What just happened? Microsoft Edge is arguably one of the best browsers on Windows, but the company's insistence on shoving unnecessary "features" into the app annoys many users. One such annoyance is a new Sidebar icon that popped up at the top-right corner of the toolbar following the latest update.

According to reports from Edge users, the icon appeared after updating Edge to version 121.0.2277.128, and can be seen in the top-right corner of the screen, just below the Close (x) box. It is only visible when all Sidebar settings, including Copilot, are turned off. However, not everyone is thrilled with the new button, and some are looking for ways to remove it for good.

The bad news for Edge users is that there's no GUI option to get rid of the icon, but it can be done with an easy registry tweak. As explained by Eleven Forums user TairikuOkami, the button can be permanently disabled using Edge Policies. To do that, simply open up the Terminal app as Administrator and copy/paste the following three lines of code one at a time and then hit Enter:

reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Edge" /v "HubsSidebarEnabled" /t REG_DWORD /d "0" /f

reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Edge" /v "SearchInSidebarEnabled" /t REG_DWORD /d "2" /f

reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Edge" /v "StandaloneHubsSidebarEnabled" /t REG_DWORD /d "0" /f

After each line of code is executed, you'll get the message "Operation completed successfully." Now simply restart Edge, and the pesky new sidebar button will have disappeared. While this is not the most elegant way to get rid of the feature, it is currently the easiest way. Hopefully, Microsoft will offer a simple GUI option to disable the icon in future versions of the browser.

Microsoft has a habit of introducing unpopular elements in Windows to push its less popular apps and features that nobody cares about. Last year, Windows 11 started automatically adding the Edge icon to the desktop even after users removed it manually. The company also introduced ads in Windows 11 and other annoyances despite receiving severe pushback from users.