According to Windows Report | Error-free Tech Life, Microsoft is phasing out the sidebar app list feature in its Edge browser, with notices appearing in the Canary version confirming the change. This affects the section that allowed users to pin websites like Instagram, Spotify, and Facebook directly to the sidebar for quick access. The removal will roll out gradually across Canary and Dev versions before reaching stable releases. Built-in tools including Copilot, Outlook, and others will remain available despite the app list retirement. Microsoft says this change helps them focus on improving Copilot while simplifying the Edge experience. Users will no longer be able to add or open web apps through the sidebar once the feature is fully removed.
The great Edge simplification
Here’s the thing about Microsoft and browser features: they love adding them, but they’re not always great at maintaining them. The sidebar originally launched as this cool little app launcher that let you pin websites like Outlook or LinkedIn right next to your browsing session. It was actually pretty useful for multitasking – you could check email or messages without losing your place. But now Microsoft’s decided it’s too cluttered or distracting from their main focus, which is clearly Copilot.
Copilot becomes the star
This move really signals where Microsoft’s priorities lie. They’re basically saying “forget those other web apps, just use our AI assistant.” And look, Copilot is useful, but it’s not a replacement for having quick access to your actual productivity tools. The notice explicitly states that Copilot won’t be affected and that this change “helps us focus on making it even better.” Translation: we’re putting all our sidebar eggs in the AI basket.
User frustration incoming
Remember when Microsoft kept adding and removing features from Windows over the years? This feels like that. People who actually used the sidebar apps regularly are going to be pretty annoyed. Microsoft’s suggestion to use the Edge Bar or install sites as PWAs instead? That’s not the same experience at all. The whole point of the sidebar was having those tools available without cluttering your tab bar or desktop. I wonder how many people will just switch back to Chrome over changes like this.
Part of a bigger pattern
This isn’t happening in isolation. Microsoft recently fixed Edge’s cluttered context menus and is testing opening Copilot in the sidebar when users press F1. They’re clearly trying to streamline the browser experience, but streamlining often means removing features that some users actually liked. It’s the eternal struggle for tech companies – do you keep adding features and risk bloat, or remove them and anger your power users? Microsoft seems to be choosing the latter path here. And honestly, when companies focus too much on their latest shiny object (looking at you, Copilot), they sometimes forget what made features useful in the first place.
