Open Settings → Start, home, and new tab page. Use “When Edge starts” to add or remove about:blank at launch, and use the Home button controls separately.
First identify what you want to change
A blank page can appear when Microsoft Edge starts, when you use its Home control, when it restores a previous session, or after a website opens a new tab. These are different triggers. Change the setting that matches the moment you see it.
| Where blank appears | What controls it | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| When Edge launches | When Edge starts | Remove a saved page or change startup mode |
| When you select Home | Home button | Choose New tab page, another URL, or turn it off |
| After a website click | Popup, target URL, or site code | Use a site-specific popup check |
| On a work device | Microsoft Edge policies | Ask the administrator before bypassing controls |
Set a blank page in Microsoft Edge
Edge groups several related controls in one panel, but startup, Home, and New Tab still have distinct behavior.
- Open Edge Settings. Select the three-dot menu, then Settings.
- Open “Start, home, and new tab page.” Find the panel in the left navigation.
- Choose where blank should appear. For launch, select “Open these pages” and add
about:blank. For Home, turn on the button and enter that URL. - Test it. Fully close and reopen Edge for startup, or select the Home button.
The browser creates its own empty document. It does not load this website or another remote homepage.
Stop about:blank opening in Microsoft Edge
- Open the startup panel. Under “When Edge starts,” delete the
about:blankentry and choose the New Tab option if desired. - Check previous-session restore. A blank tab can return from the last session even when it is not saved as a startup URL.
- Change the Home button. Choose New tab page or turn off the button.
- Review extensions and management. If settings return, check
edge://extensionsand whether Edge is managed by your organization.
If the setting changes back, review extensions and whether the browser is managed. On a work or school device, ask the administrator before changing managed items.
If a blank tab appears after one link
The homepage setting is probably unrelated. Return to the original page, retry the action once, and check for a blocked-popup indicator. If the site genuinely needs a popup, allow it for that trusted site only. Keep global popup protection enabled.
Test the same action in a private window. If it works there, stored site data or an extension in your normal profile is the likely difference. If it fails in multiple current browsers, report the broken action to the site owner.
If the address says about:blank#blocked, use the dedicated blocked-navigation guide.
When a security check is appropriate
The blank document itself is not malware. Check further if homepage or search settings change without permission, unknown extensions return, or random ads and redirects appear across unrelated websites. In that case, update Microsoft Edge, remove unknown extensions, and run the operating system's trusted security scan.
There is no built-in infection with that name to remove. Use Microsoft Edge's own settings and your trusted operating-system security tools.
Microsoft Edge-specific notes
Modern Edge is Chromium-based, so it can show Chromium-specific results such as about:blank#blocked. That label means a navigation was refused or rewritten; it is not a general virus warning.
Edge extensions installed by an organization may show a briefcase indicator. Review edge://policy for visibility, but do not remove policy-managed extensions without IT approval.
Official source
- Microsoft Support: Change your browser home pageBrowser-maker instructions used to verify this guide on August 1, 2026.