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Balanced is Microsoft’s recommended choice for most people. It adds protection on unfamiliar or infrequently visited sites while aiming to keep normal websites working. Strict applies the extra protections to every site by default, but Microsoft warns that parts of ordinary websites may stop working and that some configuration may be needed.
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Turn on enhanced security in Edge
The setting is built into current consumer versions of Microsoft Edge. You do not need to install an extension or buy hardware. Use this path:
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- Open Microsoft Edge.
- Select Settings and more, the three-dot button at the upper-right of the browser window.
- Select Settings.
- In the left navigation, select Privacy, search, and services.
- Scroll to the Security section.
- Find Enhance your security on the web and switch it on.
- Choose Balanced or Strict when the mode choices appear.
Microsoft says enhanced security may already be enabled for some users as the feature continues to be developed and tested. Check the switch and the selected mode instead of assuming the default is off.
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If you are changing the setting on a shared computer, make the choice in the Edge profile that you actually use. A setting or exception in one profile may not represent another profile. After changing the mode, close and reopen a page that was already open so you test the new behavior rather than a previously loaded document.
Which mode should you choose?
The choice is mainly between broader protection and easier compatibility. Both modes use Edge’s enhanced-security mechanisms; they differ in when Edge applies them automatically.
| Mode | Sites protected by default | Compatibility expectation | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced | Unfamiliar or infrequently visited sites. Frequently visited sites are generally left out. | Microsoft says most sites should work as expected. | Most people, especially if you want extra protection without routinely adjusting site settings. |
| Strict | All sites you visit by default. | Parts of sites may not work as expected, so exceptions or other configuration can be necessary. | People who prioritize maximum coverage and are willing to troubleshoot individual sites. |
Think of Balanced as an adaptive default and Strict as an explicit all-sites policy. Neither mode is a website reputation service, and neither guarantees that a page is safe. The practical question is how often you are willing to trade compatibility for additional browser hardening.
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Balanced is Microsoft’s recommended setting. Edge uses signals such as whether a site is unfamiliar or visited infrequently to decide where to apply the added protections. Sites you use regularly are normally excluded from the extra treatment, which reduces the chance that work, banking, media, or other daily tasks will be interrupted.
Balanced is not an allow-list that you create manually. Edge adapts as your browsing habits change. A site that is new today may be treated differently after you visit it repeatedly, while a rarely used site can receive the stronger protections when you return to it.
This adaptive behavior means the result can differ between two people visiting the same domain, or between a site you use daily and a specialist portal you open once a month. If a familiar site suddenly shows an Added security indicator, use that indicator and the Security settings to see which treatment is active rather than assuming the browser has malfunctioned.
Strict: coverage on every site
Strict applies enhanced security to all visited sites by default. That gives the setting its broadest coverage, but the same browser changes can expose compatibility problems on sites that depend on particular JavaScript behavior or other assumptions.
Microsoft states that Strict is not recommended for most users because completing daily tasks may require some configuration. Choose it when the broader protection is more important to you than a hands-off browsing experience, and expect to maintain exceptions for sites that need them.
Strict can be appropriate for a test profile, a security-focused workflow, or a user who is comfortable checking site behavior and maintaining a short exception list. It is less convenient when you rely on many business portals, legacy applications, or complex sign-in and checkout flows and cannot test them in advance.
What enhanced security changes
Microsoft describes enhanced security as a defense against memory-related vulnerabilities in the browser. It changes how Edge handles certain code and activates additional operating-system protections.
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- Just-in-time (JIT) JavaScript compilation is disabled. JIT compilation can make scripts run faster by compiling them while you browse. Disabling it removes a class of runtime behavior that an exploit might try to abuse.
- Hardware-enforced Stack Protection is enabled where supported. This operating-system protection is designed to help detect or block certain attempts to corrupt control-flow data held on a thread’s stack.
- Arbitrary Code Guard (ACG) is enabled. ACG restricts how executable code can be created or modified in protected processes, making some code-injection techniques harder.
These controls are intended to make exploitation more difficult; they are not a malware scanner and do not replace updates, account security, or safe browsing habits. A page can still contain phishing content, malicious downloads, or an ordinary coding error while enhanced security is enabled.
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Edge combines these protections with its site-based behavior. In Balanced mode, the browser automatically uses stricter settings on unfamiliar sites and adjusts over time based on your browsing patterns. The feature is therefore a browser security control, not a promise that every page is harmless or that every exploit is prevented.
Before choosing Strict, check your important sites
Strict is easiest to adopt when you inventory the sites that matter most. Make a short list of services used for work, school, banking, healthcare, travel, file storage, video meetings, payments, and administration. Open each one after selecting Strict and test the tasks you actually perform, not just whether the home page appears.
- Sign in and complete any multi-factor authentication prompt.
- Move through the pages or records you use regularly.
- Submit a form and confirm that validation and confirmation messages appear.
- Upload and download a small test file where that is part of the normal workflow.
- Check video, audio, printing, pop-up dialogs, and payment or checkout steps when relevant.
Keep a note of the exact domain when a task fails. A service may use separate domains for login, content, payment, or file delivery, so an exception for the visible home page may not cover the address that actually fails. Add the smallest necessary exception only after confirming the domain is the legitimate one.
Fix a site that behaves differently
If a page stops loading correctly, a button no longer works, a sign-in flow loops, or another function changes after you enable enhanced security, first determine whether the problem is limited to that site. Microsoft provides a per-site switch so you can keep enhanced security for the rest of your browsing.
Change the setting from the address bar
- Open the affected site in Edge.
- Look beside the address bar for the Added security indicator.
- Select the indicator to open the site information panel.
- Find Use enhanced security for this site.
- Switch the option off if you need to restore compatibility for that site, or switch it on to force enhanced security there.
Turning enhanced security off for a site adds that site to an exception list. The exception affects that site rather than changing the mode for every other domain. If you later want the stronger protection again, use the same panel and turn the option back on.
After changing the per-site switch, reload the page and repeat the failed action. A tab that was already running code may not reflect the change until it is reloaded. If the site uses several domains, check the address bar while the failure occurs and make the exception for the domain Edge is actually protecting.
Decide whether the exception is justified
- Confirm that the failure appeared only after enabling enhanced security and is limited to the affected domain.
- Use the smallest exception possible: disable the feature only for the site that needs it, not globally.
- Prefer the site’s normal, trusted address. A similarly named domain or an unexpected redirect is not a reason to weaken browser protections.
- Recheck the site after an update. A site may become compatible later, allowing you to remove the exception.
An exception restores the site’s previous security treatment; it does not repair broken website code or certify the site as safe. Keep other Edge protections enabled and follow the site owner’s normal update and security guidance.
Do not use an exception as a workaround for a suspicious warning, an unfamiliar domain, or a download you did not request. If the address changes unexpectedly during sign-in or payment, stop and verify the service through a known bookmark or the organization’s published address.
Manage all enhanced-security exceptions
For a central list of sites, open Settings and more > Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Security, then select Site preferences for enhanced security.
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The exception controls let you specify sites where enhanced security should always apply or never apply. Use the list when you need to review several exceptions, remove an old entry, or make a deliberate policy for a site instead of waiting until the site is open.
Review this list after changing modes. A site that is set to Always apply enhanced security remains protected even when Balanced would otherwise treat it as familiar. A site in Never apply enhanced security can remain excluded after you switch from Strict to Balanced, so an old entry may explain why its behavior differs from other sites.
Always apply versus never apply
- Always apply enhanced security: Use this for a site that you want protected even when your general mode is Balanced and Edge would otherwise treat the site as familiar.
- Never apply enhanced security: Use this only for a site that cannot complete a necessary task while the feature is active. This is the higher-risk choice because that domain loses the added protections.
Keep the list short and understandable. Record why a site was placed in the never-apply list, particularly on a shared or managed computer, and remove entries that are no longer needed.
If several people use the computer, explain that a never-apply entry weakens enhanced security for that domain for the profile where it is configured. On a managed device, follow the organization’s process for documenting or requesting an exception instead of creating an untracked local change.
Enhanced security is separate from other Edge protections
Turning on Enhance your security on the web does not replace Edge’s other security and privacy controls.
Tracking prevention
Tracking prevention controls trackers and the data they can collect as you move between sites. Its purpose is privacy and cross-site tracking reduction. Enhanced security instead changes browser execution and operating-system defenses to reduce exposure to memory-related attacks. You can use both settings.
Microsoft Defender SmartScreen
SmartScreen helps identify malicious downloads and sites. Enhanced security does not take over that job, and SmartScreen does not provide the same JIT, Stack Protection, or ACG changes. Treat them as separate layers rather than alternatives.
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What to check after enabling the feature
A short verification pass helps you catch a mode or exception mistake before it affects an important task.
- Return to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Security and confirm that Enhance your security on the web is on.
- Confirm the selected mode is the one you intended: Balanced or Strict.
- Open a few sites you use for essential work and verify sign-in, navigation, forms, file uploads, video, and payments.
- If one site fails, use its Added security indicator rather than turning the feature off everywhere.
- Review Site preferences for enhanced security to make sure an old exception is not forcing the wrong behavior.
Test both a frequently visited site and an unfamiliar or infrequently visited site if you are using Balanced. That gives you a practical sense of how Edge is applying the adaptive behavior. On Strict, test at least one complex site because broad coverage is also where compatibility differences are most likely to appear.
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Troubleshooting common problems
The switch is already on
That is not an error. Microsoft says some Edge installations may have enhanced security enabled already as the feature is developed and tested. Check the mode selection and the exception list; you may only need to change Balanced to Strict, or vice versa.
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This is an expected trade-off. Strict protects all sites by default and can affect site functionality. Keep Strict and add a targeted exception only if the site is important and trusted, or switch to Balanced if repeatedly managing exceptions is not worthwhile.
A site still fails after you turn enhanced security off for it
Verify that the exception was saved for the exact site address and that the browser is not being redirected to a different domain during sign-in or checkout. Check the central site-preferences list for a conflicting entry. If the problem persists, it may be unrelated to enhanced security; test the site’s own supported browser requirements and its current status.
The option or labels are missing
Edge labels can change as updates roll out, and organizations can control security settings through policy. Make sure you are looking under Privacy, search, and services > Security. On a work or school device, a missing control or a setting that immediately reverts may be managed by your organization; contact the administrator rather than repeatedly changing it.
You are unsure which mode is active
Do not infer the mode from a single site’s behavior. Open the Security section and read the selected option. Balanced and Strict can produce different results depending on whether Edge considers a site familiar, so the address-bar indicator and the exception list are the reliable checks for a particular domain.
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The site fails only during one workflow
Record the exact step that fails, such as opening a report, uploading an attachment, or completing payment. A page that loads successfully can still rely on a script or component later in the workflow. Test the same step after reloading and after checking the address-bar indicator. If an exception fixes only that workflow, keep it limited to the verified domain and remove it when the service no longer needs it.
A sensible setup for most people
For a personal computer, start with Balanced, leave the feature enabled, and use per-site exceptions only when a trusted site has a concrete compatibility problem. This follows Microsoft’s recommendation while still protecting unfamiliar sites more aggressively.
Consider Strict when you understand that every site will receive the added protections and you are prepared to handle occasional breakage. Before selecting it on a computer used for work, confirm that critical business services support Edge’s enhanced-security behavior and that you can change exceptions without violating an organizational policy.
Whichever mode you choose, revisit the decision after major browser or site changes. A site that needed a never-apply exception can become compatible after its code is updated, while a newly adopted service may deserve an always-apply exception in Balanced. A short, current exception list is easier to audit and safer than disabling the feature globally.
Important limitations and version considerations
The settings path and labels above reflect Microsoft’s current consumer instructions. Microsoft’s support material does not specify one Edge version number or a platform-by-platform compatibility matrix for this feature. Edge updates, operating-system support, and organization policies can change the exact wording or availability.
If the screen in your installation differs, first look for the same concepts—Privacy, search, and services, Security, Enhance your security on the web, and Site preferences for enhanced security. On a managed device, policy may determine whether the feature can be changed. Avoid assuming that a different label means the protection is absent; verify the current switch and mode in Edge’s Security settings.
Because Microsoft does not provide one universal platform matrix for this control, do not assume that behavior observed on one computer will be identical on another. Compare the Edge settings, operating-system support, profile, and organization policy on the device where the issue occurs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Edge’s enhanced security setting?
Open Settings and more > Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Security. Turn on Enhance your security on the web, then choose Balanced or Strict.
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Balanced is Microsoft’s recommended choice for most users. It adds protection to unfamiliar or infrequently visited sites while aiming to keep most sites working normally.
What is the difference between Balanced and Strict?
Balanced applies enhanced security selectively and usually leaves frequently visited sites out. Strict applies it to all sites by default, which increases coverage but can cause parts of websites to stop working.
How do I fix one site after enabling enhanced security?
Open the site, select the Added security indicator beside the address bar, and switch Use enhanced security for this site off. That creates a site-specific exception without disabling the feature everywhere.
Where can I review or remove exceptions?
Go to Settings and more > Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Security > Site preferences for enhanced security. Review the Always apply and Never apply lists.
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No. Enhanced security hardens browser execution against memory-related vulnerabilities. SmartScreen helps identify malicious sites and downloads, while tracking prevention limits trackers. They are separate controls.
Why is the setting already enabled?
Microsoft says some Edge installations may have enhanced security turned on as the feature is developed and tested. Check the selected mode and exceptions rather than assuming anything is wrong.
Should I use Strict on a work computer?
Only if your organization allows it and you can test critical services. Strict may require site-specific configuration, so managed-device policies and business application requirements should guide the choice.
The Bottom Line
Open Settings and more > Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Security, turn on Enhance your security on the web, and start with Balanced unless you have a reason to accept more compatibility work. Use Strict for all-site coverage, and handle any breakage with a narrowly scoped Added security exception instead of switching protection off globally.
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