Microsoft Edge Tests Copilot-First New Tab Page With Two Sidebars

Microsoft appears to be testing a deeper Copilot-focused redesign in Microsoft Edge Canary. The changes affect the New Tab page layout, sidebar behavior, and parts of the Settings interface.

The update introduces an unusual layout where two different sidebars can appear on the New Tab page at the same time.

Copilot now dominates the New Tab page. The New Tab page opens directly into a large Copilot prompt that asks users what they want to do. Search and feed content no longer take center stage.

Copilot now acts as the main interaction surface. This places it at the starting point for browsing.

A new Copilot sidebar appears on the left

Edge now shows a Copilot-specific sidebar on the left side of the New Tab page.

When expanded, this sidebar displays sections such as Discover, Imagine, Labs, Pages, and Conversations. The layout closely mirrors the Copilot experience on copilot.microsoft.com rather than a traditional browser sidebar.

A “Close sidebar” control collapses this interface back to a minimal Copilot button.

In the collapsed state, hovering over the Copilot icon shows a tooltip that reads “Go to Copilot home page.” The hover action does not open anything yet. Clicking just below the icon restores the expanded sidebar instead.

The traditional Edge sidebar remains on the right

Edge continues to show its existing sidebar on the right side of the New Tab page.

This right-side sidebar behaves as it did before and remains separate from the Copilot sidebar on the left. As a result, the New Tab page can display two sidebars at once.

The two sidebars do not interact with each other. Edge treats them as separate UI systems.

Settings pages also follow a new layout

Microsoft is also testing a visual change in Edge Settings.

The main Settings content now appears in the center of the page, while the navigation menu stays on the left. This layout appears across sections such as Profiles and Privacy, search, and services.

The change affects presentation rather than controls. As a result, Settings feels more balanced and less left-heavy.

Taken together, these changes show Edge moving toward a Copilot-first layout. Copilot now acts as a dedicated workspace rather than a feature layered on top of the browser.

Microsoft has not announced these changes publicly, and the design may still change before it reaches stable versions.