Microsoft Edge Settings redesign breaks Clear Browsing Data shortcut

Microsoft has recently started rolling out a redesigned settings interface in the Edge browser. However, this redesign has introduced some changes that users need to be aware of, particularly when it comes to using “Ctrl+Shift+Del” shortcut to “clear browsing data”.

In the old design of Microsoft Edge Settings, pressing Ctrl+Shift+Del would directly open the “Delete browsing data” dialog, allowing users to quickly delete their browsing history, cookies, cached images, and other data. This was a convenient shortcut for users who frequently needed to clear their browsing data.

With the new settings design, pressing the shortcut no longer opens the “Delete browsing data” dialog directly. Instead, it opens the Profiles settings page with the search field focused. This page includes ” Tops Settings” for clearing browsing data, managing cookies, customizing themes, and setting download locations, but users now need to take additional steps to access the “Clear browsing data” dialog.

Accessing the Clear Browsing Data Dialog

To access the “Delete browsing data” dialog in the new settings interface, follow these steps:

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Del to open the “Profiles” page.
2. On the right pane, under Top settings, click “Clear browsing data”.

Or

1. Click on the menu, select Settings, and then select Privacy, search, and services.
2. Click the Clear browsing data section.
3. Click Choose what to clear.

The above steps are more tiring than the Ctrl+Shift+Del shortcut that directly opened the dialog, which made it easier to remove what you wanted after choosing.

Related to Edge, Microsoft is testing a new Live Capture feature in the Screenshot tool and a redesigned Add-ons Store. Additionally, Microsoft Edge could get a Reflow feature to view PDF content on Android without needing to zoom.