Internet Options in Microsoft Edge: How to Open & Set up

Windows 10 and 11 brought new changes, and one of the biggest ones was the introduction of a new browser.

Microsoft Edge works differently than Internet Explorer, so we’ll show you how to change Internet Options in Microsoft Edge.

This article covers all you need to know about Internet Options and general Settings in Microsoft Edge.

You could follow our guide to configure Edge proxy settings.

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Where do I find Internet Options in Microsoft Edge?

The Internet Options app can be used to control many Edge settings, but it is a different app from the Edge browser. And you will only be able to find it as an applet on your Windows OS.

However, you can change many browsing options using the Edge settings; we shall discuss this later in the article.

Do Internet Options affect Edge?

Internet Explorer and many other web browsers may be adjusted by altering Internet Options settings. Internet Explorer uses all these options, although other browsers, like Edge, don’t entirely depend on Internet Options for setup.

How can I change Internet Options in Microsoft Edge?

1. Modify the Microsoft Edge settings page

1. Launch Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the Menu icon in the top right corner and choose Settings from the menu.
   
   
3. When the Settings opens up, you can navigate to different Microsoft Internet Options and set them on the left panes.
   

Microsoft Edge is a successor to Internet Explorer, but unlike Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge is a Universal application, so it works a bit differently.

This makes changing Internet Options on Edge a bit different, but you should still be able to change them.

Most settings that you want to change are available in Internet Options and can be changed from Microsoft Edge.

Note: If Edge is already your default browser, then this option won’t be available to you.

2. Modify Microsoft Edge’s Appearance

1. Launch Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the Menu icon in the top right corner and choose Settings from the menu.
   
3. Click on Appearance on the left pane and select a mode on the right pane. You can choose between System default, Light, and Dark.
   

A quick experience feature from the Appearance menu is that you can choose quickly between dark or light theme for Edge.

3. Customize Edge’s Startup option

1. Press the Windows Key and type Microsoft Edge in the search bar.

2. Click on the result to launch Microsoft Edge.

3. Click the Menu icon in the top right corner and choose Settings from the menu.

4. Select the Start, home and new tabs option.

5. On the right pane you will be able to configure When Edge starts, Home buttons, and New tab page settings.

You can also easily customize Microsoft Edge’s startup options. Through settings, you can set up when you want Edge to start, if you want to show the home button on the toolbar, what pages you want to open when you launch the app and many more things.

Here you can also change which pages will open the next time you start Edge. You can choose between a regular start page, an empty tab, or specific pages.

There’s also an option to open previous pages during the last browsing session. This option is great because it allows you to continue browsing where you left off quickly.

The new tab page allows you to change how new tabs will look.

You can choose between 4 options, from a blank tab to a news-infused one or a custom setting where you can practically set your combination of information.

This Informational option is great if you want to have the latest news quickly accessible.

4. Clear the cache on Microsoft Edge

1. Launch Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the Menu icon in the top right corner and choose Settings from the menu.
   
3. Click on the Privacy and services option from the left-side menu, then click on the right Choose what to clear button.
   
4. This gives you a list of options to delete from your browser.
   

Like all other browsers, Edge stores cache on your computer to save specific website settings.

In Edge, there’s an option available that allows you to clear certain parts of the cache. If you want, you can also automatically enable the option to clear the cache whenever you close the browser.

Note: Another useful option is Send Do Not Track requests which will prevent tracking cookies from being downloaded.

5. Sync your Edge data across all Microsoft devices

1. Launch Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the Menu icon in the top right corner and choose Settings from the menu.
   
3. On the left pane, select Profiles, then select Sync from the right pane.
   
4. You will find a self-explanatory menu with all the data you can sync on all your Microsoft devices, including passwords, settings, and favorites.

Syncing is a big part of Windows 10 and 11, and Microsoft Edge allows you to sync your bookmarks and reading list easily to enjoy your favorite websites on any Microsoft device.

6. Change the download folder in Microsoft Edge

1. Launch Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the Menu icon in the top right corner and choose Settings from the menu.
   
3. You can set a new default download folder by clicking on the Downloads option from the left-side menu, then clicking on the Change button from the right.

In addition, you can enable the option to choose what to do with each download.

7. Customize the address bar and search engine

1. Launch Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the Menu icon in the top right corner and choose Settings from the menu.
   
3. Click on Privacy and services from the left-side menu, then click on the Address bar option from the right.
   
4. Finally, click on the box to the right of the search engine option and select the one you prefer.
   

If you’re concerned about malicious websites and downloads, you can also turn on the SmartScreen Filter option to protect you from malicious content.

As you can see from the screenshot below, Edge also has a Potentially Unwanted Apps (PUA) blocker that is activated by default.

How can I open Internet Options in Edge?

1. Press Windows Key + S and enter internet options.
2. Select Internet Options from the list of results.
   

Internet Explorer and many other web browsers can be configured by changing Internet Options settings.

Although Internet Explorer uses all of these settings, other browsers, including Edge, don’t wholly rely on Internet Options for configuration.

Before changing the Internet Options configuration, remember that some changes might not be applied to Microsoft Edge or any other third-party browser.

Once you open Internet Options, you’ll see several tabs available.

1. General tab

This option is in charge of startup settings, open tabs, and browsing history.

In addition, you can change the browser’s appearance right from here. Most settings in this tab are related to Internet Explorer, so they won’t affect Edge or other browsers.

2. Security tab

Here, you can change the security settings and create a list of trusted or blocked sites.

Although these settings affect Internet Explorer mostly, it’s possible to change a few Microsoft Edge security settings from here.

Under the Microsoft Edge Internet Options security tab, you can enable trusted sites. The Edge Internet Options trusted sites is an excellent way to whitelist sites that may be flagged for security reasons.

3. Privacy tab

This option is for changing your cookies settings or turning on the ability to block pop-ups. This tab is mainly related to Internet Explorer and won’t affect Microsoft Edge.

4. Content tab

The option is in charge of certificates and autocomplete settings. Also, here you will find an option for Feeds and Web Slices. This tab is mostly unrelated to Edge and only affects Internet Explorer.

5. Connections tab

This tab is related to third-party browsers. It allows you to add VPN or use a proxy with your browser. Changes made from the Connections tab affect your entire system, including other web browsers like Microsoft Edge.

6. Programs tab

Here you can change how you open links, allowing you to manage browser add-ons. These add-ons aren’t related to Edge extension and only affect Internet Explorer.

You can also choose a default HTML editor and other default programs, such as email client, from this tab. These are system-wide settings, affecting Microsoft Edge and other browsers.

7. Advanced tab

This option allows you to change all sorts of hidden settings for your browser.

The list of options mainly affects Internet Explorer, but you can also change a few Advanced Edge settings.

Note that you can access a lot of help for edge Settings by pasting the link below in your Microsoft Edge’s Address bar:

edge://settings/help

Also, note that in Windows 10, you can enable Internet Explorer settings in Edge, which is not available on Windows 11.

And that is about as much as you need to know about Internet Options and Microsoft edge settings.

If you have any additional questions, please leave them in the comments section below.