Usually a setting, an extension, or a startup behavior — here’s how to get it under control
Edge opening new tabs when you don’t want it to is one of those problems that ranges from mildly annoying to genuinely disruptive depending on how often it happens.
The cause varies depending on when and how the new tabs are appearing — on startup, when clicking links, when searching, or seemingly at random. Identifying which scenario applies to you points to the right fix immediately.
Here’s how to address each one.
New Tabs Opening on Startup
If Edge opens with multiple tabs or a specific page in a new tab every time you launch it, the startup settings are what need changing.
Go to Settings → Start, Home, and New Tab → When Edge Starts. You’ll see three options: Open the New Tab Page, Continue Where You Left Off, and Open a Specific Page or Pages.
Continue Where You Left Off is the setting that causes Edge to reopen every tab from your previous session — if you had fifteen tabs open when you closed Edge, you’ll have fifteen tabs when you reopen it. Switch to Open the New Tab Page to start fresh with a single tab every time.
If Open a Specific Page or Pages is selected, check what pages are listed. Remove any you don’t want opening automatically on startup. Sometimes browser hijackers or extensions add pages here without obvious notification.
Links Opening in New Tabs Instead of the Current Tab
If clicking links on websites keeps opening them in new tabs when you’d rather they open in place, this is usually the website’s behavior rather than Edge’s — many sites set their links to open in a new tab by design.
That said, Edge has a setting that can force links to open in the current tab regardless of what the site specifies.
Go to Settings → System and Performance and look for options related to tab behavior. Also check Settings → Appearance for any tab-related toggles. Some versions of Edge include an option to override new tab link behavior.
For more direct control, an extension like Open Link in Same Tab overrides the target=”_blank” attribute that websites use to force new tabs. This is the most reliable method if you consistently want links to stay in the current tab.
The Search Bar or Address Bar Opening New Tabs
If typing in the address bar and pressing Enter opens a new tab instead of loading in the current one, a setting or keyboard behavior is causing it.
Make sure you’re pressing Enter rather than Alt + Enter — the Alt + Enter shortcut in Edge specifically opens the search result or URL in a new tab. It’s easy to accidentally trigger on laptops with compact keyboards.
Also check Settings → Start, Home, and New Tab → New Tab Page settings. Some configurations open a new tab for every address bar search regardless of where you’re currently browsing.
Edge Opening New Tabs Randomly or on Its Own
If new tabs appear without any action on your part — while you’re reading, while the browser is idle, or immediately on launch — this is the most concerning scenario and usually points to one of three things: an extension, a notification or push permission, or malware.
Check your extensions first. Go to edge://extensions and review everything installed. Extensions with broad permissions — particularly ones you don’t remember installing or ones with generic names — can open tabs autonomously. Disable all extensions temporarily and see if the random tab opening stops. If it does, re-enable them one at a time to identify the culprit.
Check site notification permissions. Some sites request permission to show notifications, and a subset of those use the permission to open new tabs or redirect your browser. Go to Settings → Cookies and Site Permissions → Notifications. Review the Allow list and remove any sites you don’t recognize or didn’t deliberately add.
Consider a malware scan. Random tab opening — particularly tabs that open to ad-heavy sites, fake security warnings, or unfamiliar search engines — is a common symptom of browser hijacking. Run a scan with Microsoft Defender or Malwarebytes to check for anything that’s manipulated Edge’s behavior.
The New Tab Page Itself Opening Unnecessarily
If the issue isn’t extra tabs but the new tab page loading content you don’t want — news feeds, weather, suggested sites — you can simplify or disable it.
Go to Settings → Start, Home, and New Tab → New Tab Page. Click Customize on the new tab page itself for more granular control. You can switch the layout to Focused or Inspirational mode which removes the news feed entirely, or Custom which lets you disable specific elements.
This doesn’t stop new tabs from opening but makes them less intrusive when they do.
Edge Reopening Tabs After a Crash
After a crash, Edge offers to restore your previous session — which can feel like unwanted tabs opening if you didn’t expect it.
When Edge shows the restore prompt after a crash, clicking Restore reopens everything from the previous session. Clicking New Tab or simply closing the prompt starts fresh. If you consistently don’t want session restoration, go to Settings → Start, Home, and New Tab → When Edge Starts and switch from Continue Where You Left Off to Open the New Tab Page.
Disable Edge’s Built-In Features That Open New Tabs
Several of Edge’s built-in features open content in new tabs — the Shopping assistant, Discover sidebar, Collections, and various Microsoft services. If these are triggering new tabs unexpectedly, disabling the features stops them.
Go to Settings → Appearance and turn off the Discover button (the Copilot or sidebar icon). Go to Settings → Privacy, Search and Services and disable shopping-related features that may open tabs for price comparisons or deals.
Also check the Sidebar settings — Edge’s sidebar can open content in new tabs when you interact with it. Go to Settings → Sidebar and disable tools you don’t use.
Stop Edge from Opening PDF and Downloads in New Tabs
If Edge opens PDFs or certain file types in new tabs rather than downloading them or opening in an existing tab, you can change this behavior.
Go to Settings → Cookies and Site Permissions → PDF Documents. Toggle Always Download PDF Files on if you’d rather PDFs download than open in Edge. This prevents a new tab from opening every time you click a PDF link.
For other file types, check Settings → Downloads for any behavior settings that affect how Edge handles file opens.
A Quick Checklist
Work through these based on when the new tabs are appearing:
- On startup: Settings → Start, Home, and New Tab → change startup behavior
- When clicking links: Install an extension to override new tab link behavior
- From address bar searches: Avoid Alt + Enter — use Enter only
- Randomly or on their own: Audit extensions at edge://extensions
- From site notifications: Settings → Cookies and Site Permissions → Notifications
- After crashes: Change startup setting from Continue Where You Left Off
- From built-in features: Disable Discover, sidebar, and shopping features in Settings
- From PDFs: Settings → Cookies and Site Permissions → PDF Documents → Always Download
The Bottom Line
Edge opening new tabs unwanted is almost always caused by startup settings, a misbehaving extension, or a site permission that shouldn’t have been granted. The startup settings fix handles the most common complaint. The extension audit and notification permissions review handle most of what remains.
Random unprompted new tabs opening to unfamiliar sites is the one scenario worth taking seriously — run a malware scan if that’s happening, because it’s a reliable indicator of browser hijacking rather than a simple settings issue.
Edge opens new tabs because something told it to — find what gave that instruction and the problem stops.
Meet Ry, “TechGuru,” a 36-year-old technology enthusiast with a deep passion for tech innovations. With extensive experience, he specializes in gaming hardware and software, and has expertise in gadgets, custom PCs, and audio.
Besides writing about tech and reviewing new products, he enjoys traveling, hiking, and photography. Committed to keeping up with the latest industry trends, he aims to guide readers in making informed tech decisions.