > Sync and disable categories you do not want replicated.
- Remember that synchronization can include sensitive information such as passwords, autofill data, history, and open tabs when enabled.
- Before removing a profile, determine whether it is signed in and syncing.
- Do not assume a profile hides downloads, network activity, or device-level notifications from other users or administrators.
- Use Guest browsing for a short, temporary session rather than creating and later deleting a profile unnecessarily.
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