My favorite Microsoft Edge feature is being retired, and it appears that even a petition and a slew of complaints in Microsoft's feedback portal can do nothing to keep Edge's Sidebar as part of the browser.

Technically, the Sidebar will still exist, but in a different form. Microsoft is removing the ability to add apps to the Sidebar, and a future update to Edge will remove any apps users have already added.

Article continues below

Sidebar's impending retirement is not new information. We've known that Microsoft will get rid of the feature for months. Even the "simplifying Edge" phrasing has been around for a while.

What is new, is my perspective. I still want Edge to have a Sidebar, but Microsoft's recent push to reduce bloat and improve Windows 11 has me thinking.

How do we define bloat? How do we view a feature that some find useful and others consider a waste of space and system resources?

I've come up with a list of what I feel makes a feature bloat. I'd argue that any feature that meets two or more of these bogs down an app or OS:

1. The feature is not a core part of the app or OS experience for most users.
2. The feature uses system resources even when not in use (such as running in the background when background sync is not essential).
3. The feature cannot be disabled or hidden.
4. The feature's addition or existence comes at the cost of losing a separate feature.

Even with these rules, there's some wiggle room, such as what is a core experience? Microsoft may define Copilot as a fundamental part of web browsing, for example.

Take Split Screen in Microsoft Edge. It's an entirely optional feature that only appears in the toolbar if you enable an option through Settings. As far as I can tell, Split Screen does not use any system resources unless you're actually using it.

Sidebar fits into the same category. Those who don't want it will never see it. Those who love it can use it peacefully.

Microsoft seems to disagree, and I still don't believe the company's reasoning. I've argued for months that I believe the Sidebar is being removed because it competes for space with Copilot.

Even Microsoft's support document about the retirement of Sidebar says "Copilot is not affected by this change, and we’re continuing to improve and enhance it."

Sidebar shipped before Copilot existed, so I think the perspective needs to be flipped, asking, "Is the Sidebar affected by the push to use Copilot?"

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Sean Endicott is a news writer and apps editor for Windows Central with 11+ years of experience. A Nottingham Trent journalism graduate, Sean has covered the industry’s arc from the Lumia era to the launch of Windows 11 and generative AI. Having started at Thrifter, he uses his expertise in price tracking to help readers find genuine hardware value.

Beyond tech news, Sean is a UK sports media pioneer. In 2017, he became one of the first to stream via smartphone and is an expert in AP Capture systems. A tech-forward coach, he was named 2024 BAFA Youth Coach of the Year. He is focused on using technology—from AI to Clipchamp—to gain a practical edge.