Microsoft Edge now asks before closing when you shut the last tab

Microsoft Edge now prompts users when they close the last open tab, offering a way to avoid closing the browser by accident. Choosing the Keep option changes how Edge behaves when the final tab is closed. The change is live in Edge Beta, Dev, and Canary, while Stable continues to close the browser with no prompt.

When you try to close the final open tab, Edge shows a brief message.

Here is what the prompt reads:

“To prevent closing your browser by accident, Edge opens a new tab when you close your last one.”

The prompt gives you two choices:

• No thanks
• Keep

If you click Keep, Edge turns on the related option under:

Appearance > Browser behavior and features >Keep the Edge window open when closing the last tab.

From that point on, closing the last tab loads a New Tab page instead of exiting the browser. No Settings hunt needed.

If you choose No thanks, Edge continues using the default behavior, and closing the last tab exits the window.

This change separates tab actions from browser closure, which is useful for Ctrl+W shortcut users who often close tabs quickly and run into accidental exits. Edge presents the choice at the moment it matters and remembers your preference.

The setting and the prompt are currently present in the Canary, Beta, and Dev versions of Edge on our Windows device. The Stable version still closes the browser when the last tab is closed, with no prompt shown.

That’s not all. Microsoft is renaming Edge’s Immersive Reader to Reading Mode and testing Chrome’s new media controls UI.