--- title: "How to password-protect favorites in Microsoft Edge | VaultForYou" description: "Microsoft Edge has no password for favorites: anyone using the profile can open edge://favorites and read them, and a second profile only hides them." url: https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/password-protect-bookmarks/edge lang: en published: 2026-11-03 updated: 2026-11-03 author: "VaultForYou Editorial Team" publisher: VaultForYou --- # How to password-protect favorites in Microsoft Edge > Edge has no lock for favorites. Here is what a profile does, what it doesn't, and the extension that adds a real one. Published 2026-11-03 - Updated 2026-11-03 - By VaultForYou Editorial Team - Checked against each browser's help pages, November 2026 ## Quick answer Microsoft Edge has no password for favorites: anyone using the profile can open `edge://favorites` and read them, and a second profile only hides them. To lock favorites in Edge, install Private Bookmarks: it keeps them in an encrypted vault (AES-256-GCM) that opens only with your password and locks itself after a few minutes. - **Built into Edge:** Nothing: no password, no lock, no hidden folder - **With Private Bookmarks:** Password-locked, AES-256-GCM, auto-lock, no sync, no account - **Install:** Edge installs Chrome Web Store extensions ## Password-protect favorites in Microsoft Edge 1. **Install Private Bookmarks** Open the [Chrome Web Store listing](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/private-bookmarks-by-vaul/laonjbpehlabehhllohfaffbcpholdho) in Edge and add it. Edge installs Chrome Web Store extensions. The first time, Edge asks you to allow extensions from other stores; click Allow, then Add to Chrome works as Get. Pin it from the extensions menu so the icon stays in the toolbar. 2. **Set a password** Edge opens the welcome page. Choose a password of at least 8 characters. It is the only key; there is no reset. 3. **Save pages into the vault** On any page, click the icon or press Alt+Shift+B and choose a folder. The page goes into the vault, not into Edge's favorites. 4. **Move existing favorites** Open each favorite you want locked, save it to the vault, then delete it from `edge://favorites`. 5. **Keep a backup** In the extension's Settings, export an encrypted backup (.pvb) and store the file somewhere safe. ## What Edge offers on its own | Option | Locks the favorites? | Notes | |---|---|---| | A second Edge profile | No | One click switches to it; its Bookmarks file is readable on disk | | A separate operating-system user | Only if that user has a password | Locks the whole computer account, not Edge; sync still copies the favorites | | Hiding the favorites bar | No | Everything stays in `edge://favorites` | | Private Bookmarks | Yes | Encrypted vault, password required, auto-lock, never synced | ## How the lock works The vault is encrypted on this computer with a key derived from your password (PBKDF2, 600,000 iterations), and the extension has no network permission, so nothing leaves the machine. It locks after 5 minutes of inactivity by default (1, 15 or 60 minutes, or only when Edge closes, in Settings), and always when the screen locks or Edge quits. Forget the password and the vault can't be opened; there is no server with a copy. > **Add Private Bookmarks to Edge.** Free. No account, no sync, no tracking. [Add to Chrome](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/private-bookmarks-by-vaul/laonjbpehlabehhllohfaffbcpholdho) ## Frequently asked questions ### Can I put a password on favorites in Edge without an extension? No. None of the Chromium browsers has one. The nearest built-in options, a second profile or a separate computer account, don't lock the favorites themselves. ### Does Private Bookmarks work in Edge? Yes. Edge installs Chrome Web Store extensions. The first time, Edge asks you to allow extensions from other stores; click Allow, then Add to Chrome works as Get. ### Can I still sync locked favorites? No, by design. The vault never syncs or connects to the network. Move it between computers with its encrypted backup file and your password. ### What if I forget the password? The vault can't be opened; your password is the only key. You can erase the vault and start again, then import a backup if you have one. ## Sources - [Microsoft Support: Add a site to your favorites in Microsoft Edge](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/add-a-site-to-my-favorites-in-microsoft-edge-eb40d818-fd1f-cb19-d943-6fcfd1d9a935) - [Microsoft Support: Keyboard shortcuts in Microsoft Edge](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/keyboard-shortcuts-in-microsoft-edge-50d3edab-30d9-c7e4-21ce-37fe2713cfad) - [Microsoft Support: Add, turn on, or remove extensions in Microsoft Edge](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/add-turn-on-or-remove-extensions-in-microsoft-edge-9c0ec68c-2fbc-2f2c-9ff0-bdc76f46b026) ## Password-protect bookmarks in other browsers - [How to password-protect bookmarks in Chrome on a Chromebook](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/password-protect-bookmarks/chromebook) - [How to password-protect bookmarks in Brave](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/password-protect-bookmarks/brave) - [How to password-protect bookmarks in Opera](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/password-protect-bookmarks/opera) - [How to password-protect bookmarks in Vivaldi](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/password-protect-bookmarks/vivaldi) - [How to password protect bookmarks in Chrome](https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/password-protect-bookmarks-chrome) - [All browsers: password-protect bookmarks](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/password-protect-bookmarks) ## More for Microsoft Edge - [How to show the favorites bar in Microsoft Edge](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/show-bookmarks-bar/edge) - [How to bookmark a page in Microsoft Edge](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/add-bookmark/edge) - [How to delete favorites in Microsoft Edge](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/delete-bookmarks/edge) - [How to export favorites in Microsoft Edge](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/export-bookmarks/edge) - [How to import favorites in Microsoft Edge](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/import-bookmarks/edge) - [How to find where favorites are stored in Microsoft Edge](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/where-bookmarks-are-stored/edge) - [How to restore lost favorites in Microsoft Edge](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/restore-bookmarks/edge) - [How to organize favorites in Microsoft Edge](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/organize-bookmarks/edge) --- Private Bookmarks by VaultForYou is a Chrome extension made by VaultForYou. Add to Chrome: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/private-bookmarks-by-vaul/laonjbpehlabehhllohfaffbcpholdho