You get rid of the MSN news feed in Edge by disabling the startup boost and opening behavior, or by turning off the "show feeds and content" toggle in Edge's New Tab settings. For most users, opening Edge, going to Settings, then Start, Home, and New Tabs, and setting the New Tab page to a blank or custom option removes the feed entirely. If MSN content still appears in a separate pop-up window, you must also disable the Windows "news and interests" widget and the Edge background startup task.
The MSN feed is not a single feature. It is a layered composition of several Microsoft services that share one surface: the Edge new tab page, the Windows taskbar news widget, and the startup boost process. Removing all of it requires understanding which layer is producing the pop-up on your specific machine. This explainer walks through the underlying mechanism, the numbers that matter, the edge cases that defeat casual fixes, and the practical steps that actually work.
The mechanism behind the MSN feed
Microsoft's MSN news feed is delivered through a service called Microsoft Start. Microsoft Start aggregates content from roughly 1,000 partner publishers and pushes it to any surface that requests it. The Edge new tab page is one such surface, and the Windows taskbar widget is another. The feed itself is not stored on your device. It is fetched at runtime from Microsoft's content delivery servers, which is why the items change each time you open the tab.
Edge decides what to show on startup using a profile setting called the startup experience. The default for new installs and most migrations is a new tab page loaded with Microsoft Start content. When you click the Edge icon, the browser reads that preference, launches the new tab, and requests the feed. The request includes a device identifier that Microsoft uses to personalize the content. If you sign in with a Microsoft account, the personalization token ties the feed to your profile across devices.
The pop-up you see is often not Edge at all. Windows 11 ships a taskbar widget called "news and interests" that launches a background process. On some configurations, that widget opens a separate Edge window when clicked, or spawns a flyout that looks like an Edge page. This is the most common source of the frustration behind the search query, because users disable the new tab feed and still see MSN content on startup.
Startup boost is the third layer. Edge can preload itself at Windows login so it appears to open faster. That preload is what makes the feed appear to "pop up" before you have touched the browser. Disabling startup boost stops the preload but does not stop the feed once you open the browser normally.
The plain-language version: three Microsoft components can each independently show you MSN content, and the fix you need depends on which component is firing.
Quantified context: how many users, how much data
Microsoft does not publish the share of Edge users who see the feed by default, but the default is applied to all new profiles unless the user or an administrator changes it during setup. Enterprise policy can override it. Microsoft's own documentation for the "NewTabPageContentEnabled" group policy describes the content as enabled by default, which means the majority of consumer installs start with the feed on.
The new tab page loads roughly 20 to 40 network requests depending on your region and whether you are signed in. The content payload is usually under 500 kilobytes, but the page also carries advertising scripts that can push the total page weight past 2 megabytes. On a metered connection that matters, because the new tab is often the first page Edge loads.
Microsoft Start's publisher network has been described by Microsoft as spanning hundreds of outlets. The feed rotates continuously, which is why users report that the content looks different after each refresh.
Microsoft has shipped the taskbar news widget as part of Windows 10 since version 21H1 and as part of Windows 11 from launch. The widget is enabled by default for most consumer SKUs and disabled by default on some managed enterprise images. If you are on a work machine, your IT department may have already turned it off through policy, which changes which fix applies to you.
A caveat worth stating plainly: Microsoft periodically renames and restructures these features. The taskbar widget has been through at least two rebrands. The Edge new tab settings labels shift between versions. Any guide that quotes exact menu labels without a version number may be describing a build you do not have.
The timeline of how the feed reaches you
| Stage | What happens | Where it is controlled |
|---|---|---|
| Windows login | Startup boost preloads Edge | Edge Settings, System and performance |
| Taskbar widget | News and interests process starts | Windows taskbar context menu |
| Edge launch | New tab page is requested | Edge startup settings |
| New tab load | Microsoft Start feed is fetched | New Tab page content toggle |
| Personalization | Device token requests tailored content | Microsoft account and privacy settings |
| Refresh | Feed updates every few minutes | No user-facing control |
This table exists because users frequently fix one stage and miss the others. The pop-up they describe usually occurs at the Edge launch or new tab load stage, but the taskbar widget and startup boost are what make it feel automatic and unavoidable.
Edge cases that defeat simple fixes
The most common failure is a fix that works on the new tab page but not on the pop-up. If the MSN content appears in a separate window titled "Microsoft Edge" with a news layout, the source is usually the taskbar widget launching a compact view, not the new tab page. Turning off the new tab content does nothing for that window. You must right-click the taskbar, open taskbar settings, and turn off the news and interests or widgets toggle depending on your Windows version.
A second edge case is the managed device. If your computer is enrolled in an organization, group policy can force the feed on and disable the settings toggle in Edge. In that case the UI will be grayed out or the setting will revert after you change it. The only fix is contacting your administrator. Attempting registry edits on a managed device can trigger compliance alerts or break other policies.
A third edge case is the Microsoft account sign-in. Even with the feed disabled locally, signing in to Edge can re-enable it because the profile syncs the setting from the account. Users who sign in on a new device often see the feed return. Signing out of the browser profile, or keeping the setting consistent across synced devices, is required.
A fourth edge case is the preinstalled Windows image. Some OEM builds ship with a configured Edge profile that has the feed baked into the default settings, and resetting Edge may not clear it because the reset restores the OEM default. Creating a brand-new Windows user profile is a cleaner test.
These are the cases where a thin 900-word explainer will tell you to "just turn off the toggle" and leave you frustrated.
Misconceptions worth correcting
The first misconception is that the feed is malware or a hijacked homepage. It is neither. The MSN feed is a legitimate Microsoft service that is on by default. Removing it does not require an antivirus scan, and third-party "Edge cleaner" tools that promise to strip it often bundle adware of their own.
The second misconception is that uninstalling Edge removes the feed. On Windows 11, Edge is a system component and cannot be fully uninstalled through normal means. Removing it with scripts can break Windows features that depend on the WebView2 runtime. The correct approach is configuration, not removal.
The third misconception is that the feed is the same as Bing search results. Bing is the search engine Edge uses by default, but the feed is a separate content service. Changing your default search engine to Google or another provider does not change the new tab feed. You must change the new tab page setting.
The fourth misconception is that clearing browser data resets the feed. Clearing cookies and cache removes personalization but leaves the feed enabled. It may even make the feed look more generic without removing it, which leads users to think the fix failed.
The counterintuitive detail here is that disabling the feed can make Edge slower to open on some machines, because startup boost and the preloaded new tab are part of the browser's launch optimization. Users who disable both often report a slightly longer cold-start time. That trade-off is usually worth it, but it is a real effect and not a sign that something broke.
Practical actions that actually work
Start with the layer that matches your symptom. If the feed appears inside the Edge window when you open a new tab, follow the new tab steps. If it appears in a separate flyout or window over the desktop, follow the taskbar steps. If it appears before you click anything, follow the startup boost steps.
Open Edge, select Settings, then Start, home, and new tabs. Under the new tab page option, choose a blank page or a custom URL instead of the Microsoft Start layout. This is the direct fix for the in-browser feed. In the same settings area, turn off the toggle labeled "Show feeds and content" or its equivalent. The exact wording varies by Edge version and region. Open Edge Settings, then System and performance, and turn off Startup boost. This stops Edge preloading at login so the feed does not appear before you launch the browser. Right-click the Windows taskbar and open Taskbar settings. Turn off the Widgets or News and interests toggle. On Windows 10 the control is labeled News and interests; on Windows 11 it is Widgets. If you are signed in to Edge, open your Microsoft account privacy settings and review the personalization options for Microsoft Start. Turning off personalized content reduces but does not always eliminate the feed. On a managed device, check whether the settings are grayed out. If they are, stop editing and contact your IT administrator, because policy is overriding your changes.
One warning: avoid registry cleaners and third-party "debloat" scripts that claim to remove the feed. Many alter policy keys that Windows Update later restores, which creates a loop where the feed returns after each update. Some also disable security features bundled into the same policy area.
Another warning: do not disable the WebView2 runtime to stop the feed. Several Windows features and applications depend on it, and removing it can break the Start menu search and other system components.
A third warning: if the feed persists after all of the above, create a new local Windows user profile and test there. A persistent feed in a fresh profile points to an OEM image issue or a policy, not a setting you missed.
Limitations and what the fix cannot do
Disabling these settings stops the MSN feed from appearing in Edge and on the taskbar, but it does not remove Microsoft Start from your Microsoft account, from the Bing website, or from the Windows lock screen. Those are separate surfaces with separate settings. The lock screen spotlight images and the Bing homepage will still show content if you visit them.
The fix also does not survive some Windows feature updates. Major updates occasionally re-enable the taskbar widget or reset the Edge new tab default. Rechecking the settings after each feature update is a reasonable maintenance habit, and it takes less than two minutes.
Finally, the settings labels and menu locations differ across Edge versions, Windows versions, and region-specific builds. This article describes the mechanism and the controls, not a guaranteed label for your exact build. If a label does not match, search the settings page for "new tab" or "startup" to find the equivalent control.
This article is general educational information about software configuration, not a technical support contract or a guarantee of outcomes on your specific device. For managed devices, contact your organization's IT administrator before changing settings, because policy changes can affect compliance and security.