Putting a site you visit often on your desktop saves a trip through Edge's menus. If a Mac guide told you to look for “Pin to Finder,” that command is gone from current builds.
Install the page as an Edge app first, then create the icon from edge://apps on Windows or drag the app out of the Edge Apps folder in Finder on macOS.
In this guide, I have covered:
Contents
Create a Microsoft Edge shortcut on the Windows desktop
You want one icon on your desktop that opens a site straight in Edge, without digging through bookmarks each time. On Windows, the reliable route is to install the page as an Edge app first, then pull a shortcut out of the Apps manager. The icon stays on that computer and opens the saved site in Edge.
- Launch Microsoft Edge on your Windows computer.
- Open the website you want to place on the desktop.
- Open the
menu in the upper-right corner. - Select Settings and more.
- Select More tools.
- Select Apps.
- Select Install this site as an app.
- Confirm the installation when Edge displays the prompt.
Installing the app is only half the job. The desktop icon itself comes from Edge’s internal edge://apps page.
- Type edge://apps into the address bar.
- Press .
- Find the installed site under Active apps.
- Open the menu beside the site entry.
- Select Details.
- Select Create desktop shortcut.
- Confirm the shortcut if Edge asks you to finish.
You’ll know it worked when a new icon sits on your desktop and double-clicking it opens the saved page in Edge.
Make a quick website shortcut on the Windows desktop
Sometimes you don’t want an app at all, just a clickable icon for the page that’s already open on screen. Dragging the site icon out of the address bar takes seconds and skips the Apps manager entirely. Use this route when the page doesn’t need to live in Edge’s app list.
- Launch Microsoft Edge on your Windows computer.
- Open the website you want to link.
- Locate the site icon at the left of the address bar.
- Drag the site icon onto the desktop.
The icon appears on the desktop right away. Double-click it to open the page that was open in Edge.
Create an Edge site shortcut on a Mac desktop
On a Mac there’s no “Create desktop shortcut” command to look for. Edge drops the installed site into an Edge Apps folder inside Applications, and you move the app to the Desktop yourself.
- Launch Microsoft Edge on your Mac.
- Open the website you want to place on the desktop.
- Open the menu in the upper-right corner.
- Select Settings and more.
- Select More tools.
- Select Apps.
- Select Install this site as an app.
- Open Applications in Finder.
- Open the Edge Apps folder.
- Drag the installed site app to your Desktop.
The site’s icon should now sit on your Desktop and open the saved website in Edge.
Older Edge for Mac instructions use Pin to Finder. If that command is missing, use Install this site as an app and move the item from Edge Apps.
Create the same shortcut on an Edge phone instead
A desktop shortcut doesn’t travel. It stays on the machine where you made it, so installing the site again on your phone won’t bring the icon along. If one-tap access is what you’re after on an Android phone, add the shortcut link to your home screen from the Edge app instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most snags with Edge desktop shortcuts come down to a menu command that has moved or an icon that never appeared. Both are fixable.
Where is the “Create shortcut” option in Microsoft Edge?
Current Edge versions may not show that exact command in the main menu. Install the site from Settings and more > More tools > Apps > Install this site as an app, then open edge://apps, select the site’s Details page, and choose Create desktop shortcut.
How do I add an Edge website shortcut to a Mac desktop?
On macOS, choose Install this site as an app from Edge’s Apps menu. Open Applications > Edge Apps in Finder, then drag the site app to the Desktop.
Why can’t I find “Pin to Finder” in Edge?
The Pin to Finder label appeared in older Edge for Mac instructions. Current builds use Install this site as an app, then place the app from Edge Apps on the Desktop.
Why is my Edge desktop shortcut missing?
On Windows, reopen edge://apps, open the site’s Details page, and confirm Create desktop shortcut is selected. On Mac, check Applications > Edge Apps and drag the app to the Desktop if it is still in the folder. If Install this site as an app is not available, use the address-bar drag method instead.
Can I make an Edge desktop link without installing the site as an app?
On Windows, drag the site icon from the address bar onto the desktop. This creates a direct link to the page you have open, while the Apps method adds the site to Edge’s app management tools.
The absolute easiest way I have found to create a desktop shortcut is this:
[TLDR: Make sure your browser window is small enough to also see your desktop. Drag the Padlock icon in the left corner of the address bar out of your browser window and drop it onto your desktop. That’s it.]
Detailed Instructions:
1.) Click on the “Restore Down” icon in the very upper right corner of the browser (the overlapping square icon to the very left of the red x “Close” icon). The browser window should now be small enough so that the desktop is also visible behind it. (If the browser window is still too large and the desktop is still not visible, resize the browser window by dragging the edge/corner.)
2.) In the left corner of the address bar (to the left of the URL; to the right of the “Home” icon) there is a Padlock icon (or in some cases, a warning triangle and the text “Not secure”). (If you hover over the icon with your cursor, it should highlight grey and display the text “view site information”.) Click and hold that icon, then drag it out of the browser window and drop it onto your desktop. You now have a shortcut to that webpage.
Thank you, Wig!
YOU WIN !! This is WAAAAAAY EASIER !!!
there is no “PIN TO FINDER” ON EDGE “MORE TOOLS” !!
@Brad
Thank you! The article didn’t work at all for me, but your comment did. Thanks again!
That’s probably because the Pin to Finder is available on Edge browser for Mac! Perhaps, Brad’s suggestion should be quite helpful.
I’m using the new Edge browser on a Windows 10 computer. This would explain why “Pin to Finder” doesn’t exist for some of us. The process is slightly different for anyone using Windows. The instructions I posted earlier will still work for Windows users. It’s now June 3, 2021, and I’m using Edge v91.0.864.37.
Thanks mate!
Don’t know what version of Microsoft Edge you are using, but as Marie stated, “Pin to Finder” does not exist. There is a “Pin to Taskbar”, but this still doesn’t place the favorite as a shortcut on the desktop. As of this writing on November 22, 2020, I am using v87.0.664.41 which is currently the latest official build. Despite the information here that won’t get results, you can still place your favorite bookmarks onto your desktop without too much trouble. Here’s how:
1. Launch Microsoft Edge (the new Chromium version – these steps won’t work for the old version if you still have it)
2. In the address bar, enter the following command/address to “Manage favorites”:
edge://favorites/
3. Your page will now look similar to File Explorer. All you need to do is navigate to the favorite you created, click on it, and drag it to your desktop. The favorite will remain within Microsoft Edge once you perform this action.
Three steps – that’s it! You are done.
Thank you, Brad!
WELL HERE’S A TIP->
If you want to create a shortcut for a website like “YouTube” or “WhatsApp”, then instead of adding them to your favorite you can use them like apps with different windows instead of a shortcut with a link that again opens in the browser and not directly. It also does not has its own icon.
1.) Just click on ‘apps’ from the 3-dot menu when you visit the website.
2.) Then click on ‘Install this site as an app’ and install it.
Now the website would be opened in its own private window and would also show on the taskbar after you minimize it. Don’t forget to pin to use it directly afterward.
Your shortcut is created and you can now drag the website from the ‘apps’ to your desktop.
Now for the “App” thing:
The desktop shortcut app version of the website might be still looking like a link. Worries not, just follow the steps. Rest assured.
3.) Right-click on the website in the ‘app’ and choose ‘create shortcut option’.
4.) A small window will appear with two dialog boxes asking for the “pin app to” ‘Desktop’ and ‘Start menu’ options. Check both of them as your choice.
And now your website’s app version (or more like a shortcut but with “app” like feel) is created on your Desktop and also on the Start menu
Pin to Finder doesn’t exist on my computer.