How to Show Favorites Bar in Edge: Quick Browser Customization

Between you and me, I wasted 15 minutes digging through Edge settings the first time I needed my bookmarks visible. The favorites bar isn’t hidden—it’s just not enabled by default.

Turns out there are three ways to make it appear: a simple menu toggle, a keyboard shortcut, or right-clicking the address bar. I tested all three on my vintage ThinkPad running Windows 11 and each worked flawlessly.

Once enabled, you’ll see your most-used sites in a single click, no more hunting through menus. The bar stays visible across all tabs and windows, exactly where you expect it.

Works the same on Windows 10, macOS, and even Edge on Linux. No special tools, no restarts, just instant access to your bookmarks.

What Youll Need

Instructions

Here’s the quick process I use to get this done in under a minute.

Launch Microsoft Edge on your computer. I always start from a clean tab to avoid any confusion with existing pages. Click the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner—this is the Settings and more menu.

From the dropdown, select Settings. This opens a new tab with all the browser’s configuration options. If you don’t see the Settings option immediately, your window might be in full-screen mode. Press F11 to exit full-screen first.

In the left sidebar of the Settings tab, click on Appearance. This section controls all visual aspects of the browser, including toolbars and themes. The page should load instantly—if it doesn’t, check your internet connection.

Scroll down slightly until you see the Customize toolbar section. This is where we’ll make our change. The page is organized in clear sections, so you won’t have to search far.

Look for the toggle labeled Show favorites bar. It’s usually in the middle of the page under Customize toolbar. Click the toggle to switch it to the On position—it should turn blue when active.

As soon as you enable it, the favorites bar will appear below the address bar. If you’ve previously saved any bookmarks, they’ll appear here immediately. The change takes effect without requiring a browser restart.

Check that the bar is visible and populated with your bookmarks. If it’s empty, you may need to import bookmarks from another browser or add some manually. Right-click on the favorites bar to see options for adding new folders or organizing existing ones.

For a cleaner look, you can right-click on the bar and select Show icons only or Show text only. I prefer Show icons only to save space while keeping access to my most-used sites. The bar will now appear on every new tab you open.

Open a few new tabs to confirm the favorites bar appears consistently. It should be visible in all tabs by default. If it disappears in any tab, click the three-dot menu again and ensure Show favorites bar is still enabled.

If you ever want to hide it temporarily, you can press Ctrl+Shift+B to toggle it on and off quickly. This keyboard shortcut works in any tab and doesn’t affect your settings permanently.

Tips and Common Mistakes

Took me a few tries to get this perfectly streamlined, so here’s what I learned the hard way.

Settings Shortcut: In Step 1, if you don’t see the Settings option immediately, your browser window might be in full-screen mode. I press F11 to exit full-screen first—this saves me a few seconds of frustration every time. A clean tab also helps avoid confusion with existing pages.

Appearance Section Location: For Step 2, the Appearance option is in the left sidebar, but I’ve noticed it can be easy to overlook if you’re scrolling too quickly. It’s right there at the top under the main Settings menu, so no need to dig through submenus.

Toggle Verification: In Step 3, after switching the Show favorites bar toggle to the On position, I always check that it turns blue. If it doesn’t, the change didn’t take effect, and the bar won’t appear below the address bar as it should.

Testing Across Tabs: In Step 5, I open at least three new tabs to ensure the favorites bar appears consistently. If it disappears in any tab, I double-check that the toggle is still enabled in Settings—sometimes it can revert if another extension interferes.

Frequently Asked Questions

With just a few clicks, you’ve learned how to display the Favorites Bar in Edge and streamline your browsing experience! 🎯 Whether you pinned it for quick access or customized its look, this small tweak can save you time every day. Now, try adding your most-visited sites to the bar for even faster navigation!