According to Windows Report | Error-free Tech Life, Microsoft is currently testing a new menu toggle in its Edge Canary browser that provides a one-click way to turn the AI-powered Copilot mode on or off. The feature, which is hidden behind an experimental flag called “Edge Copilot Mode More Menu Toggle,” places a switch directly at the top of the browser’s three-dot menu. This change allows users to instantly revert to normal browsing without navigating through the Settings menu. When Copilot mode is off, Edge returns to its standard layout and behavior, though the browser may still show a prompt on new tabs inviting users to “Turn Microsoft Edge into your AI browser powered by GPT-5.” The company is also testing an alternate placement for this toggle above the Settings entry, with the top-of-menu version being the most active in current Canary builds.
A Desperately Needed Option
Here’s the thing: this feels like a major concession. For months, Copilot has felt less like a helpful feature and more like an overeager passenger trying to grab the steering wheel. It’s been front-and-center on new tabs, popping up in sidebars, and generally making its presence known. Burying the off switch in Settings was a classic dark pattern—making it just inconvenient enough that many users would just sigh and put up with it. Adding a direct toggle to the main menu is Microsoft basically admitting the pushback was real. And it was. Users don’t like feeling forced into an AI experience, especially one that’s still evolving.
The Fine Print and Future Nudges
But let’s not throw a parade just yet. The article notes that even after you turn it off, Edge might still show you a reminder on new tabs. That “Not now” button is telling. It confirms the mode is optional, sure, but it also shows Microsoft’s strategy hasn’t fully changed: they want you to be aware of it, always. The goal is clearly to make Copilot the default, preferred state. This quick toggle is a pressure release valve—a way to placate power users and critics while the company continues its broader campaign to normalize AI-assisted browsing for everyone else. It’s a smarter approach, honestly. Less brute force, more gentle (or not-so-gentle) suggestion.
Deeper Control for the Curious
For users who want to actually configure how this AI behaves, the deeper settings are still there in Settings > AI innovations. That’s where you can manage the Copilot new tab page, Journeys, Actions, and other related features. So the quick toggle is for on/off, and the settings page is for fine-tuning. This two-tiered system makes sense. Most people will just want it on or off. The ones who care about the specifics—the kind of users running Canary builds in the first place—will go digging for more control. I think that’s a reasonable compromise.
What This Really Signals
So, what’s the big picture? This is Microsoft learning from its own aggressive rollout. The tech giant has a history of baking features into Windows and its browsers that users can’t easily remove. Remember the Bing Chat integration that felt inescapable? This feels like a step back from that brink. By making the off switch visible and easy, they’re acknowledging that user agency matters. It’s a small change in a Canary build, but it’s a significant shift in tone. The message is shifting from “Here is your AI browser, learn to love it” to “Here’s an AI mode you can try, and you can turn it off if you don’t like it.” That’s progress. The real test will be if this toggle survives the journey from Canary to the stable version without being watered down or hidden again.
