Microsoft Edge's latest update is all about what you lose — but one removal is actually a good thing

When you think of an update, you usually think about gaining features or existing features being improved. But with Microsoft Edge version 146.0.3856.59, Microsoft is stripping away several features from the browser while clearing the path to retire even more.

The Collections feature is officially retiring and Edge will show a banner to users that states new items can no longer be added.

Microsoft is also ending support for macOS 12, though that's not as much of a loss. The browser will continue to work with macOS 13 or later. The cutoff for the older version of macOS is Edge version 151.

Starting with Edge version 146, users will no longer be able to create a new custom primary password within Edge settings. On June 4, 2026, Edge will forcibly migrate all those using that method of authentication to a different method.

At the moment, people can set a custom primary password to add an extra layer of security to their saved passwords. We covered the change in more detail when Edge 146 was in preview.

Here are the major announcements for Microsoft Edge version 146:

• Collections retirement. Microsoft will begin retiring Collections. A banner will be shown to existing Collections users, and users will no longer be able to add new items to Collections. To keep saved content, users can export it or move all pages to Favorites. For more information, see Organize your ideas with Collections in Microsoft Edge.
• Microsoft Edge supported operating systems for macOS. Edge version 150 is currently planned to be the last release that supports macOS 12 (Monterey). Under this plan, Edge version 151 or later will require macOS 13 (Ventura) or later.
• Migration to improved V2 architecture for Workspaces. Workspaces, introduced in Edge in 2022, allows users to create durable sets of tabs that can be saved and shared with others. To improve reliability and performance of this feature, the following changes are being made:
  • Migrating data for saved Workspaces from OneDrive/SharePoint to the Edge Sync service.
  • Removing the collaboration/share functionality of this feature.
• For organizations who have disabled Sync through policy, the existing v1 Workspace data will still be migrated to the new architecture. New v2 Workspaces created after migration will not sync across devices and will remain local to each device. This update began rolling out in Edge Stable version 145 and continues rolling out in Edge Stable version 146. For more information, see Getting started with Microsoft Edge Workspaces.
• Custom primary password deprecation. In Microsoft Edge 146, users will no longer be able to create a new custom primary password in Edge Settings (edge://settings/autofill/passwords/settings). Users who already have a custom primary password configured will see a warning that the feature will not be available starting June 4, 2026. On June 4, 2026, users still using a custom primary password will automatically be migrated to device authentication.

Often, losing a feature is a bad thing, but that's not always the case. One of the changes made in Edge's most recent update gets rid of a feature many complained about.

If you scroll down the Microsoft page about the update, you'll see a list of "Feature Updates" as well. Many of these are smaller policy changes or features that are in preview, but one sticks out and will affect many users.

Starting with Edge version 146, the browser no longer includes passwords in the list of items that are cleared when you clear browsing data. User complained to Microsoft about passwords being deleted unintentionally.

It's still possible to manage, edit, or delete passwords in Edge by navigating to edge://settings/autofill/passwords within the browser.

💬 Do you clear your browsing history?

Presumably, many people want to delete the list of websites they have visited or to clear cookies, not clear saved passwords that had been entered manually over time.

How often do you clear your browsing history, and which types of content do you clear when you do? Let us know in the comments and in the poll below!

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