Microsoft Edge is killing off its Collections feature, leaving users scrambling to figure out what happens to their saved data

Microsoft Edge is killing off its Collections feature — the tool many relied on to save and organize links, notes, and research. Instead of a smooth transition, users are finding themselves caught in the crossfire: data is at risk, migration is clunky, and once again, Microsoft looks like it’s abandoning a feature before it ever reached its full potential, or was it more that just people didn't use it?

"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 that 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.

For longtime Edge users, this feels like déjà vu. Microsoft launches a promising feature, lets it linger without proper support, then quietly kills it off — leaving users scrambling to protect their data. Whether you see this as a necessary cleanup or another example of Microsoft slacking on fundamentals, one thing is clear: trust in Edge’s ecosystem just took another hit.

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

Follow Windows Central on Google News to keep our latest news, insights, and features at the top of your feeds!