Combine Microsoft Edge Chromium’s increased desktop presence with the Android and iOS versions, and you have a consistent browsing experience no matter what device that you use. That’s why you must sync your browsing data. That way, you can continue to surf the internet with seamless access to your passwords, bookmarks, and settings on any of your devices. So below, let’s check out how you can set up Microsoft Edge Chromium to start syncing your browsing data.
Set Up a Microsoft Account
If you already have a Microsoft Account, then you are all set to go. Otherwise, you need to create one — it’s a requirement to sync your Microsoft Edge Chromium data between devices. A Microsoft Account is free to set up — you can either create an email address from scratch or use an existing address for your Microsoft Account. Create Microsoft Account Having access to a Microsoft Account also brings a range of other benefits — for example, you receive five gigabytes of free storage on OneDrive, unrestricted free access to the Office Online suite, etc. Once you are done, it’s time to sync your browsing data in Microsoft Edge Chromium.
Desktop (Windows and macOS)
The Chromium version of Microsoft Edge works similarly on both Windows and macOS. Not only is it considerably faster compared to the legacy version of Edge, but it also supports a vast library of extensions, including those for other Chromium-based browsers. It also lets you save passwords, and even provides a full-fledged bookmarks manager to work with. You can sync your bookmarks, passwords, settings, and form auto-fill data once you activate the Sync functionality in Microsoft Edge Chromium. At the time of writing, the ability to sync extensions, open tabs, and history is not available. But the developers have explicitly mentioned that it will be possible soon. To sync your browsing data with your other devices (passwords, bookmarks, etc.), you must first sign into the browser using your Microsoft Account credentials and then specify the types of data that you want to sync. You can find the entire process listed below. Step 1: Open the Microsoft Edge menu — click the three-dot icon to the top-right corner of the screen. Click Settings. Step 2: Make sure that the Profiles side-tab to the right of the Settings screen is selected. Step 3: Click the Option labeled Sign In. Note: If you already signed into Microsoft Edge Chromium earlier but didn’t turn on Sync, simply click the Sync option instead. Afterward, click Turn on Sync, and then skip ahead to Step 6. Step 4: Sign in with your Microsoft Account credentials. Step 5: Click the option labeled Customize. Step 6: Select the types of data that you want to sync, and then click Confirm. Note: The ability to sync extensions, open tabs, and history was not available at the time of writing. That should prompt Microsoft Edge Chromium to sync your data to the Microsoft servers. Sign into the browser on another device, and you can access your data once you activate Sync. Note: If you want to manage your Sync settings at a later time, go to the Edge Settings panel, select the Profiles side-tab, and then click Sync.
Mobile (Android and iOS)
Microsoft Edge is also available on Android and iOS. If you want to sync your browsing data — password, bookmarks, and autofill data — with Microsoft Edge Chromium on the desktop, or with the rest of your mobile devices, the following steps should help you do that. Step 1: Tap the three-dot icon to the bottom of the Microsoft Edge screen, and then tap Settings. Step 2: Scroll down to the Accounts section, and then tap Sign In With Microsoft Account. Sign in with your Microsoft Account credentials. Your Microsoft Account will then show up underneath the Account section. Tap it. Note: If you already signed into Microsoft Edge while opening the browser for the first time, then you don’t have to log in again. Step 3: Tap the option labeled Sync. Select the types of data that you want to sync, and then head back to the previous screen. Note: The ability to sync open tabs, history, and payment information was not present at the time of writing. Step 4: Specify that you want to sync with Microsoft Edge Chromium, and not with the legacy version of Microsoft Edge. And that’s it. Your data should sync seamlessly across your devices from now onward. If you want to enable or disable the data types in Sync, head over to Microsoft Edge Settings, tap your Microsoft Account, and then tap Sync.
Living on the Edge
By syncing your passwords, bookmarks, and other data in Microsoft Edge Chromium, you can use the browser on pretty much any device that you want. No more having to switch browsers just because you had to move between Windows and macOS. Or worse, no more having to manually export or import data between browsers. Next up: InPrivate Browsing windows in Microsoft Edge Chromium can pose a serious threat, especially with kids around. Here’s how to turn them off.
