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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →You can use Microsoft Edge without signing in to a Microsoft account. For a regular profile, choose Start without your data during profile setup; for a temporary session, choose Browse as guest. The first option is suited to ongoing use, while Guest is designed not to save browsing history or data.
Set up a regular Edge profile without signing in
- In Edge, select the profile icon near the top of the window.
- Select Set up a new profile.
- If prompted, choose Personal or Work or school.
- Select Start without your data, then confirm and start browsing.
Microsoft says the new profile opens in a separate Edge window. This creates a regular profile without using account-based sync. Interface wording may vary as Edge changes. Microsoft’s profile guidance documents these choices.
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Choose Guest for a temporary session
For browsing that you do not want retained as a regular profile, select the profile icon and choose Browse as guest. Microsoft describes Guest as temporary browsing that “doesn’t save history or data.” That makes it different from a regular profile created with Start without your data, which is intended for continued profile use. Microsoft Support explains Edge profiles and Guest.
What you give up by staying signed out
Signing in and enabling sync lets Edge synchronize selected information across devices. Microsoft lists favorites, passwords, history, extensions, settings, open tabs, autofill entries such as name and address, payment information, and other data types as items that may sync. A profile that is not signed in does not use this account-based sync path. Microsoft’s sync overview describes the available categories.
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If you later sign in, you can review and customize the available data-type toggles before enabling sync. Microsoft documents sync settings.
Signed out does not mean unobservable
Not signing in to Edge is not a guarantee that browsing leaves no traces or that no one can observe it. Microsoft says collection of Edge browsing activity for personalized advertising and experiences is based on user consent, and says Guest and InPrivate browsing are not used for that personalization. Microsoft also distinguishes locally saved browsing history, which can be viewed at edge://history/all, from activity managed through the Microsoft account privacy dashboard. Microsoft’s privacy statement explains its data practices.
Guest’s stated behavior concerns what Edge saves; it does not establish that websites, network operators, or an employer cannot observe activity. Do not treat Guest as a substitute for understanding the privacy practices of the services and networks you use.
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You do not need to change how you sign in to Windows to use an unsigned Edge profile. Microsoft describes a Windows local account as specific to one device and a Microsoft account as usable across Microsoft services and devices; Edge separately offers the option to start a profile without account data. Microsoft’s Windows account guidance covers that distinction.
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On a work or school device, an administrator may manage Edge settings. If the unsigned-profile option is unavailable or sign-in is required, check with your organization’s IT administrator; the option is not established for every managed configuration.
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