How to Automatically Clear Microsoft Edge Browsing Data on Exit

Automatically clearing browsing data when closing Microsoft Edge helps protect privacy on shared devices, prevents outdated cached content from causing display issues, and frees up disk space. This guide will show you two ways to make it. 

Enable Automatic Clearing on Exit in MS Edge

You can enable the Clear browsing data on exit feature via Edge’s built-in settings. 

1. Open Microsoft Edge.

2. Click the three-dot menu and choose Settings.

3. In the left sidebar, choose Privacy, search, and services.

4. Scroll to the Clear browsing data section and click Choose what to clear every time you close the browser.

5. Toggle on the data types you want Edge to clear on exit. Options typically include:

• Browsing history

• Download history

• Cookies and other site data

• Cached images and files

• Site permissions                

6. Close and reopen Edge to confirm behavior. When Edge exits, the selected data will be removed automatically.

If you want automatic clearing but need to stay signed in on certain sites, don’t enable Cookies and other site data in the list. 

Using the Registry Editor to Clear Browsing Data When Edge Closes

To automatically clear browsing data when Edge closes, you can also use the registry editor. 

1. Press Win + R, type regedit to open. Next, navigate to the following path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftEdge

2. Right-click on the Edge key, select New > Key, and name it as Recommended.

3. Right-click on the Recommended key > New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it ClearBrowsingDataOnExit. 

4. Setting the Value data to 1 will automatically clear browsing data upon closing Microsoft Edge. If you want to keep your browsing data, you can set it to 0.

5. Press OK to set the DWORD’s value, then reboot the system to apply the changes.

By following the methods above, you don’t need to use the Private browsing mode or delete browsing data manually for privacy reasons. 

Conclusion 

Automatically clearing Microsoft Edge browsing data on exit is an easy way to protect privacy on shared devices, prevent display problems caused by stale cache, and free disk space. For most users, the built‑in Edge setting is the safest and simplest option. If you want to try the registry editor method, back up the registry and proceed with caution.