You can manage guest browsing in Microsoft Edge with registry tweaks on Windows 10 and Windows 11. This guide shows how to turn the Browse as guest option on or off, and how to force guest-only browsing on newer Edge versions.
You can enable or disable guest mode in Microsoft Edge by using specific commands in Windows Terminal. Open Terminal as administrator and either delete the BrowserGuestModeEnabled and BrowserGuestModeEnforced registry keys to allow guest mode, or add them with specific values to enforce or disable it.
What is Guest Mode?
Guest mode in Microsoft Edge provides a temporary, clean slate for web activity. It opens in its own window, separate from your regular profiles. Your history, saved passwords, cookies and sign-ins are not available in that window.
Why Use Guest Mode?
Guest mode lets anyone browse the web without signing into websites automatically. It suits a shared PC, a family member who just needs to look something up, or a quick session you do not want tied to your account. When the guest window is closed, the session data is removed.
What Policies Control Guest Mode?
Microsoft Edge relies on configuration rules called policies to manage browser behavior. The BrowserGuestModeEnabled policy controls whether guest profiles remain available. Newer versions also support the BrowserGuestModeEnforced policy to lock the browser strictly into guest mode.
Forcing guest-only browsing is possible with the BrowserGuestModeEnforced policy, available starting with Microsoft Edge version 147. On an older version of Edge, that policy has no effect, so check your version first under Edge Settings About Microsoft Edge
These policies are applied through the registry, so the method works on both Windows Home and Windows Pro. You do not need Group Policy Editor. Once a policy is set, Edge may show a “Managed by your organization” notice in its menu and settings. That is normal. It only means Edge is reading a policy value.
For more details on Microsoft Edge privacy, check out 'User data and privacy in Microsoft Edge'.
How to Enable or Disable Browse as Guest
🔒 Administrator rights are required to change these settings. If you are signed in with a standard account, Windows will ask for an administrator password when you open the elevated terminal.
- Right-click the Start button and choose Terminal (Admin). You can also search for Terminal, right-click it, and choose Run as administrator. On Windows 10, Windows Terminal may not be installed. In that case, open Command Prompt or PowerShell as an administrator instead.
- Click Yes if User Account Control asks for permission. An elevated terminal window should now be open.
- Decide what you want to do, then copy the matching command set from the blocks below. Use only one set at a time, because the sets do opposite things.
- Paste the commands into the terminal window.
- Press Enter to run the command. Wait for the terminal to report the result before you close it.
- Close all Microsoft Edge windows and open Edge again so it reads the new policy values. A full Windows restart is not normally needed.
- Click your profile picture in the Edge toolbar to check the result. With guest mode enabled, you should see the option to browse as a guest. With it disabled, that option should be gone.
If nothing changes, make sure Edge is fully closed, including any background processes, and that you ran the commands in an elevated window. A "Access is denied" message means the terminal was not running as administrator.
Option 1Let Users Choose to Browse as Guest (Default)
reg delete "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge" /v BrowserGuestModeEnabled /f
reg delete "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge" /v BrowserGuestModeEnforced /f
Option 2Always Browse as Guest for All Users
reg delete "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge" /v BrowserGuestModeEnabled /f
reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge" /v BrowserGuestModeEnforced /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
Option 3Turn Off Browse as Guest for All Users
reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge" /v BrowserGuestModeEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg delete "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge" /v BrowserGuestModeEnforced /f
Summary
To undo a change, open an elevated terminal again and run the command set that does the opposite. Then restart Edge.
Guest mode in Microsoft Edge offers a fast way to browse without altering anyone's main profile, and all session data disappears upon closing.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.
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