Microsoft Edge is killing off Collections — and your data is caught in the crossfire

Another Microsoft Edge feature sits on the chopping block. Collections will be one of the next tools to be removed from the browser, at least according to messages listed in Microsoft Edge Dev.

"Collections is being retired," reads the browser. "You will no longer be able to add new items to Collections. To keep your saved content, you can export it, or move all pages to your Favorites before removal."

Below that message sit shortcuts to move pages to favorites or export your data.

The retirement has been hinted at for months, but the process seems to have turned a corner. Windows Report spotted the message within Edge Dev recently.

The two options presented by Edge are not full replacements for Collections. If you opt to move pages to favorites, you'll lose other content such as images and notes. Exporting your data retains all of your content in a CSV file, but the items will no longer be in your browser. The end result is that there is no way to retain all your data within Edge.

It's unclear when Collections will be retired, so it's worth moving your data now if you rely on the feature.

Why is Microsoft Edge losing another feature?

I'm the first to criticize Microsoft when its leaders decide to remove a fan-favorite feature, but I don't think that's what's happening here. Collections do not appear to be popular among Edge users.

Leo Varela, who follows the development of Microsoft Edge closely, noted on X that many stopped using Collections in Edge after Microsoft switched from a native implementation to a web-based one:

You could argue that Microsoft made the feature worse, which ultimately resulted in lower usage. But as things stand, Collections is rarely used, at least in comparison to other Edge features.

The situation with Collections appears different from what's going on with the Edge Sidebar. The Sidebar app list is being retired and there's a chance the entire Sidebar as we know it is at risk.

Microsoft claims that the move is being made because the company is "simplifying Edge," but I can't help but notice that the Edge Sidebar competes directly with Copilot in Edge. The two features take up the same space on your screen.

I'm not a betting man, but if I were, I'd always bet on Microsoft choosing Copilot over an alternative. Heck, the company is even making Edge look more like Copilot.

Regardless of why any individual feature is being retired, I think Edge has drifted from its roots. When Microsoft refreshed the browser with a Chromium engine, Edge felt like a Google-free Chrome with some welcome enhancements.

Now, it feels like another tool for Microsoft to promote Copilot and shopping experiences.

What do you think of the current state of Microsoft Edge? Is the browser headed in the right direction?

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