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Microsoft Edge users are in for a notable yet somewhat intangible transformation with the release of version 137, a browser update that is beginning its global rollout. In a move that signals both a rebranding effort and a subtle shift in user experience, Microsoft is officially sunsetting the “Wallet” feature name from Edge, ushering in new terminology and navigation methods without eliminating the core services that dedicated users have grown to rely upon. For users on Windows 11 and other supported platforms, the way personal data is viewed and managed within Edge is changing, but not fundamentally disappearing.

A digital interface with a brain graphic displays various tech icons, set against a futuristic outdoor landscape.The Evolution of Microsoft Edge Wallet​

For those keeping tabs on Microsoft’s browser developments, the Wallet feature in Edge has long acted as a digital repository for a user’s passwords, payment methods, addresses, and even memberships. This functional hub has lived under the Profiles section—accessible via both the Settings > Profiles pathway and by clicking the user profile icon atop the browser bar. With Edge 137, those familiar patterns are being revised, and the Wallet branding is being removed entirely from both the desktop and mobile browser experiences.
Despite the Wallet name retiring, users should be reassured: the capabilities themselves are far from obsolete. According to updated Microsoft documentation, users can still access and organize their passwords, payment information, and personal details—just through a new settings location. These adjustments, while subtle to some, could help streamline the user interface, aligning with Microsoft’s broader simplification efforts across Windows 11 and its associated applications.

Accessing Your Data Post-Wallet​

So, where has Wallet “gone” in practical terms? After installing Edge 137 (or newer), users must navigate to the Passwords and autofill section within Edge’s Settings. Access remains straightforward—simply type edge://settings/profiles in the address bar, or use the three-dot menu to follow: Settings > Passwords and autofill. Here, users will find options to “Manage passwords” and oversee the information previously housed within Wallet.
Those who rely on Edge’s autofill features, including the auto-suggestion of payment methods or personal data in online forms, should notice little functional difference beyond new menu labeling and organization. Microsoft’s approach appears to focus on consolidating features under more intuitive and descriptive categories, arguably benefiting both novice and power users who have, at times, found Edge’s settings maze-like.

Edge Memberships and Data Portability: What’s Changing?​

Perhaps the most significant feature being permanently retired with the Wallet name is the Memberships management section, an area where users could store and access loyalty or club memberships directly within Edge. In line with the transition, Microsoft has provided users a window—until June 28—to export or back up membership information if necessary. After this cutoff, direct membership management from within Edge will no longer be possible.
While the disappearance of the Memberships section is a minor loss for a subset of particularly organized users, it underscores a reality facing many modern browsers: the pressure to declutter, refocus, and prioritize core experiences. As browsers continue to expand feature sets, redundancy and underused features are regular targets for sunset cycles, and Microsoft appears to be no exception here.

Shopping, Donations, and the E-Tree Initiative​

Edge’s Wallet component has often overlapped with other functionality, especially in the realms of online shopping, charitable actions, and sustainability initiatives like “e-tree”—a digital scheme allowing users to support tree-planting efforts as they navigate the web. Some apprehension understandably exists regarding the fate of these integrated perks. Thankfully for current users, Microsoft has clarified that deals, donations, and e-tree features are not disappearing—only shifting their points of access.
For shopping deals and rebates, users should now pivot towards Microsoft’s Bing Rebate programs and Bing Travel offerings, or directly utilize wallet.microsoft.com for donation tracking. The e-tree initiative remains available via the browser’s sidebar, though users will have to re-enable or manually add it using the sidebar settings. By heading into Settings > Copilot and sidebar and customizing the sidebar with the E-tree module, users can continue to support environmental causes uninterrupted.
This juggling of integration and naming conventions reflects Microsoft’s ongoing evolution of Edge—not simply a browser, but increasingly a one-stop platform for digital identity, payments, productivity, and cause-oriented browsing. That said, shifting user routines always presents a hurdle; those who have grown accustomed to the “Wallet” shortcut and branding must now rewire their navigation muscle memory.

Removing Image Tools: Edge 137 Prunes for the Future​

In addition to the demise of the Wallet name, Edge 137 is a watershed moment for a handful of other, less publicized feature removals:
  • Image Hover Menu: Previously, this contextual menu popped up with image-specific actions when hovering over images online. It allowed for quick editing, sharing, or saving.
  • In-browser Image Editor: Edge shipped with a built-in editor leveraging OneDrive-based storage, empowering users to perform quick tweaks or annotations on photos without leaving the browser.
  • Video Super Resolution (VSR): Perhaps the most technically ambitious of these, VSR was an experimental upscaling technology that leveraged AI to improve the clarity of streamed videos, aiming to reduce blur and improve overall viewing quality.
Despite investments in these technologies, usage statistics and development priorities have nudged Microsoft to cull them. For the image editing and hover menu functions, the official explanation attributes the removal to the desire for “quality improvements” and greater “focus.” While some loyalists may mourn these capabilities, especially VSR—often highlighted in Edge promotional material—the broader market momentum suggests Edge is better served concentrating on stability, performance, and AI-powered experiences.

Quality, Copilot, and the New Direction for Edge​

Microsoft’s stated motivation for these changes is succinct: to improve the overall quality of the browser while ramping up the integration of its next-generation Copilot AI assistant. Particularly with the New Tab Page, Copilot is being positioned as the backbone for smarter web experiences, contextual aid, and personalized recommendations—a notable differentiator as all major browsers race to weave artificial intelligence and cloud-based services more tightly into the browsing fabric.
For users, this means potentially lighter, more responsive browsing paired with deeper, AI-driven value adds. Removing features may appear to some as a step back, yet it echoes a broader industry pattern: browsers, once defined by feature bloat, are now instead aiming for modularity and core competency. By pruning lesser-used or resource-intensive features, Microsoft hopes to create space for next-generation capabilities that serve more users, more of the time.

Broader Context: Why Microsoft Is Streamlining Edge​

Stepping back, it’s clear that Edge’s journey is not unique. The browser wars of the past forced vendors to cram in every conceivable feature. Today, user expectations have shifted—speed, stability, security, and seamless integration with productivity workflows are valued more highly than rarely-used sidebar gadgets or niche experimentations.
In the desktop and enterprise markets, Edge has built a healthy following, particularly among organizations committed to Microsoft’s larger ecosystem. For this audience, clarity in data management is paramount. The Wallet branding, while intuitive to some, may have confused others by overlapping terminology with third-party digital wallet products or making “Password management” less immediately findable for the average user.
From an engineering standpoint, maintaining half a dozen overlapping UI panels for managing identity, payment, and personalization data invites technical debt and slows down critical security patches or new feature deployment. Simplifying under “Passwords and autofill” should make the browser easier to navigate for most, aligning with user feedback and best design practices observed across Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.

User Impact: The Good, the Bad, and the Inconvenient​

For regular Edge users, the most notable impact is changes to muscle memory. Rather than clicking on Wallet, users must now adapt to the Passwords and autofill label in Settings. Access via the profile page is also updated, but the baseline functionality—saving, managing, and autofilling passwords, form data, and payments—remains fully supported.
Users who use Edge’s Memberships feature, though likely a minority, must act swiftly to back up their data before June 28. After this date, restoration or access directly from Edge becomes impossible. For those who made a habit of tracking club or loyalty memberships straight from their browser, transitioning to another solution (such as digital wallet apps or cloud note-taking services) is recommended.
The removal of image-centric features and VSR will rankle some. While broader user bases may not miss these tools, certain workflows—like basic image markup directly from search results, or those relying on VSR to enhance video clarity—will feel the pinch. Alternatives exist, such as dedicated image editors and third-party browser extensions, but seamless, built-in convenience will be missed.
On the plus side, the commitment to stability, performance, and AI is likely to pay dividends for more users than these specialty features ever did. Simpler settings panels, faster browser updates, and tighter Copilot integration are “big picture” wins—provided Microsoft delivers on its vision.

Competitive Landscape and Future Outlook​

Microsoft Edge operates in a fiercely competitive browser marketplace dominated by Google Chrome, Apple Safari, and Mozilla Firefox, alongside increasingly robust challengers like Opera and Brave. Each of these offerings is engaged in an ongoing balancing act—offering maximum value and innovation while keeping user experience intuitive and manageable.
Streamlining has become the order of the day across the industry. Chrome, for example, has iteratively refined its built-in password manager and autofill system, burying or sunsetting features that add clutter or security risk. Apple, too, recently unified keychain management under its System Settings, further signaling an industry-wide drive for less fragmentation and more clarity.
Microsoft’s renewed focus on Copilot, AI-powered recommendations, and deeper cross-product integrations (shared autofill data between Windows, Office online, and mobile devices) is smart. By placing Edge as the glue connecting Microsoft’s expanding portfolio, the company positions itself for the next era of personal and collaborative computing—where cloud, AI, and user-centric design trump the era of feature-creep.

Risks, Caveats, and Unanswered Questions​

While much of this realignment appears positive, there are legitimate risks and open question marks. Cautious users and IT administrators may worry about:
  • Data Migration and User Confusion: Rebranding often causes uncertainty, with users spending hours tracking down “missing” features. Microsoft’s documentation and in-app guidance must comprehensively anticipate frequently asked questions and address migration pain points, especially for older or less tech-savvy users.
  • Feature Attrition: Each feature loss, no matter how minor, risks alienating subsets of passionate users. The demise of experimental features like VSR or the image editor, while rational from a resource perspective, may frustrate early adopters who often also serve as advocates.
  • Over-centralization and Complexity Creep: Centralizing controls under broad categories (Passwords and autofill) risks some “power features” becoming buried or less discoverable. Maintaining robust search and guided navigation within Settings will be crucial.
  • AI Overreach: Integrating Copilot everywhere promises benefits but also creates dependency on AI infrastructure and raises privacy questions. Users must remain vigilant regarding what data Copilot has access to, and Microsoft needs transparent policies on data handling.

Practical Steps for Edge Users​

To minimize disruption, current Edge users should:
  • Familiarize Yourself with the New Layout: Post-upgrade, take a few minutes to explore Settings, especially under Passwords and autofill, to ensure you remain confident in managing your information.
  • Back Up Membership Data Now: If you’ve used the Membership feature, export or record any critical information well before the June 28 cutoff.
  • Pin E-Tree or Other Sidebar Features: Customize your Edge sidebar via Settings if you wish to continue supporting sustainability programs or other third-party modules.
  • Seek Alternatives for Removed Features: For image editing or video enhancement, research extensions or apps that best fit your workflow.
  • Monitor Documentation and Updates: Watch for Microsoft announcements regarding Copilot integration and deeper quality improvements, and be alert to changes in privacy or security posture resulting from these shifts.

Final Thoughts: Navigating Change With Clarity and Control​

The sunset of Microsoft Edge’s Wallet name and associated features is emblematic of broader trends in software development: the drive toward simplification, quality, and future-forward integration. While the loss of familiar branding and specialized tools always brings short-term confusion, the long-run vision—fewer duplicated controls, better security, and more intuitive workflows—stands to benefit most users.
Crucially, Microsoft has not eliminated core capabilities but rather relocated and regrouped them to better fit its contemporary vision for Windows 11 and beyond. Through the consolidation of password management, autofill, and payments under a streamlined settings umbrella, Microsoft is preparing Edge for the next stage of competition—one rooted solidly in AI, clarity, and cloud-powered productivity.
As always, the voice of the user remains critical. Microsoft must ensure its migration guides, support channels, and in-app messaging guide all users—whether enterprise clients or casual home browsers—through this evolution with minimal friction. For all its ambition, the real test will be whether daily tasks grow easier, faster, and more secure, fulfilling the promise of Edge as the modern browser where productivity and simplicity go hand in hand.

Source: Windows Latest Microsoft Edge is killing off Wallet feature name on Windows 11
 

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