Working with Edge

Microsoft Edge is the recommended browser for many University activities because it works closely with Microsoft 365 and the tools staff use every day, including Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

You can use other browsers for general web browsing, but Edge gives a more consistent experience when working with University Microsoft 365 services, especially when opening links, accessing files, using SharePoint sites, and signing in with your University account.

Using Edge can help you:

• Access Microsoft 365 apps and services more smoothly
• Keep University browsing separate from personal browsing by using your University profile
• Sync favourites and other supported browser settings across devices, where enabled
• Open and work with SharePoint, OneDrive and Teams files more consistently
• Use built-in tools such as Immersive Reader, Read aloud, tab groups, Workspaces and Split screen
• Follow University guidance more easily, as support instructions are usually based on Edge

For the best experience, sign in to Edge with your University account and make sure you are using the correct browser profile when accessing University services.

Edge profiles help keep your browser activity connected to the correct account. This is useful if you have a personal Microsoft account, a previous workplace account, or guest access to another organisation.

Before accessing University Microsoft 365 services, check that you are using your University account in Edge.

To sign into your profile:

1. Open Microsoft Edge, and select your profile icon in the top-right corner of the browser.
2. Check which account is currently signed in. If your University account is not shown, select Sign in.
3. Enter your University email address, password and complete multi-factor authentication if prompted.

If University pages, files or Teams links are opening under the wrong account, return to your profile icon and switch to your University profile under other profiles. 

Setting Edge as your default browser means web links open in Edge automatically. This can help provide a consistent experience when opening Microsoft 365 links, Teams meeting links, SharePoint pages, OneDrive files and University guidance.

To set Edge as the default browser:

1. In Microsoft Edge, select the Settings and more option (...) in the top-right corner, and choose Settings.
2. Select default browsers from the left navigation menu.
3. Within the Make Microsoft Edge your default browser section, click Make default.
4. This will redirect you to the Windows settings page. Click Set default next to Microsoft Edge.

Note: some University-managed devices may already have the default browser set.

Favourites let you save pages that you use regularly, so you can return to them quickly. This can be useful for MyPort pages, SharePoint sites, Microsoft 365 apps, department resources, forms, systems and frequently used guidance.

To create a favourite:

1. In Microsoft Edge, open the web page you want to save.
2. At the top of the page, select the add this page to favourites button (star icon), within the address bar. This sits at the end of the URL.
3. Choose a name and folder, then select Done.

Note: you can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + D to save the current tab as a favourite.

It can be helpful to create a folder structure for your favourites, for easier navigation later. To create a folder:

1. Select the favourites button (star with 3 lines) at the top of the browser. 
2. Select the Add folder icon (folder with plus) and choose a name. 
3. When finished, select Enter or Return on your keyboard.

It can be helpful to ensure that you have clear folder names, to help with navigating. Useful folder names might include Teaching, Student support, Research, Finance, Microsoft 365, SharePoint sites, MyPort guidance or Department resources.

The Favourites button and the favourites bar are two separate things in Microsoft Edge. The Favourites button appears on the toolbar and opens your favourites menu. The favourites bar appears below the address bar and shows saved favourite links and folders directly in the browser window.

To show or hide favourites:

1. In Microsoft Edge, select the Settings and more option (...) in the top-right corner, and choose Settings.
2. Select Appearance from the left navigation menu, then choose Toolbar. 
3. To amend the the favourites button settings, find Favourites and toggle the switch on or off.
4. To amend the favourites bar settings, find the option then choose one of the following settings:
   • Always to keep the favourites bar visible.
   • Never to hide it entirely.
   • Only on new tabs to show it only when opening a new tab.

Note: you can also press Ctrl + Shift + B to show or hide the favourites bar.

Pinned tabs stay at the start of your tab row and take up less space. This is useful for pages you keep open throughout the day, such as Outlook, Calendar, Teams, MyPort or a key departmental site.

To pin a tab:

1. Open the web page you want to pin.
2. Right-click on the tab, and select Pin tab.
3. This will move a minimised version of the tab to the front of the list.

To unpin a tab:

1. Right-click the pinned tab.
2. Select Unpin tab.

Pinned tabs are useful for daily pages. If you are organising a larger piece of work with multiple related pages, consider using tab groups or Workspaces instead.

Tab groups let you keep related pages together while you work. Instead of having lots of separate tabs open, you can place them into a named group, such as Project work, Today’s training or Student enquiry. This makes it easier to switch between tasks, keep your browser tidy, and collapse pages you are not currently using.

To create a tab group:

1. At the top of the browser, right-click on a tab and select Add tab to a new group.
2. Give the group a name. It may suggest one for you. You can also choose a colour.
3. To add another tab to the group, right-click the tab.
4. Select Add tab to group. Choose the group you want to add it to from the drop down menu.
5. You can also click and drag new into the tab group. This also works for reorganising within the group.
6. Select the group title to expand and collapse.

Vertical tabs move your tabs from the top of the browser horizontally to a panel on the side vertically. This can make it easier to work with lots of tabs because page titles are often easier to read vertically.

To enable vertical tabs:

1. At the top left of the Edge browser, select the Tab actions menu (downward arrow).
2. Select Turn on vertical tabs.

To return to horizontal tabs:

1. Select the Tab actions menu again.
2. Select the option to turn off vertical tabs.

• You can choose to pin or unpin the menu by choosing the pin icon at the top.
• If unpinned, the menu will only be expanded when your mouse hovers over the area. 
• If pinned, you can click and drag the edge of the menu to resize it to your need.

Search within a page helps you quickly find a word or phrase on a long webpage. This is useful for guidance pages, policy documents, FAQs, search results and online forms.

To search within a page:

1. Open the page you want to search.
2. On your keyboard press Ctrl + F.
3. Type the word or phrase you want to find.
4. Use the on-screen arrows to move between results.
5. Press Esc to close the search box.

Microsoft is retiring Collections in Microsoft Edge. From Edge version 145, released on 12 February 2026, you can no longer create new Collections or add new items to existing Collections.

Collections was a feature in Edge that allowed you to save and organise webpages, images, notes and ideas while browsing.

Existing Collections will remain available for now, but Microsoft has not currently published a full retirement date. When you open the Collections window in Edge, you will be given options to move saved webpages to Favourites or export your Collections data as a downloadable CSV file.

For more information and advise on what to do next, see the official Microsoft guidance:

Organize your ideas with Collections in Microsoft Edge

Workspaces let you save a set of related tabs in a separate Edge window so you can come back to them later. They are useful when you regularly work across the same group of pages, such as SharePoint sites, documents, systems and guidance pages for a specific task or project.

They are best used as a personal organisation tool. Unlike tab groups, they help you return to a saved working area, rather than just grouping tabs you currently have open. You could use workspaces for: a training session you are preparing, a paper you are researching, related end of year spreadsheets you are working on and much more.

To create a workspace:

1. from the top-right corner, select the workspaces icon (three stacked squares).
2. Select New workspace.
3. You can then choose to create a workspace with the tabs already open in your browser or start a blank workspace.
4. Once selected, type the name and choose a theme. This will change the colour of the toolbar at the top of the browser.
5. You can now add any required tabs to the new browser window.

To open a new workspace:

1. Select the workspaces icon and choose the workspace you want to access.
2. This will open the browser window with the same tabs, in the same order as you left it.

Split screen lets you view two Edge web pages side-by-side in one browser window. You could use this to read instructions while completing an online form, or to check information in one tab while writing in another.

To use Split screen:

1. Within Edge, open the first web page that you want to view.
2. From the top-right corner, select the Split screen icon (rectangle separated by a line).
3. Choose the second page or tab you want to show beside the first page. You can select from already opened tabs or search for a new page.
4. Drag the divider between the two pages to adjust the size of each side.
5. When finished, select the Split screen button again.

Microsoft Edge has a built-in screenshot tool that lets you capture, annotate and share images of web pages without needing separate tools or specialist software.

To take a screenshot in Edge:

1. In the top-right corner, select Settings and more (...), then choose Screenshot.
2. You will have three options:

• Capture area: select a specific area of the web page to capture.
• Capture screen area: select an area of the screen to capture. You can then add shapes, annotate, blur information or copy/save the image.
• Capture full page: capture the full web page, including content that is not currently visible on screen. You can then add shapes, annotate, blur information or copy/save the image.

Note: you can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + S to open the Screenshot tool.

Avoid including sensitive information in screenshots unless it is required for support. This includes passwords, personal information, student records, confidential emails or restricted documents.

Drop lets you send quick notes, links and files to yourself through the Microsoft Edge sidebar. It is intended for moving small pieces of information between devices where you are signed in to Edge, such as sending a link from your laptop so you can open it later on another device.

It should be used as a personal transfer tool, not as a place to store files or collaborate with others.

To open Drop on desktop:

1. In the top-right corner, select Settings and more (...), choose More tools, then Drop. A sidebar window will appear. 
2. You can add a note, link or file into the chat section.
3. Open Edge on another signed-in device to access the item.

To open Drop on mobile: 

1. In the Edge app, select More options (hamburger menu) in the bottom-right corner.
2. From the list of options, swipe right and choose All Menu, then Drop.
3. You can now add a note, link or file into the chat section.
4. Open Edge on another signed-in device to access the item.

Note: for University work, use approved University storage and sharing tools wherever possible. OneDrive, Teams and Google Shared Drives should be used for University files, shared documents and information that needs to be stored, managed or accessed by others.

Do not use Drop for confidential, sensitive or restricted University information.

You can use the Microsoft Edge address bar to search for University of Portsmouth Microsoft 365 content you have access to. This can help you find documents, SharePoint pages, Forms, Teams files or other work content without needing to know exactly where it is saved.

To use the advanced searching features:

1. In the Edge address bar, type a keyword, file name, app name or topic.
2. Review and select from the suggested results.

To search more widely across University Microsoft 365 content:

1. From the search results, select Search University of Portsmouth or Search work, depending on the option shown.
2. Microsoft 365 Copilot search will open in office.com.
3. Use the filters, such as Files, Sites, People, News or Messages, to narrow your results.

Note: this can be useful when you are looking for a document, SharePoint page, form, Teams file or other Microsoft 365 content but are not sure exactly where it is stored. You will only see results for content you have permission to access.

Immersive Reader simplifies supported webpages by reducing visual clutter and focusing on the main text. This can make long pages easier to read and can support staff who prefer a cleaner reading view.

To access Reader Mode:

1. Open the web page you want to view.
2. In the address bar, select the More actions button (...) and choose Immersive Reader. This appears at the end of the URL.
3. If the more actions button is not available, or you can see an A symbol, you can open Reader Mode by adding read: at the beginning of the URL.

Available Reader Mode features: 

• Read aloud: reads the text on the page out loud using text-to-speech. This can be helpful if you prefer listening, want to check written content, or need support with reading longer pages. 
• Translate: translates the page text into another language, where available.
• Summarise: uses Copilot to create a short summary of the page content, helping you understand the main points more quickly.
• Explain: uses Copilot to break down the content in a simpler way. This can help with complex information, unfamiliar terms or longer sections of text.
• Chat with Copilot: opens Copilot chat so you can ask questions about the page content, request clarification, or ask for key points to be pulled out.
• Settings: lets you change how the page looks, including the font, text size, column width and page theme. This can make the page easier to read or more comfortable to view.

Note: Immersive Reader is not available on every webpage. If the icon does not appear, the page may not support Reader mode.

An InPrivate window is a separate browsing window that does not save your browsing history, cookies, site data, cached files or form information after all InPrivate windows are closed.

To open an InPrivate window in Edge:

1. In the top-right corner, select Settings and more (...), then choose New InPrivate window. You can also press Ctrl + Shift + N.
2. You may want to use InPrivate browsing to:

• Test whether a website works without existing cookies or cached data.
• Check access to a page without using your current browser session.
• Sign into a different account temporarily.
• Open a page without saving it to your normal browsing history.

InPrivate browsing is not fully private or anonymous. Your activity may still be visible to websites, the University and your internet service provider. It also does not remove files you download or favourites you save.

Browsing data includes things like your history, cookies, cached files, saved passwords and form information. Clearing it can help fix website loading or sign-in issues. 

Before clearing your browsing data, check whether sync is turned on. If sync is on, some data may also be cleared across other devices where you use the same Microsoft Edge profile.

To clear your browsing history:

1. Click the Settings and more option (...) in the top-right corner, and choose Settings.
2. Select Privacy, search and services from the left navigation menu. 
3. At the top, select the clear browsing data button. 
4. Use the Time range drop-down menu to choose how much data you want to clear.
5. Decide data you want to clear by checking the relevant boxes (for example, browsing history, download history, cookies, cache etc).
6. When chosen, select Clear now.

Note: You can also use the keyboard short Ctrl + H to open History.

Pages visited in an InPrivate window will not appear in your normal browsing history after the InPrivate window is closed.

Dark mode changes the Edge browser interface to a darker appearance. This may be more comfortable in low-light environments or if you prefer a less bright interface.

To enable dark mode:

1. In the top-right corner, select Settings and more (...), then choose Settings.

2. Select Appearance from the left navigation menu.

3. Next to Overall appearance, select Dark.

Note: dark mode changes the browser interface. It may not change every website you visit, as individual websites control their own page design.

Edge can save and autofill passwords, which may make signing in quicker. You should only use this where it is appropriate and always follow University password and cyber security guidance.

To view or manage saved passwords:

1. In the top-right corner, select Settings and more (...), then choose Settings.
2. Select Passwords and autofill from the left navigation menu.
3. Select Microsoft Password Manager.
4. This displays a list of all saved passwords within Edge. To review a password, select the site and enter your University password. You can view account name, the password and also add any relevant notes.

Note: do not save passwords on shared devices.

An InPrivate window is a separate browsing window that does not save your browsing history, cookies, site data, cached files or form information after all InPrivate windows are closed.

To open an InPrivate window in Edge:

1. In the top-right corner, select Settings and more (...), then choose New InPrivate window. You can also press Ctrl + Shift + N.
2. You may want to use InPrivate browsing to:

• Test whether a website works without existing cookies or cached data.
• Check access to a page without using your current browser session.
• Sign into a different account temporarily.
• Open a page without saving it to your normal browsing history.

InPrivate browsing is not fully private or anonymous. Your activity may still be visible to websites, the University and your internet service provider. It also does not remove files you download or favourites you save.

Browsing data includes things like your history, cookies, cached files, saved passwords and form information. Clearing it can help fix website loading or sign-in issues. 

Before clearing your browsing data, check whether sync is turned on. If sync is on, some data may also be cleared across other devices where you use the same Microsoft Edge profile.

To clear your browsing data:

1. Click the Settings and more option (...) in the top-right corner, and choose Settings.
2. Select Privacy, search and services from the left navigation menu. 
3. At the top, select the clear browsing data button. 
4. Use the Time range drop-down menu to choose how much data you want to clear.
5. Decide data you want to clear by checking the relevant boxes (for example, browsing history, download history, cookies, cache etc).
6. When chosen, select Clear now.

Note: You can also use the keyboard short Ctrl + H to open History.

Pages visited in an InPrivate window will not appear in your normal browsing history after the InPrivate window is closed.