Microsoft Removes Edge's Collections And Sidebar

Microsoft removed the Collections feature from Microsoft Edge beginning with Edge 149 (149.0.4022.52), which began rolling out on June 4, 2026, according to Microsoft support documentation that states, "Collections is being retired in Microsoft Edge" and that "Collections is no longer available starting with Microsoft Edge version 149, released on June 04th, 2026." The support article lists two user-facing options: a one-click Move to Favorites conversion that converts saved pages into Favorites folders, and an Export Your Data option for AAD (enterprise) users to back up Collections content. Windows Latest and PiunikaWeb report that the browser's Sidebar app list has also been removed in the same release. Neowin and Winaero's changelogs for Edge 149 document the Collections removal and additional release notes for the stable channel.

Neowin's Edge 149 changelog and Winaero's release notes describe a broader set of changes in this rollout. The release migrates Workspaces to a new V2 architecture, moves saved Workspaces data from OneDrive/SharePoint to the Edge Sync service, and removes Workspaces collaboration/share functionality, per Neowin. The changelog notes the migration started earlier (progressive rollout beginning in Edge 145) and continues into Edge 149. The Microsoft support page details the Collections retirement workflow and limitations: only saved web pages (URLs) are moved when converting to Favorites; images, notes, and other non-page items are not included.

Editorial analysis:

Browser vendors periodically retire features as part of larger product reorganizations or to simplify maintenance. Companies that remove integrated, stateful browser features typically provide migration paths to avoid user data loss, as Microsoft has done here with conversion and export options. For enterprise environments, the availability of an export path for AAD accounts is consistent with common enterprise data-retention and compliance needs.

Editorial analysis:

For data scientists, ML engineers, and SREs who rely on browser-based workflows or who build tooling that integrates with browser features, the removal of Collections means any automation or extension that used Collections' APIs or exported JSON will need to account for the feature's absence and rely instead on Favorites, exported data, or alternate storage. The Workspaces migration to an Edge-managed Sync service and the removal of collaboration capabilities can affect multi-device tab/session workflows; organizations that depend on cross-device Workspaces sharing should review the migration behavior described in the Edge 149 notes.

• •Whether Microsoft publishes additional migration tooling or APIs for non-page items (notes, images) that Collections previously stored; the support page states those items are not included in the Favorites conversion.
• •Enterprise guidance and telemetry from IT admins on the Workspaces V2 migration, since Neowin and Winaero note that new Workspaces V2 created after migration will not sync across devices in environments where Sync is disabled by policy.
• •User feedback channels and telemetry on loss of functionality, especially for power users who used Collections for research, shopping, or note-taking; Microsoft's support document provides the official migration path but does not provide technical details on retained data formats for non-page items.

Reporting sources: Microsoft support documentation, Windows Latest, Neowin, Winaero, and PiunikaWeb-informed reporting are the basis for the factual points above.