Forum Discussion
*Updated 9/3* Syncing in Microsoft Edge Preview Channels
Syncing your browser data in Microsoft Edge Preview builds
We heard your feedback and are committed to making sync a more reliable feature across devices. We’ve rebuilt our sync experience from the ground up and we’re making extra effort to ensure that sync meets your expectations. Our goal for sync is to ensure that you have a consistent browsing experience when you choose to roam your favorites, passwords, history, and other data across your devices.
*Updated 9/3* What is the current state of sync and what is the road ahead?
- You can now sync Favorites, Settings (preference), Passwords & Form-fill data across Windows devices, and across Microsoft Edge on Android and iOS (instructions below).
- Sync is enabled for both Microsoft accounts (MSA) as well as work or school accounts (AAD).
- Note that AAD sync is only available for AAD premium accounts (SKUs which include Azure Information Protection) and is not yet rolled out for macOS.
- We are working on pending attributes and will be enabling them soon (history, extensions & open tabs)
- As we are building a new system, Edge builds are not expected to sync with earlier versions of Microsoft Edge. You can import your existing favorites from earlier versions of Microsoft Edge.
Enabling sync on PC
When you sign in with your Microsoft account on Microsoft Edge Insider Channels, you’ll get a dialogue asking for consent to enable sync. Once you give the consent, your favorites should start syncing. Note that you can customize the sync behavior from the sync settings page.
PC Sync Settings
Note that some attributes might be disabled on this page. They will be enabled on this page as we enable sync for them.
Enabling sync on Android
Our Microsoft Edge app on Android can now sync with the Microsoft Edge Insider Channels. But first, you’ll need to upgrade to the latest version on Google play.
To sync with Microsoft Insider Channels, sign in with your Microsoft Account, ensure that it is selected as your active account, go to Settings > Account and select your Microsoft account, then select Microsoft Edge Insider Channels > Switch.
After you switch to Microsoft Edge Insider Channels, you will be asked how you want to handle your existing favorites. You can choose to import and sync your existing favorites with Microsoft Edge Insider Channels. If you choose no, your existing favorites will be deleted before sync is enabled.
If you choose to import favorites, when you visit Favorites for the first time, you’ll see all your current favorites and they’ll start syncing with your Microsoft Edge Insider Channels on your PC.
Enabling sync on iOS
We are happy to announce that we have expanded our sync support to iOS. To begin syncing your favorites between you iOS devices and your other Microsoft Edge Insider devices, you must first update Microsoft Edge for iOS to the latest version on iTunes. To sync with the Insider Channels you can follow similar steps as those listed above in the Sync with Android section.
First you will need to sign in with your Microsoft Account, ensure that it is selected as your active account, go to Settings > Account and select your Microsoft account, then select Microsoft Edge Insider Channels > Switch.
After you switch to Microsoft Edge Insider Channels, you will be asked how you want to handle your existing favorites. You can choose to import and sync your existing favorites with Microsoft Edge Insider Channels. If you choose no, your existing favorites will be deleted before sync is enabled.
Once you have completed these steps you will see all of your imported favorites in your favorites list.
What do you think?
We are excited about sync in Microsoft Edge Insider Channels and are very optimistic that we are building it right. However, we want to be sure that sync works across your workflows and browsing scenarios. Please give it a try and let us know how it worked for you. If you run into any issues, use the in-app feedback button to submit the details. If you have other feedback for us about sync, please leave a comment below.
Thank you for trying the new Microsoft Edge.
Hi All,
We have rolled out a fix to the problem where clients were reporting error on sync. We expect an app restart should get the client back into a functional state for sync now. We so much appreciate your patience and willingness to help all this while. Apologies that it took us time to get this fix across to you. If you still see any errors, please submit using in-app feedback button (and drop me a private message so that we jump on it faster). Sincere thanks for working with us on building a better product.
Ankur
CC. @Mike_BNL , @DiggsMcGee , @bassoprofundo , @indospot , @Stephen Berard , @billbyrnes
279 Replies
- gernerttlBrass Contributor
Elliot Kirk I am unable to sync favorites with Edge for Android. Here are the versions I am running:
Android Devices:
Galaxy Note 8: Edge v42.0.22.3726
Galaxy Tab S2: Edge v42.0.22.3726
Windows 10 Devices:
Microsoft Surface Pro (2017): Version 76.0.167.1 (Official build) dev (64-bit)
Dell Desktop: Version 76.0.167.1 (Official build) dev (64-bit)
Both Windows 10 devices are running the May 2019 update (1903).
I am unable to sync at all. I am logged into the same account on ALL devices.
- gernerttlBrass Contributor
Elliot Kirk I am still unable to sync favorites. I have followed EVERY step and my favorites are NOT sycning. I cannot even get sync to work between to Windows 10 devices (Dell desktop and a Surface Pro). I have reset the program, I have uninstalled and reinstalled Edge Dev from scratch, I have unlinked my Microsoft account and relinked it. I have done EVERYTHING I can think of and still cannot get favorites to sync.
Here is my Edge version
Edge Dev Channel
Version 76.0.167.1 (Official build) dev (64-bit)
Windows version on both systems:
Edition: Windows 10 Pro 64bit
Version: 1903
OS build: 18362.116
- Yorkshire_Ale365Brass Contributor
Canary build 76.0.167.0 shows new syncing option of Settings but cannot see anything changing on Edge in Android. Anyone any idea what, if anything should change? Elliot Kirk
- lirsuyCopper Contributor
Elliot Kirkthis is already great, sync working flawlessly, but feature forward to PC still forwarding to the old edge.
- Alan HarlandBrass Contributor
Syncing has stopped on my Desktop Edge saying it's not syncing and I need to log out and back in. I do this and it works for a few minute then stop again
- r33zABrass Contributor
Still haven't been able to sync as yet... I've had the browser open most of the day on and off in the hope it might un grey itself and start.
- Tiago FreireBrass Contributor
Every little bit counts. What I am looking for though, is to be able to use an O365 account to sync, rather than a personal Microsoft account, which I currently cannot.
That is super important for businesses.
- akhatorFormer Employee
Tiago Freire Thanks for the feedback and patience. We are working on enabling sync for enterprise accounts.
- DiggsMcGeeCopper Contributor
Elliot Kirk Upon opening Edge dev this afternoon, sync is working. I no longer get the error messages or red text indicating sync is not working or "cannot connect to servers."
😄
I have the Edge dev channel on my desktop and have Edge beta on my Samsung Galaxy Note9 syncing with the Edge insider channels.
- Drew1903Silver ContributorPlease, explain what you said since both Dev and Canary are betas.
Cheers,
Drew- DiggsMcGeeCopper ContributorSorry, yes, I have the beta Android app on my phone. Sorry for the confusion.
- Bob_j5Copper ContributorGood job!!!!!
- ex-jediBrass ContributorHi. I've been getting an issue where my favourites folders are being duplicated. Initially on desktop only, but now on Android too. I've sent feedback via the browser form.
- LarryE1946Brass Contributor
ex-jedi Oh my, and I now have two new additions on my Favorites Bar I just noticed on Canary and Dev versions. One new one is "imported from Microsoft Edge" and another "Imported from Internet Explorer". It's odd because I didn't actually Import any favorites from either of those, but imported an HTML file. What's odd is that I haven't opened "Internet Explorer" for ages.
And my Android devices have also synced.
- Rishi_Gupta
Microsoft
Elliot Kirk What about syncing of extensions? I don't find a mention of extension (edge+chrome) syncing anywhere. It's a pain to find and install the dozens of extensions I use on every device.
- akhatorFormer Employee
Rishi_Gupta We do plan to support Extensions sync. We haven't enabled it currently (it is mentioned on the sync settings page but is in a disabled state).
- heathsCopper Contributor
Sync on my MSA has been working great - so much faster than Edge "Classic": sometimes would take over an hour to sync a newly added favorite, whereas in Edge Insider it's almost instantaneous. Definitely eager to try syncing across my work AAD account, though. Have a couple of machines I use regularly and this is sorely missed.
Will favorites be synced via Microsoft Graph? And speaking of Graph, when might we see built-in Timeline support? Odd that Microsoft Edge for Android does this when it is built in Chrome, as I've heard from several official sources.
- Drew1903Silver Contributor
heaths
"when might we see built-in Timeline support?"
I cannot give you a date for "built-in", however, in the meantime... > Chrome Store for Extensions, put Timeline in the search box & grab the circled item. And, voila, will have Timeline support, albeit, not exactly "built-in" but, do end up w/ the desired result 😊
Cheers,
Drew