Restore Last Session in Microsoft Edge: Recover Closed Tabs and Windows Instantly

Accidentally closing Microsoft Edge with dozens of important tabs can disrupt your work instantly. A browser crash, Windows restart, or accidental close often wipes your active session when you least expect it.

Microsoft Edge includes powerful built-in recovery tools that let you restore your last session, reopen closed tabs, and recover full browser windows in seconds. This guide explains every reliable method so you never lose important pages again.

Quick Answer: Restore Last Session in Microsoft Edge

To restore your last session in Microsoft Edge:

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Press Ctrl + Shift + T to reopen recently closed tabs and windows.
3. Or go to Settings → Start, home, and new tabs → Open tabs from the previous session to enable automatic restoration.

This works on Windows and macOS.

Restore Last Session Automatically When Microsoft Edge Starts

If you want Edge to reopen all tabs every time you launch the browser, enable this setting once.

Steps

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the three-dot menu → Settings.
3. Select Start, home, and new tabs.
4. Under When Edge starts, choose Open tabs from the previous session.

After you enable this option, Edge automatically restores your last browsing session whenever you reopen the browser. This prevents accidental tab loss after shutdowns or restarts.

Restore Tabs After Microsoft Edge Crashes or Restarts

Edge usually detects unexpected shutdowns and offers automatic recovery.

What to do

1. Launch Microsoft Edge.
2. When the browser shows the Restore pages? prompt, click Restore.

If the prompt does not appear:

• Press Ctrl + Shift + T (Windows).
• Press Command + Shift + T (macOS).

Repeat the shortcut to reopen multiple closed tabs and full browser windows in the correct order.

Restore Closed Tabs or Windows Using History

You can manually reopen tabs and windows from Edge’s history panel.

Steps

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the three-dot menu → History.
3. Open Recently closed.
4. Select:
   • A single tab
   • A closed browser window
   • Your entire previous session

Shortcut: Press Ctrl + H to open History instantly.

This method works well when you remember the site name or window you closed earlier.

Reopen the Last Closed Tab Using Keyboard Shortcut

Keyboard shortcuts provide the fastest recovery method.

• Windows: Ctrl + Shift + T
• macOS: Command + Shift + T

Each press restores the most recently closed tab or window. Continue pressing the shortcut to reopen older tabs.

Restore Tabs Using the Right-Click Menu

You can reopen closed tabs directly from the tab bar.

Steps

1. Right-click on any open tab or empty area on the tab bar.
2. Click Reopen closed tab.
3. Repeat the action to restore additional tabs.

This method works best when you only closed one or two tabs by mistake.

Restore Tabs from Other Devices Using Sync

If you use Edge on multiple computers, sync allows you to reopen tabs from another device.

Steps

1. Sign in to Edge using the same Microsoft account on all devices.
2. Go to Settings → Profiles → Sync.
3. Enable Open tabs.
4. Open History → Tabs from other devices.
5. Select the tab you want to reopen.

This feature helps you recover pages even if the original device closed unexpectedly.

Use Extensions to Save and Restore Edge Sessions (Optional)

If you regularly work with dozens of tabs, session-management extensions add extra protection.

Popular options include:

• Tab Session Manager
• OneTab

These tools let you save browsing sessions manually and restore them later if Edge crashes or closes unexpectedly.

What to Do If Microsoft Edge Does Not Restore Your Tabs

Sometimes Edge fails to restore sessions even when settings appear correct. Use these fixes in order.

1. Verify Startup Restore Is Enabled

Go to Settings → Start, home, and new tabs and confirm Open tabs from the previous session remains enabled.

Windows updates sometimes reset this setting.

2. Disable Startup Boost Temporarily

Startup Boost may interfere with session recovery on some systems.

1. Open Settings → System and performance.
2. Turn off Startup boost.
3. Restart Edge and test restoration.

3. Check Your Edge Profile

Corrupted profiles can block session recovery.

• Click your profile icon in Edge.
• Create a temporary new profile.
• Test whether session restore works normally.

If it works, migrate bookmarks and remove the damaged profile.

4. Make Sure Sync Is Working

If you rely on synced tabs:

• Confirm you remain signed into your Microsoft account.
• Verify Open tabs sync stays enabled.
• Reconnect sync if it shows errors.

5. Restart After Windows Updates Carefully

Forced Windows updates often close browsers abruptly and skip session recovery. Save important sessions manually before large updates when possible.

Why Microsoft Edge Sometimes Loses Open Tabs

Edge may fail to restore sessions when:

• Startup restore remains disabled.
• Windows forces a restart during updates.
• Sync disconnects unexpectedly.
• Profile data becomes corrupted.
• Disk cleanup tools remove session files.

Keeping automatic session restore enabled prevents most data loss.

FAQs: Restore Last Session in Microsoft Edge

How do I restore my last session in Microsoft Edge?

Enable Open tabs from the previous session in settings or press Ctrl + Shift + T to reopen closed tabs and windows.

Can Edge restore tabs after a crash?

Yes. Edge usually displays a restore prompt after a crash. If it does not appear, use the keyboard shortcut or open History.

Why didn’t Edge restore my tabs automatically?

Startup restore may be disabled, a Windows update forced closure, sync disconnected, or the user profile became corrupted.

How do I reopen a closed window in Edge?

Open History → Recently closed or press Ctrl + Shift + T multiple times.

Does Edge save open tabs automatically?

Yes, when Open tabs from the previous session remains enabled.

Can I restore tabs from another computer?

Yes. Enable sync and open History → Tabs from other devices.

What is the fastest way to restore a closed tab?

Use Ctrl + Shift + T (Windows) or Command + Shift + T (macOS).

Will restoring many tabs slow Edge?

Edge loads tabs progressively, so performance impact remains minimal on modern systems.

If your workflow depends on multiple tabs, enable automatic session restore and verify it periodically. Edge’s recovery tools make session recovery fast and reliable when configured correctly.