Manage guest browsing in Microsoft Edge using registry tweaks on Windows 10 and Windows 11.
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.
Why Use Guest Mode?
Guest mode in Microsoft Edge lets anyone browse the web without signing into websites automatically.
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.
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.
- Open Windows Terminal as an administrator.
- Copy and paste one of the command sets below, depending on what you want to do.
- Press Enter to run the command.
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
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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