Microsoft Edge is discontinuing its Collections feature, a tool many users relied on for saving and organizing links, notes, and research. This transition is proving difficult for users, with data at risk and migration processes being cumbersome. It appears Microsoft is once again phasing out a feature before it reached its full potential, or perhaps due to low adoption.
“Collections is being retired,” the browser states. “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, shortcuts are available to move pages to favorites or export data.
The retirement has been anticipated for months, and the process seems to be accelerating. Windows Report recently observed this message within Edge Dev.
The two options provided by Edge do not fully replace Collections. Moving pages to favorites results in the loss of other content, such as images and notes. Exporting data saves all content to a CSV file, but these items will no longer be accessible within the browser. Consequently, there is no method to retain all saved data directly within Edge.
The exact date for Collections’ retirement remains unclear, so users who depend on the feature should consider migrating their data soon.
Why is Microsoft Edge losing another feature?
While Microsoft often faces criticism for removing popular features, Collections does not appear to be widely used among Edge users.
Leo Varela, a close observer of Microsoft Edge’s development, noted on X that many users stopped using Collections after Microsoft shifted from a native implementation to a web-based version:
Many users stopped using this feature after Microsoft replaced the native implementation with a web-based version. If Microsoft does indeed deprecate it, few users are likely to miss it. December 11, 2025
It could be argued that Microsoft’s changes made the feature less appealing, leading to decreased usage. However, currently, Collections sees limited use compared to other Edge features.
The situation with Collections differs from that of the Edge Sidebar. The Sidebar app list is being retired, and there is a possibility that the entire Sidebar itself could be at risk.
Microsoft states that this change is part of “simplifying Edge.” However, it is apparent that the Edge Sidebar directly competes with Copilot in Edge, as both features occupy the same screen space.
It is a reasonable assumption that Microsoft would prioritize Copilot over an alternative. The company is even making Edge’s interface resemble Copilot more closely.
Regardless of the reasons for any feature’s retirement, Edge seems to have deviated from its original vision. When Microsoft relaunched the browser with a Chromium engine, it was perceived as a Google-free alternative to Chrome with beneficial enhancements.
For long-term Edge users, this situation feels familiar. Microsoft introduces a promising feature, allows it to languish without adequate support, and then quietly discontinues it, leaving users to scramble to protect their data. Whether this is viewed as necessary streamlining or another instance of Microsoft neglecting core functionalities, confidence in Edge’s ecosystem has been impacted.
