Microsoft Edge on Android puts nearly every privacy control on one screen, and none of them need an account or an extension to work.
Work down that screen once and you can block most trackers, stop usage data going back to Microsoft, and have cookies wiped the moment you swipe the app away. Site permissions, which decide camera, microphone, and location access, live on the main Settings page instead.
In this guide, I have covered:
Contents
How to Enhance Privacy and Security in Edge on Android
Edge on Android hides nothing here: nearly every privacy and security toggle sits on one screen, with a few related entries on the main Settings page. Open that screen before you change anything else.
- Open the Microsoft Edge app on your phone.
- Tap
in the bottom toolbar and choose Settings. - Tap Privacy and Security.
You land on a screen that lists Tracking prevention, Clear browsing data, Send a ‘Do Not Track’ request, and three data-sharing toggles.
Site permissions, Autofill and payments, and Save passwords sit on the main Settings screen rather than inside Privacy and Security. They matter just as much, so plan to visit them after this one.
Set Tracking Prevention to Balanced or Strict
Tracking prevention is the largest privacy dial in Edge on Android. It blocks trackers, fingerprinting scripts, and ad networks before they load on most pages.
Two of the three levels are worth your time. Here is how to switch.
- On the Privacy and Security screen, tap Tracking prevention.
- Pick Basic, Balanced, or Strict.
- Read the short description under each option so you know what gets through.
Balanced is the default and the safest middle ground for most sites. Strict blocks more trackers and ads but can break logins and embedded videos on some pages.
InPrivate tabs force Strict regardless of your main choice. That matters on a shared device, where the next person to pick up the phone should not inherit your session.
To allow or block tracking on a single site without changing the global level, tap 
next to the address bar, then tap Configure tracking prevention for this site.
Edge applies the same tracking-prevention model across platforms. If you also use Edge on iPhone, the strict privacy settings in Edge on iPhone guide covers the matching controls there.
Turn Off the Data-Sharing Toggles
Three toggles under Privacy and Security decide what Edge sends back to Microsoft while you browse. Switch all three off and that traffic drops to almost nothing.
- Scroll to the bottom of the Privacy and Security screen.
- Toggle off Share info about websites you visit.
- Toggle off Share usage data for personalization.
- Toggle off Usage and crash reports.
Switching off Usage and crash reports means Microsoft will not see crash logs from Edge on this phone, so fixes for bugs that affect only your build can take longer to land.
Send a Do Not Track Request
Do Not Track is still in Edge on Android, even though most sites ignore the header.
It costs you nothing, and it matches the signal desktop Edge already sends on your behalf.
- On the Privacy and Security screen, tap Send a ‘Do Not Track’ request.
- Toggle it on.
Edge adds the DNT header to every request going forward. Sites can still ignore it and most advertising networks do. Leave it on anyway.
Clear Browsing Data and Schedule Auto-Clear on Exit
Cookies and cache are the trail that outlives a browsing session. Edge on Android can wipe the data types you pick the moment you close the app, so nothing carries over between visits.
- Open the Microsoft Edge app on your Android phone.
- Tap in the bottom toolbar and choose Settings.
- Tap Privacy and Security, then open Clear browsing data.
- Select a Time range, then check Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files.
- Tap .
Edge deletes cookies and cache for the selected time range.
Then open Clear browsing data again and turn on Clear browsing data upon exit at the top of that screen. Edge wipes the selected data types every time you swipe the app away from the recent apps list.
Lock Down Site Permissions
Site permissions control whether a page can reach your camera, microphone, location, and notifications. Edge puts these in their own top-level menu rather than inside Privacy and Security.
- In Edge Settings, tap Site permissions.
- Tap each permission, such as Camera, Microphone, Location, and Notifications, and set it to Ask first or Don’t allow.
- To review or change permissions already granted to a specific site, tap on that page and pick Site permissions.
If you want to see exactly what one site has been allowed to do, our guide to viewing site information and configuring settings in Microsoft Edge on Android covers the per-site panel in full.
Keep SmartScreen and the Built-in Ad Blocker On
Two security layers in Edge on Android run with no setup at all: Microsoft Defender SmartScreen and the bundled AdBlock Plus.
SmartScreen checks every URL you open against Microsoft’s phishing and malware database and warns you before dangerous downloads run. It is on by default in the standard Edge Android build.
AdBlock Plus is bundled in as well. If ads slip past on a domain that depends on them, tap on that page and switch the Ads permission back on for just that site.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best tracking prevention level for Edge on Android?
Balanced is the right default for daily browsing. Strict blocks more trackers and ads but can also break embedded videos, social login widgets, and some shopping carts. Switch to Strict on shared Wi-Fi or when researching sensitive topics.
Does Edge for Android have a built-in ad blocker?
Yes. AdBlock Plus is built into the app and runs alongside Tracking prevention. Use on any page to allow ads on a single site if the global rule blocks content you actually want to see.
How do I make Edge clear browsing data when I close it?
Open Settings, tap Privacy and Security, then Clear browsing data, and turn on the Clear browsing data upon exit toggle at the top of that screen. It runs every time you swipe Edge away from the recent apps list.
What does the Do Not Track toggle in Edge actually do?
It adds the DNT: 1 header to every request Edge sends. Most advertising companies and websites ignore it because compliance is voluntary, but leaving it on costs nothing and matches the signal your desktop Edge already sends.
Is Edge on Android safe to use on public Wi-Fi?
SmartScreen blocks phishing and malware URLs in real time on every network. For an extra-strict setup on shared Wi-Fi, switch Tracking prevention to Strict, which is the level InPrivate tabs already use.
