Microsoft Edge Test removes "Allow extensions from other stores" toggle for Chrome Web Store extensions

Microsoft is known for aggressive Edge promotion inside Windows and Bing. The company now drops (or is testing the removal of) the “Allow extensions from other stores” toggle in Edge Canary. This control manages access to Chrome Web Store extensions inside Edge.

For years, Edge displayed this toggle on the Extensions page to show users they could install add-ons from outside sources. The switch conveyed that Chrome Web Store extensions were supported.

Microsoft Edge Canary drops the “Allow extensions from other stores” setting

In the latest Canary version, the toggle no longer appears. Users can still visit the Chrome Web Store and install extensions without issue, but the visible control has vanished, and Microsoft has not explained why.

An important detail exists behind this setting. When the toggle is off and someone tries to install a Chrome Web Store extension, Edge shows a “Allow extensions from other Stores” warning: “Microsoft does not verify extensions installed from third-party stores. To get extensions verified by Microsoft, go to the Microsoft Edge Add-ons website.”

Users can click “Allow” to enable the toggle and proceed, and the warning does not appear again. This makes the toggle a crucial setting that requires explicit user approval before Edge accepts extensions from third-party stores.

Edge still includes a small link at the bottom of the Extensions page that says users can also get add-ons from the Chrome Web Store, but the main control that explains this choice is no longer visible.

One reason for this removal could be a simple interface clean-up. The link to the Chrome Web Store remains, and Microsoft may view the toggle as an extra step for most users.

Another view points to the long rivalry between Microsoft and Google. Edge depends on the Chrome Web Store’s large extension catalog to stay useful, but Microsoft wants growth for its own store. The removal of this setting may act as a quiet nudge toward Microsoft’s store.

For now, nothing blocks Chrome Web Store installs in Canary. The change is present in the interface and may still trigger the “Allow” prompt if the underlying logic remains active when someone tries to install an extension from the Chrome Web Store.

The question remains. Edge supports outside extensions, but the toggle that made this clear does not.

Related to this story, Microsoft Edge will block malicious sideloaded extensions. Microsoft is also retiring the Edge sidebar app list and has fixed long context menus. Edge now tests an allowlist for website typo protection.