Microsoft Edge Users Furious Over Removal of Collections and Sidebar Apps

Microsoft Edge users are pushing back after Microsoft decided to retire two productivity features many considered key reasons to use the browser: Collections and Sidebar apps.

According to Neowin, the backlash focuses on a familiar complaint: Microsoft appears willing to remove practical user tools while keeping Copilot heavily promoted inside Edge.

Collections Is Being Phased Out

Collections allowed users to organize links, notes, ideas, and research directly inside Edge. For many, it worked better than bookmarks because it offered a more visual and flexible way to group content.

Microsoft has suggested Favorites as an alternative, but users argue that bookmarks do not replace Collections. They lack the same visual layout, research workflow, and quick organization features.

Sidebar Apps Are Also Going Away

Microsoft is also retiring the Sidebar app list, which allowed users to pin web apps and tools directly inside the Edge sidebar.

The feature was especially useful for multitasking, research, messaging, email, and enterprise workflows. Microsoft says the change will help “simplify” Edge, but users are not convinced.

New sidebar apps can no longer be added, and existing apps will eventually disappear. However, Microsoft confirmed that Copilot will remain unaffected.

Copilot Backlash Keeps Growing

That detail has frustrated users the most. Many argue that Microsoft is removing features people actively used while preserving the AI tools it wants to promote.

The criticism also fits a wider pattern. Microsoft recently faced complaints over a floating Copilot button in Excel, which some users described as intrusive and difficult to disable.

For Edge users, the problem is not just feature removal. It is the feeling that Microsoft is stripping away unique browser tools while turning Edge into another Copilot-first product.