How-To

How to Enable and Use the Microsoft Edge VPN

By Brian Burgess

Published August 21, 2023

If you want to protect your privacy and security while you’re browsing on a public network, you can enable and use the Microsoft Edge VPN. Here’s how.

Microsoft is rolling out a free Virtual Private Network (VPN) in the Microsoft Edge browser. The Edge VPN provides more browsing security and privacy benefits. This guide will show you how to enable and use Microsoft Edge VPN.

The Edge VPN is a complimentary addition to the browser that helps obscure your IP address and encrypt your connection while browsing sites online. It has limitations but will allow protection while on public Wi-Fi.

So, if you want to boost privacy and security while browsing the web, we’ll show you how to use the Microsoft Edge VPN in this guide.

How to Enable the Microsoft Edge VPN

The Edge VPN reroutes your traffic through a configured remote server. Once enabled, it makes it more difficult for websites and third-party ad services from monitoring your activity.

Enabling the VPN is straightforward from within the browser’s Settings section. The VPN service in Edge is known as “Microsoft Edge Secure Network,” which allows 5GB of free use per month with a collaboration with Cloudflare.

To enable the Microsoft Edge VPN:

1. Launch the Microsoft Edge browser on your desktop.
2. Click the Settings and more (three-dot) button in the top right corner of the browser.
3. Select Settings from the menu that appears.
4. Select Privacy, search, and services from the left column.
5. Scroll down the page and toggle on the Microsoft Secure Network switch under the Security section.
6. Once on, choose your VPN mode, including either Select Sites or Optimized.

Note: The Optimized option is recommended and enables the VPN on public settings and non-secure networks and sites. The Select Sites option turns on the secure network feature when you load sites in a custom list.

It’s also important to note that you must be signed in with your Microsoft account in the browser for the VPN to work. You won’t see the VPN section in Settings if you aren’t signed into Edge.

How to Force Individual Sites to Use Edge VPN

You can also manually manage which sites do or don’t have access to the VPN. This can be especially helpful when browsing sites with heavy advertising and tracking.

To ensure certain websites use the Edge VPN:

1. Click the Manage Secure Network sites setting under the VPN mode options.
2. Click the Add a site button next to the Always use Secure Network for the sites you choose option.
3. Type in the site you always want to use the VPN and click the Add button to confirm.
4. To remove or edit a site from your list, click the three-dot button next to it and choose the Remove or Edit button.

If you never want a site to run through the VPN, use the same steps in the Never use Secure Network for these sites section and enter links to the sites.

How to Manage Microsoft Edge VPN Settings

Once the VPN is enabled, you can manage it without digging through Edge’s Settings section. You can turn the VPN on or off and set it to use the VPN for public Wi-Fi and other insecure sites. You can also have it use the VPN for a specific site you’re viewing.

To easily manage your Edge VPN settings:

1. Click the Browser essentials button (heart icon) in the top right corner next to the address bar and Settings and more (three-dot) menu button.
2. Scroll to the bottom of the menu that appears and find the Microsoft Edge Secure Network section. There you can manage the VPN by toggling it on or off or setting it to use the VPN feature on the current site you’re viewing.

More About Edge VPN

Since the Edge VPN only provides 5GB of data per month, it’s not a permanent solution if you want to use it often. However, despite the limitations, it will give you privacy and security when needed. It’s beneficial at a coffee shop or other location where public Wi-Fi is available.

You won’t be able to use it for long if you’re a heavy browser and stream a lot of video content. So, if you want a full-time VPN solution, you can subscribe to a third-party service like Private Internet Access or PIA.

Note that at the time of this writing, Edge VPN is in preview and not available to everyone yet. For example, we used the beta version of Edge Windows 10 and 11 PCs to get screenshots of its full feature set for this article.

However, it is coming soon to the stable version of Edge. Hopefully, by then, Microsoft will allow for more than 5GB of data, but that remains to be seen.

In addition, Microsoft Edge can run on Windows 10 or 11, Android, iOS, and Linux systems, but currently, Edge VPN is available for the desktop only.

Using Microsoft Edge

The Edge VPN is an important piece of online security that will allow you to mask your IP address and browsing data while on a public network. So, if you don’t use a third-party VPN solution, Edge VPN will fill the void.

You can use other tips and tricks to get more from Edge. For example, if you want to collaborate with others, you can use the Microsoft Edge Workspaces feature. Or you might need to recover deleted bookmarks on Edge.

If you don’t use the Bing AI chatbot and find that it gets in your way, you can remove the Bing Chat button from Edge. And if you need an easy way to share files or notes between devices, check out how to use the Microsoft Edge Drop feature.