Microsoft Edge on Windows in Croydon: a practical guide for 2026
Updated 2026-10-20 · For Croydon and the Croydon Council area
Why Edge on Windows in Croydon
Croydon is one of south London's largest town centres, with a big commuter population, a lively small-business scene and a very mixed community. East Croydon's rail links mean laptops spend plenty of time on the move, so power management is not a luxury.
Commuting from Croydon: stretch the battery
If you ride from East Croydon or take the Tramlink, set Efficiency mode on before you leave and check edge://settings/system to confirm Sleeping tabs is on, so idle tabs stop draining the battery.
Open edge://settings/system and turn on Efficiency mode and Sleeping tabs. Edge then slows or pauses background tabs, which helps a lot on a laptop that is unplugged for the whole journey.
Running a small business in Croydon: safer logins
Many Croydon shops and tradespeople run bookings, invoices and Croydon Council business forms from one PC. A separate business profile with Password Monitor keeps sensitive logins away from casual browsing.
Use Edge's password manager with Password Monitor so reused or leaked passwords get flagged, keep Microsoft Defender SmartScreen on, and use a dedicated business profile for invoicing and banking sites.
Family PCs in Croydon: profiles and privacy
A busy Croydon household often means one PC for homework, shopping and bills. Individual profiles, Kids Mode and InPrivate for guest logins keep things tidy and private.
Give each person their own profile, try Kids Mode for younger children, and use InPrivate (Ctrl+Shift+N) for one-off logins on a shared PC. Tracking prevention is under edge://settings/privacy.
Settings worth five minutes
| Feature | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Startup boost | Settings > System and performance. Lets Edge open faster after you sign in to Windows. |
| Efficiency mode | Same page. Cuts background activity to save battery on laptops. |
| Sleeping tabs | Same page. Puts idle tabs to sleep; you can set the timeout. |
| Keep Edge updated | edge://settings/help. Edge updates itself, not through Windows Update or the Microsoft Store. |
| Tracking prevention | edge://settings/privacy. Basic, Balanced or Strict. |
| Clear data | Ctrl+Shift+Delete. Choose a time range and what to remove. |
Shortcuts worth learning
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+Shift+N | InPrivate window |
| Ctrl+Shift+T | Reopen closed tab |
| F9 | Immersive Reader |
| Ctrl+Shift+U | Read aloud |
| Shift+Esc | Browser task manager |
| Ctrl+Shift+Delete | Clear browsing data |
What is new in 2026
Recent Edge releases added a Copilot-driven new tab page, and you can hide the Copilot toolbar icon by right-clicking it. Copilot features have usage limits and availability varies by market. Collections has been retired, so move saved items to Favorites.
FAQ
Is Microsoft Edge a good browser for Windows PCs in Croydon?
For most Windows users in Croydon, yes. Edge is built on Chromium, so sites behave as they do in Chrome, and it adds Windows-focused extras such as Startup boost, Efficiency mode, Sleeping tabs, Immersive Reader and Microsoft Defender SmartScreen. It is already installed on Windows, so there is nothing to download.
How do I save battery on trains and trams around Croydon?
Turn on Efficiency mode and Sleeping tabs in edge://settings/system, close heavy tabs such as video before you set off, and use Shift+Esc to see which tabs use the most resources. This suits trains from East Croydon and the Tramlink network, where you often have no chance to plug in.
Will Edge keep working on Windows 10 for people in Croydon?
Edge and the WebView2 runtime keep receiving updates on Windows 10 22H2 until at least October 2028, and you don't need the paid Extended Security Updates programme for that. The Windows 10 operating system itself is a separate matter, so plan an upgrade to Windows 11 where your PC supports it.
Independent guide, not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft. Microsoft, Windows and Edge are trademarks of Microsoft. Menu names and features change between versions; check edge://settings/help for yours.