Microsoft Edge on Windows in Nottingham: a practical guide for 2026
Updated 2026-10-20 · For Nottingham and the Nottingham City Council area
Why Edge on Windows in Nottingham
Nottingham has two large universities and a compact, tram-connected centre, so a big share of its Windows laptops belong to students and young professionals. Those users move between lecture halls, libraries, flats and trams, which is exactly where Edge's efficiency tools earn their keep.
Studying in Nottingham: tabs, reading and notes
With the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University both in the city, many students share the same coursework systems. Vertical tabs and a Favorites folder per module keep deadlines under control.
Switch to vertical tabs when you have a pile of journal articles open, press F9 for Immersive Reader on long PDFs and web pages, and keep one Favorites folder per module. Collections no longer takes new items, so Favorites is the place to organise.
Commuting from Nottingham: stretch the battery
If you ride the NET tram or a train in, enable Efficiency mode and avoid leaving video tabs running in the background; Edge's task manager (Shift+Esc) will show which tabs use the most power.
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.
Working from home in Nottingham: keep work and personal apart
For hybrid work around Nottingham, keep a work profile signed into your employer's accounts and a personal one for the rest. Install the web apps you use daily as windows from the Apps menu.
Create a separate Edge profile for work (profile icon, then Add profile) so logins, extensions and history stay apart. Use the Apps menu to install web tools such as Outlook or Teams on the web as their own windows.
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 Nottingham?
For most Windows users in Nottingham, 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 NET tram and train journeys in Nottingham?
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 the NET tram and trains from Nottingham station, where you often have no chance to plug in.
Will Edge keep working on Windows 10 for people in Nottingham?
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.