how to restore sidebar search on Microsoft edge

Hi WASEEM AHSANN BSOUL,

Thanks for reaching out here in the Microsoft Q&A. I can understand the inconvenience this issue has caused you. To help resolve this issue, please follow the steps outlined below:

Method 1: Enable Sidebar Search via Edge Settings

• Open Microsoft Edge.
• Click the three-dot menu (…) > Settings > Sidebar (or Appearance > Sidebar in some versions).
• Toggle Always show sidebar to On. Use Ctrl + Shift + E to toggle the sidebar if needed.
• Check for the Search icon (magnifying glass) in the sidebar. Click it to test the search pane.
• Test by highlighting text on a webpage, right-clicking, and selecting Search in sidebar for….

Method 2: Reset Edge Flags

• Open Edge and type edge://flags in the address bar > Press Enter.
• Search for sidebar or search in the flags search bar.
• If flags like Microsoft Edge Sidebar or Sidebar Search are set to Enabled or Disabled, change them to Default.
• Alternatively, click Reset all at the top to revert all flags to default.
• Click Restart to relaunch Edge.
• Test by highlighting text and checking for Search in sidebar for….

Method 3: Reset Edge Settings

• Open Edge and go to Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their default values.
• Click Reset. This resets the startup page, new tab page, search engine, and pinned tabs.
• Re-enable the sidebar via Settings > Sidebar > Always show sidebar if needed.
• Test by highlighting text, right-clicking, and selecting Search in sidebar for….

Method 4: Check for Extensions/Browser Conflicts

• Open Edge and go to edge://extensions/ or Settings > Extensions.
• Toggle off all extensions.
• Test the sidebar search by highlighting text and right-clicking for Search in sidebar for….
• If it works, re-enable extensions one by one to identify the conflicting one, then keep it disabled or remove it.

Method 5: Check Registry Editor (For Windows Pro/Enterprise Users)

• Press Win + R > type regedit > Press Enter. Click Yes on the UAC prompt.
• Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge.

If the Edge key doesn’t exist, this method likely doesn’t apply, but you can create it: right-click Microsoft, select New > Key, and name it Edge.

• Look for a DWORD named DefaultSearchProviderContextMenuAccessAllowed.

If it exists, double-click and set Value data to 1 (enable). If set to 0, it disables sidebar search.

If it doesn’t exist, create it: right-click Edge, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, name it DefaultSearchProviderContextMenuAccessAllowed, set Value data to 1, and click OK.

• Restart Edge and test the sidebar search.

Disclaimer: Generally, mdifying registry subkeys or work group is intended for advanced users, administrators, and IT Professionals. It can help fix some problems; however, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For further protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to backup and restore the registry, click How to back up and restore the registry in Windows - Microsoft Support to view the article.

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Best Regards,

Kim Nguyen - MSFT | Microsoft Q&A Support Specialist

Hello WASEEM AHSANN BSOUL,

Here’s how you can restore the sidebar search (Discover) feature in Microsoft Edge if it’s missing or turned off:

1. Check if the sidebar is hidden
   • Look at the far-right edge of your Edge window. If you see a small “Sidebar” icon (a rectangle with a line), click it to show the sidebar.
   • Alternatively, press Ctrl+Shift+/ (slash) to toggle the sidebar.
2. Enable the sidebar in settings
   • Open Edge.
   • Click the three dots (… menu) in the top-right corner.
   • Go to Settings > Appearance> Copilot and Sidebar.
   • Make sure Always show sidebar is turned On.
   • Under App and notification settings, ensure that Discover (or “Search”) is enabled.
3. Check for updates
   • Sometimes the feature is disabled in older versions.
   • Go to Settings > About Microsoft Edge and let it check for updates. Restart Edge after updating.
4. Reset Edge settings (optional)
   • If the above doesn’t work, you can reset Edge to default:
   • Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their default values.
   • This won’t delete your bookmarks but will reset customizations.
5. Group policy or admin settings (work devices)
   • If you’re on a corporate-managed device, your IT admin may have disabled the sidebar. In that case, you’ll need to contact your IT support.

Hope this would help.

Hi WASEEM AHSANN BSOUL,

This is Kim from Q&A Community Support team.

It is my pleasure to hear that our response helped resolve your issue! The credit also goes to you - your technical expertise and quick action in following the guidance made all the difference in achieving a great result.

Is there anything else I can assist you with? If not, please feel free to let me know so I can close this thread. 

In addition, if you found the answer helpful, we'd really appreciate it if you could click Accept Answer and kindly give it an upvote. Your feedback helps others in the community too!

Best Regards,

Kim Nguyen - MSFT | Microsoft Q&A Support Specialist