SOLVED

Import Data from Google Chrome to the New Microsoft Edge

MVP

Please add Google Chrome to the drop down list so we can import data from it to the new Microsoft Edge (Passwords, bookmarks, extensions, autofill data, History etc).

so far only possible way is to export bookmarks from Chrome to HTML and import it to the new Edge.

19 Replies

Hey @HotCakeX, importing data from Chrome to the new Edge is supported. You should be able to select Chrome as the source browser from
the First Run Experiece > Customize Import or
Settings > Profiles> Import browser data views.

If you aren't seeing Chrome as an option, there may be some issue in the import process.
One of the known bugs where the Chrome option doesn't shows up is if the Chrome "Local State" file is larger than 25 mb. This is a bug in Chrome itself where at times the file can balloon to huge sizes and we have to disable the import from Chrome options from our side.

 

you can see the file at "%LocalAppData%\Google\Chrome\User Data". Just paste that in your windows explorer and check if that file is present. On my system, the file looks like this;

Untitled.png


What is the size of the file on your system?

@rishavsharan 

 

Hi, I'm using Chrome beta (version 74) and that Local State file is here in my system:
"C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome Beta\User Data"

 

Annotation 2019-04-09 153804.jpg

 

 

as you can see it's only 100kb. I should mention that the original Edge also doesn't have Chrome as import browser, even when i was on stable Chrome channel.

 

 

 

 

best response confirmed by HotCakeX (MVP)
Solution

@HotCakeX 

Currently, we don't support import from any dev/beta/canary versions of Chrome. We only allow import for the stable version of Chrome. 

That said, please do keep sharing your feedback on the new Edge. We keep a close eye on user voices and if there are enough asks on this front, we would love to update our roadmap accordingly.

Thanks, switched to Chrome stable and it worked.
there is just a problem, the bookmarks don't have their icons, no favicon was imported. any suggestions?

@HotCakeX 

We have implemented importing of favicons for favorites but it is not yet in the Dev build. I am expecting that this fix will find its way into Dev in the next few weeks.

@rishavsharan can you explain how do we import favorites, bookmarks, password saved on chrome to edge beta silently.

I am able to import History from chrome to edge beta but not favorites, bookmarks and saved passwords from chrome to edge beta.

@Ankush_Agarwal 

goto the Settings page > profiles > Import browser data.

in the dialog you should see the options to import data from Chrome.

 

You can also use the clickable URL:

edge://settings/importData

 

This is what you should see in the Import Browser Data dialog on Edge Beta right now.

clipboard_image_0.png

@rishavsharan Is there any file or folder we can copy to make this happen for all users. When I copied and pasted localstate file from chrome to edge beta it did not show anything in edge beta.

I don't think that would work. You will need to explicitly import Chrome data into Edge using this dialog option.
If you have sync enabled, you can then have the same data migrate across to all devices/browser instances.

@rishavsharan Apart from explicitly importing do we have any other option/s to import chrome or any other browser data into edge beta.

You can export your bookmarks to HTML format and import them to any browser.
passwords are trickier
Yes. Please consider this feature. This will be very useful for us who use insider builds of chrome and edge quite often.

@rishavsharanI'm not finding Profiles anywhere in settings.

@bstory @rishavsharan I was using an outdated version of Edge.  I updated and the instructions are clear now.  Thanks :)

The link works perfekt!
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I have the same issue with Edge beta on Linux. no import from chrome option

@nithinpb 

 

As Edge is Chromium, like Google Chrome, I'd imagine the file-formats are the same for both of them.

 

If you don't have any existing favourites, history or saved-passwords inside Edge that you need to keep, then try this:

 

(1) Make sure you have both Chrome and Edge fully-closed on your device

(2) Browse into the folder where Chrome saves its files (I think it is something like ".config/google-chrome/default" on Linux, inside your personal folder)

(3) Also browse into the folder where Edge saves its files (I'd guess something like ".config/microsoft-edge-beta/default" or ".config/microsoft-edge-dev/default" on Linux, inside your personal-folder)

(4) In the "Default" folder for Google Chrome, look for the following files:

  • "Bookmarks" and "Bookmarks.bak" = these are your favourites
  • "Favicons" and "Favicons-journal" = these are the icons for your favourites
  • "History" and "History-journal" = sites you've recently visited
  • "Login Data" and "Login Data-journal" = saved passwords

(5) Copy the relevant files above from the "Default" folder from your Google Chrome settings into the "Default" folder of your Edge settings

(6) Open Edge and see if they are there.

  • If so: great!
  • If not: was worth a try!  Close Edge and then delete any that didn't work and it'll recreate those files the next time you use it.

 

If you have existing favourites, history or saved-passwords in Edge you need to keep:

 

Inside Google Chrome it is possible to export bookmarks to a file; I think you go into the "Bookmarks" screen, tap the three-dots and look for an "export" option.  Then, in Edge, go to edge://settings/profiles and click "Import browser data" and change the dropdown to "Favourites or bookmarks HTML file".  Done this way you'll get all of your favourites from Chrome, though without the icons for any of them; however, as you click the favourites inside Edge, the icons beside each favourite will get recreated

@dftf-wip 

Thanks for sharing.

I used this trick on Ubuntu 18.04 and it worked except "Saved Passwords".

Although "Never saved" list came.

 

I thought exporting from chrome (in .csv) and importing on Edge will work.

But that too didn't bring my passwords to Edge.

 

Tried saving a password by logging into some website.

That also didn't show up in the list.

 

In short something went wrong with this trick for Saved Passwords.

 

Solution:

  1. Closed Edge browser.
  2. Deleted "Login Data" and "Login Data-journal" from ".config/microsoft-edge-dev/Default".
  3. Open Edge and import .csv password file exported from chrome.
  4. List will be updated with saved passwords.

Remember, in case you already have a saved password of some website which is also present in .csv file it will be replaced. (As per the warning, when we import passwords in Edge.)

1 best response

Accepted Solutions
best response confirmed by HotCakeX (MVP)
Solution

@HotCakeX 

Currently, we don't support import from any dev/beta/canary versions of Chrome. We only allow import for the stable version of Chrome. 

That said, please do keep sharing your feedback on the new Edge. We keep a close eye on user voices and if there are enough asks on this front, we would love to update our roadmap accordingly.

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