turn off hew tab settings

Guy E. Aliotta 0 Reputation points
2026-06-22T21:16:41.9766667+00:00

How do I turn off the new tab feature forever. It comes up every time I go to a site. I close that site and the new tab is still open, why can't I get rid of it? Tell me how to turn off new tab, every time I open Microsoft edge.

Microsoft Edge | Open the browser | Windows 11
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  1. Vikki-T 6,335 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-06-23T06:39:40.4466667+00:00

    Hi Guy E. Aliotta,

    I understand how annoying this can be, especially when you close the page you were using but an extra tab still stays open.

    Could you please check a couple of things?

    • Does this happen with every website, or only with one specific website?
    • Is the extra tab just the normal Microsoft Edge new tab page, or does it open a different website/ad page?
    • Does the same thing happen if you open Edge in InPrivate mode?

    In the meantime, please try these steps:

    • Open Edge and go to Settings and more (…) > Settings > Start, home, and new tabs.
    • Under When Microsoft Edge starts, check whether it is set to open the new tab page, continue where you left off, or open specific pages. If there are any unwanted pages listed, remove them.
    • Go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Site permissions > Pop-ups and redirects, then make sure pop-ups and redirects are blocked.
    • Temporarily turn off extensions from Settings and more (…) > Extensions > Manage extensions, then restart Edge and test again. If the issue stops, turn the extensions back on one by one to find the one causing it.
    • Also check Windows restart behavior by going to Windows Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options, then turn off the option to automatically save and restart apps after signing in.

    If the extra tab shows a specific website or advertisement, it would be helpful to know what appears on that tab, but please avoid sharing any personal information or account details.

    While my initial response may not fully resolve the issue, I truly appreciate your cooperation as we work together toward identifying the most effective solution. Thank you so much for your understanding.     

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread. 

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  2. AI answer

    2026-06-22T21:17:01.8866667+00:00

    To stop the Edge new tab page content and keep it from showing news/headlines, adjust the new tab settings rather than trying to disable tabs themselves (tabs are core browser behavior and cannot be turned off).

    Use these steps on Windows 11 desktop Edge:

    1. Open a new tab in Microsoft Edge.
    2. In the top-right corner of the new tab page, select the settings cog (⚙) icon.
    3. To hide the news feed and most page content:
      • Select Focused to hide the feed unless scrolling down, or
      • Select Custom, then set Content (or Show content) to Content Off.

    This prevents the news/content panel from appearing on each new tab, leaving a mostly blank or minimal new tab page.

    If an extension keeps changing the new tab page:

    1. Select Settings and more (…) > Settings.
    2. Select Start, home, and new tab page.
    3. Make sure the preferred new tab option is selected.
    4. Go to Settings and more (…) > Extensions > Manage extensions and disable any extension that modifies the new tab page.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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