Microsoft Edge Running Slow? 10 Ways to Speed It Up (2026)

Microsoft Edge used to open in a snap, and now pages crawl, tabs hang, and typing in the address bar feels laggy. You are not imagining it, and you do not need to reinstall Windows to fix it.

Slow Edge almost always traces back to a handful of fixable causes: too many tabs and apps fighting over memory, a bloated cache, an outdated build, a misbehaving extension, or a performance setting that is wrong for your hardware. This guide walks through every verified fix, ordered quickest and most common first.

Work through them in order and stop when Edge feels fast again. Most people are back to normal within the first few steps. The paths below are written for the Windows and Mac desktop browser, with mobile and repair notes where they apply.

Close Extra Tabs, Apps, and Downloads First

Before changing any settings, free up the resources Edge is starving for. Microsoft recommends closing unnecessary tabs and apps and pausing any active downloads when the browser slows down.

1. 1.Close tabs you are not actively using, especially heavy pages like video, maps, or web apps.
2. 2.Close other open applications that are competing for memory and CPU.
3. 3.Pause active downloads while you work.
4. 4.Restart your computer to clear background processes that may be dragging things down.

This costs you nothing and often resolves a sudden slowdown on its own.

Find the Resource Hog in the Browser Task Manager

Edge has its own task manager that shows exactly which tab or extension is eating memory, CPU, or network. It is the fastest way to catch a single runaway page.

1. 1.Press Shift+Esc while in Edge, or open the three-dot menu (Settings and more) and go to More tools > Browser task manager.
2. 2.Review the Memory, CPU, and Network columns to spot the heaviest items. Memory values are shown in kilobytes.
3. 3.Select one or more high-usage tabs or processes from the list.
4. 4.Click End process to terminate them and free up resources.

Ending a core process can close tabs abruptly, so use this for unresponsive or clearly resource-hogging tabs rather than everyday browsing.

Let the Performance Detector Sleep Flagged Tabs

Edge can find demanding tabs for you and put them to sleep automatically.

1. 1.Open the three-dot menu > More tools > Performance.
2. 2.When everything is fine, the Tabs performance status reads Healthy. If an issue is detected, choose to sleep or close all flagged tabs, or handle them one by one.
3. 3.For a single flagged tab, select the three dots next to it and choose Sleep tab or Close tab.

To turn the feature off later, go to Settings > System and performance > Performance and set Enable performance detector to Off.

Clear the Cache and Browsing Data

Edge stores cached images and files to load pages faster, but when that cache grows bloated or corrupted it does the opposite, causing slow loads and display glitches.

1. 1.Open the three-dot menu > Settings > Privacy, search, and services.
2. 2.Under Clear browsing data, select Choose what to clear.
3. 3.Set Time range to All time from the dropdown.
4. 4.Check Cached images and files. You can also check Browsing history and Cookies and other site data. Leave Passwords and Autofill form data unchecked to keep them.
5. 5.Select Clear now.

Shortcut: press Ctrl+Shift+Delete. One important caveat: if sync is on, clearing removes this data across all your synced devices. Sign out first if you only want to clear the current device.

Update Microsoft Edge to the Latest Version

An outdated build is one of the first things Microsoft points to for performance problems. Updating is quick and often fixes slowdowns outright.

1. 1.Open the three-dot menu > Help and feedback > About Microsoft Edge.
2. 2.Edge checks automatically. If it shows An update is available, select Download and install.
3. 3.If it shows To finish updating, restart Microsoft Edge, select Restart.

To stay current without thinking about it, enable Download and install updates automatically.

Disable or Remove Unnecessary Extensions

Extensions run constantly in the background, and too many (or a conflicting one) raise memory use and slow Edge down. Microsoft notes that uninstalling extensions you do not need reduces memory usage and potential conflicts.

1. 1.Select the Extensions puzzle-piece icon to the right of the address bar.
2. 2.Select Manage extensions.
3. 3.To disable one without deleting it, toggle it Off.
4. 4.To remove one, right-click its icon and choose Remove from Microsoft Edge > Remove, or use More actions next to the extension in the Extensions menu.

Disable anything you do not recognize or use. Note that Edge can also turn off extensions it deems unsafe on its own, so a missing extension may be Edge's doing rather than yours.

Tune Sleeping Tabs to Free Memory Sooner

Sleeping tabs release the memory and CPU held by background tabs you have not touched. By default they sleep after two hours, but you can shorten that.

1. 1.Go to Settings > System and performance > Performance.
2. 2.Make sure Automatically put tabs to sleep is On.
3. 3.Under Put inactive tabs to sleep after a set time, choose a shorter duration to free resources sooner.
4. 4.To keep specific sites awake, such as music or chat, use Always keep these sites active > Add site, enter the full URL, and select Add.

Sleeping tabs fade slightly to show they have released their resources.

Adjust Energy Saver (Battery vs. Speed)

Energy saver intentionally limits background-tab activity to cut CPU and memory use. That extends battery life, but on aggressive settings it can also cause noticeable slowdowns. On a desktop or plugged-in laptop, turning it off can restore speed.

1. 1.Go to Settings > System and performance > Performance.
2. 2.To maximize speed, toggle Enable energy saver Off. Be aware power consumption and battery drain will increase.
3. 3.To save battery instead, toggle it On. The options are Balanced (recommended) and Maximum, which trades performance for greater battery life, along with a Use energy saver even when connected to power toggle.

On older builds this feature is labeled efficiency mode under the same System and performance menu. Note that the active sleep timer is shorter when energy saver is running, so inactive tabs may sleep well before the usual two-hour mark.

Toggle Hardware Acceleration to Match Your Device

Hardware acceleration is on by default and shifts graphics and text rendering to your GPU. Depending on your hardware it can either help or hurt, so the only way to know is to test both states.

1. 1.Go to Settings > System and performance > System, or open edge://settings/system directly.
2. 2.Find Use hardware acceleration when available.
3. 3.If pages stutter or render slowly, toggle it Off and restart Edge to test. If it was already off, toggle it On and test.
4. 4.Restart Microsoft Edge after changing the setting either way.

Keep whichever setting feels faster on your specific machine.

Enable Startup Boost for Faster Launch

If Edge is slow to open rather than slow to browse, Startup boost helps it launch faster after a reboot.

1. 1.Go to Settings > System and performance > System (edge://settings/system).
2. 2.Turn on Startup boost.

This is a trade-off, not a pure win: it keeps core Edge processes running in the background, which can slightly raise idle resource use. Leave it off if your main complaint is sluggish browsing rather than slow startup.

Repair the Edge Installation (Windows)

If Edge is still slow or misbehaving, a damaged installation may be the cause. Repair reinstalls Edge while preserving your data and settings.

1. 1.Close Microsoft Edge completely for all users.
2. 2.Open Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
3. 3.Find Microsoft Edge and select Modify.
4. 4.Select Yes if prompted by User Account Control.
5. 5.Confirm you are connected to the internet, then select Repair.

Scan for Malware and Rule Out the Network

Unwanted software can hijack Edge and drag it down, and sometimes the slowdown is the website or your connection rather than the browser at all.

1. 1.On Windows 10 or 11, open Windows Security and choose Run a scan manually to check for malware. On macOS, follow Apple's malware-protection guidance.
2. 2.Confirm any third-party security software is up to date, since outdated security tools can interfere.
3. 3.Open the slow page in a different browser. If it is slow there too, the problem is likely the network or the website, not Edge.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will clearing the cache log me out or delete my passwords?
Not if you leave the right boxes unchecked. Check only Cached images and files, and leave Passwords and Autofill form data unchecked. Remember that if sync is on, clearing affects all your synced devices, so sign out first to limit it to the current device.

Does turning off energy saver hurt my laptop?
It does not damage anything, but it increases power consumption and shortens battery life because background tabs are no longer throttled. On a plugged-in machine that is a fine trade for more speed; on battery, you may prefer to leave it on.

Should hardware acceleration be on or off for speed?
There is no universal answer. It helps on some hardware and slows things down on others, so toggle it at edge://settings/system, restart Edge, and keep whichever setting renders pages more smoothly on your device.

An extension I installed disappeared. Did I do something wrong?
Probably not. Edge can automatically turn off extensions it considers unsafe, so a missing or disabled extension may be Edge's doing. Check Manage extensions to see its status.

How do I clear the cache in the Edge app on my phone?
In the Edge mobile app on iOS or Android, tap the menu (the three dots), then go to Settings > Privacy > Clear browsing data, select the data types you want to remove, and confirm. Note that this clears only Edge's cache, not the cache for Safari, Chrome, or other apps on your phone.

Edge is slow on only one website. What does that mean?
Open that page in a different browser. If it is also slow or broken there, the issue is the website or your network rather than Edge, and no browser setting will fix it on your end.