This post explains how to set up a proxy on Microsoft Edge in Windows 10. Moreover, it shows what advantages and disadvantages of this approach are.
Table of Contents
Why set up a proxy on Microsoft Edge?
Naturally, for changing or hiding your visible IP address. By using a proxy for a browser, all the Internet traffic is redirected through the proxy server. Thus, the destination site sees the IP of the proxy server and not the original IP from your computer. To sum up, it hides your visible IP.
Where to find proxies?
There are several places you may look for proxies. The handiest is the open proxies that you may find by a quick Google search on open proxies or by looking at specialized sites like Xroxy.com. The main disadvantage of the open proxies is related to their speed, but their security and privacy may also concern you. As they are open, you never know who is running the proxy server and what logs are kept. My advice is to never (I mean NEVER) use personal info (credit cards info, passwords, etc.) while connected to an open proxy. It is for your safety.
You may also find paid proxies. They are more secure and more trustworthy. There many such providers, but the one I prefer is ibVPN, a complete VPN, proxy and SmartDNS provider.
How to set up a proxy on Microsoft Edge in 7 easy steps
The following steps show how to configure proxy settings for Microsoft Edge.
- Open the Microsoft Edge browser.
- Next, click on “…” option on the upright side of the browser
- Click on Settings and scroll down to View advanced settings. Click on it.
- Look for Open proxy settings.
- A window will be open in order to be able to change the proxy settings. Search for Manual proxy setup, turn the option Use a proxy ON and enter the proxy server details: Address – proxy IP or hostname, Port – proxy communication channel. Click Save.
- Go to the Edge browser. If the proxy server you set up requires authentication, then a window will be prompted to type the username and password.
- Check your IP address on XMyIP.com. You should see your new visible IP address. You are done with setup proxy Microsoft Edge.
Is the proxy only for the Edge browser?
Since Edge is part of the Windows 10 operating system, when a proxy is set up for the browser it is also set up for all other Windows apps that can use proxies. For example, the same proxy is used for all browsers you have installed on your system. Also, apps that use the Windows proxy settings like Yahoo Messenger will use the same proxy as well.
It can be regarded as an advantage as it behaves somehow like a VPN and redirects most of the Internet through the proxy. But, it may also be misleading as the user does not know exactly what apps are proxified and which are not.
For some users, it may be an inconvenience. In this case, I recommend using Google Chrome and setting up the proxy there. In this case, the proxy will be used only by Chrome.
An exciting feature that I have discovered while testing the proxies: if you have a Chrome browser open and you set up a proxy for Edge, Chrome will not use the proxy. But if you open a new Chrome window, then the proxy settings will be applied. Good to know!
An alternative to manually set up a proxy on Microsoft Edge
Recently, Microsoft has completely rebuilt the Edge browser using Chromium technology. The side effect was that Chrome browser extensions are now working on Edge as well. As there are plenty of proxy browser extensions for Chrome, you may choose to also use them on Edge. Here is a guide on how to install Chrome proxy/VPN extensions on Microsoft Edge.
Conclusion
It is easy to set up a proxy on Microsoft Edge, but you may be aware that other apps also use the proxy. Enjoy!
What to add as proxy address for edge browser?
This is not clear
This is what your instructions read
“Enter the proxy address, port number” How can a lay person know what to enter
The proxy address is the IP address of the proxy. You need to get one from a proxy list, like xroxy, or from a proxy service. The port is also provided.