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*Updated 9/3* Syncing in Microsoft Edge Preview Channels

Microsoft

Syncing your browser data in Microsoft Edge Preview builds
We heard your feedback and are committed to making sync a more reliable feature across devices. We’ve rebuilt our sync experience from the ground up and we’re making extra effort to ensure that sync meets your expectations. Our goal for sync is to ensure that you have a consistent browsing experience when you choose to roam your favorites, passwords, history, and other data across your devices.


*Updated 9/3* What is the current state of sync and what is the road ahead?

  • You can now sync Favorites, Settings (preference), Passwords & Form-fill data across Windows devices, and across Microsoft Edge on Android and iOS (instructions below).
  • Sync is enabled for both Microsoft accounts (MSA) as well as work or school accounts (AAD).
  • Note that AAD sync is only available for AAD premium accounts (SKUs which include Azure Information Protection) and is not yet rolled out for macOS.
  • We are working on pending attributes and will be enabling them soon (history, extensions & open tabs)
  • As we are building a new system, Edge builds are not expected to sync with earlier versions of Microsoft Edge. You can import your existing favorites from earlier versions of Microsoft Edge.

Enabling sync on PC
When you sign in with your Microsoft account on Microsoft Edge Insider Channels, you’ll get a dialogue asking for consent to enable sync. Once you give the consent, your favorites should start syncing. Note that you can customize the sync behavior from the sync settings page.

 

PC Sync SettingsPC Sync Settings

Note that some attributes might be disabled on this page. They will be enabled on this page as we enable sync for them.


Enabling sync on Android
Our Microsoft Edge app on Android can now sync with the Microsoft Edge Insider Channels. But first, you’ll need to upgrade to the latest version on Google play.
To sync with Microsoft Insider Channels, sign in with your Microsoft Account, ensure that it is selected as your active account, go to Settings > Account and select your Microsoft account, then select Microsoft Edge Insider Channels > Switch.

 

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After you switch to Microsoft Edge Insider Channels, you will be asked how you want to handle your existing favorites. You can choose to import and sync your existing favorites with Microsoft Edge Insider Channels. If you choose no, your existing favorites will be deleted before sync is enabled.

 

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If you choose to import favorites, when you visit Favorites for the first time, you’ll see all your current favorites and they’ll start syncing with your Microsoft Edge Insider Channels on your PC.

 

Enabling sync on iOS  

We are happy to announce that we have expanded our sync support to iOS.  To begin syncing your favorites between you iOS devices and your other Microsoft Edge Insider devices, you must first update Microsoft Edge for iOS to the latest version on iTunes.  To sync with the Insider Channels you can follow similar steps as those listed above in the Sync with Android section. 

First you will need to sign in with your Microsoft Account, ensure that it is selected as your active account, go to Settings > Account and select your Microsoft account, then select Microsoft Edge Insider Channels > Switch. 

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After you switch to Microsoft Edge Insider Channels, you will be asked how you want to handle your existing favorites. You can choose to import and sync your existing favorites with Microsoft Edge Insider Channels. If you choose no, your existing favorites will be deleted before sync is enabled.   

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Once you have completed these steps you will see all of your imported favorites in your favorites list. 


What do you think?
We are excited about sync in Microsoft Edge Insider Channels and are very optimistic that we are building it right. However, we want to be sure that sync works across your workflows and browsing scenarios. Please give it a try and let us know how it worked for you. If you run into any issues, use the in-app feedback button to submit the details. If you have other feedback for us about sync, please leave a comment below.


Thank you for trying the new Microsoft Edge.

279 Replies
This is great! Just did all the steps here mentioned and right now the sync status says "Syncing" Love it!! Will post again when it is finished...

Dennis5mile

@Elliot Kirk   Alright, here is my sync results........


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Looking good....
Dennis5mile

@Elliot Kirk 

 

I get the following since this latest update, "Not Syncing" with error message "Couldn't connect to the sync server. Retrying..."


EdgeSync.jpg

@Mike_BNL Can you please submit feedback using in-app feedback button so that we can look into it? Thanks for reporting.

@Elliot Kirk Thanks for keeping us informed of these changes.

Will do!

@Elliot Kirk I had some trouble getting this to work but it's synced correctly now.

 

My trouble occurred due to being logged in with both my personal and work accounts on Edge for Android. While logged in to both accouts, on the Account screen my work account page showed the text SIGNED IN TO MICROSOFT EDGE AS. I have no favorites on this account and am not running Edge Dev on that account - it's my personal account I wanted to sync.

 

Only my personal account page had the Sync option, and tapping it revealed both the Microsoft Edge and Microsoft Edge Insider Channels options, but tapping the latter did nothing as if it was greyed out.

 

I tried removing my work account but still could not tap the Insider Channels option on my personal account. I tried removing my personal account but it would not disappear from my list of accounts. I ended up going to my Android settings and clearing the cache and all data from that app to revert it to its fresly installed state.

 

I then logged on with only my personal account. The account page still did not say SIGNED IN TO MICROSOFT EDGE AS, but the Sync option now let me tap Insider Channels. I did so and shortly thereafter my favorites began to sync.

 

I've now re-added my work account and it again says SIGNED IN TO MICROSOFT EDGE AS. I don't know whether favorites I add in the future on my personal account will be synced to my Android.

 

Furthermore, when I open a new tab on Edge on my Android, my account icon at the top left corner displays a white circle in the corner with a briefcase icon. I presume this means it is logged on as my work account. I'd like to be able to choose which of my two accounts is the primary, or currently selected, account.

Is there no commitment to sync on iOS? I noticed the distinct -and disturbing- lack of mention about the platform in this post.
Thank you @demodulated for trying this, and I am sorry that it was so difficult. This feedback is really helpful, and I am getting it to the right team.
Hi @rjansen85. We have a policy of only talking about features and capabilities of Microsoft Edge that are already available to you. Please don't read too much into the fact that we haven't talked about features that are currently not publicly usable.

@demodulated thank you for trying Edge on Android. In case you are signed into Edge Android with multiple accounts, you can choose active account to be used by tapping on the profile picture on top left. If you have selected your Microsoft account here, you will be able to enable sync with Insider channels on PC.

 

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Thanks for the tip about the long press. I did that and it worked.
Perhaps this functionality could be introduced with a quick popup every time you add a new account? It's rare that someone adds a new account so I think it's reasonable to give that tip every time a new account is added, as a reminder.
My pleasure. If I can provide additional detail please let me know. Edge is a great browser and it's a privilege to influence an improvement!

I am trying to enable sync on Android.  When I get to the Sync screen Sync is enabled and it shows Microsoft Edge (selected) and Microsoft Edge Insider Channels (unselected), but both are grayed out and unavaibale to me.  I have checked my version of Edge and it appears to me up to date (Edge 42.0.22.3426  Android 9 build PPR1.180610.011

@Mike_BNL Mine says the same thing...I logged out and back in and it asked if I'd like to sync stuff. So I clicked "Sync" and it still says in nice red letters "Not Syncing."

@Elliot Kirk I've just enabled the feature. Mine says "Syncing to [e-mail address]", but there is no animation or progress indicator other than the static syncing image.

It would be great if some sort of active progress indicator could be added 😊

 

Oh... And thank you for making syncing work again so fast 😊

@Rahsna Asurac Thanks for the feedback. 

@Andy Burbidge Did you try following the instructions in as mentioned here - https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Articles/Syncing-in-Microsoft-Edge-Preview-Channels/m-p/52804... ? You need to ensure that your Microsoft account is selected as the active account. 

@Elliot Kirk For what it is worth: I'm more interested in syncing my iCloud bookmarks. Because Edge now can load Chrome extensions, I installed the official Chrome Apple iCloud bookmarks extension in both Edge Canary and Dev edition. Unfortunately the iCloud software doesn't recognize Edge with the extension installed as Chrome/Chromium. Strange enough iCloud does work with the Vivaldi browser (also based on Chromium).

 

Is there any information on this subject? I think lots of people use iCloud bookmarks and would see (both Apple and Microsoft) support for the new Edge browser based on Chromium.

1 best response

Accepted Solutions
best response confirmed by akhator (Microsoft)
Solution

Hi All,

We have rolled out a fix to the problem where clients were reporting error on sync. We expect an app restart should get the client back into a functional state for sync now. We so much appreciate your patience and willingness to help all this while. Apologies that it took us time to get this fix across to you. If you still see any errors, please submit using in-app feedback button (and drop me a private message so that we jump on it faster). Sincere thanks for working with us on building a better product.

 

Ankur

 

CC. @Mike_BNL   , @DiggsMcGee , @bassoprofundo  , @indospot  , @Stephen Berard , @billbyrnes 

 

 

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