How do I stop homepage from opening when I click a link from my email?

Question

How do I stop homepage from opening when I click a link from my email?

Chuck McKay 0

When I click a link from my email Edge automatically opens my home page (currently set to MSN) as well as the page my link is referenced to. This means I have an extra tab I have to close when I'm finished. This is annoying and only started happening recently. Maybe it was part of an update?

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Answer 1

Thomas4-N 17,375 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hello Chuck McKay,

I understand clicking a link in your email opens the page you wanted plus a second tab loading your MSN homepage, so you're stuck closing an extra tab each time.

There are two settings worth checking, starting with the more likely one:

1. Edge's startup / homepage behavior (most likely the extra MSN tab)

In Edge go to Settings > Start, home, and new tabs.
Under When Edge starts, if it's set to "Open these pages" with MSN listed, switch it to "Open the new tab page" (or remove MSN from the list).
Also check the Home button setting isn't forcing MSN to load.

2. How Outlook hands links to the browser

Classic Outlook: File > Options > Advanced, find "Open hyperlinks from Outlook in:" and set it to Default browser.
New Outlook: Settings > General > Files and links, set links to open in your default browser.

The Edge startup/homepage setting is usually what spawns the extra MSN tab, so I'd start there. If it's still doing it after that, let me know whether you're on classic or new Outlook and we can narrow it down.

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CHUCK MCKAY 0 Reputation points

2026-06-13T16:31:33.9766667+00:00

I already had those settings. Seems to work fine in Firefox which I have reluctantly set as my default browser due to this issue. I have also had problems with slowness in Edge since the last update.
Thomas4-N 17,375 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-06-15T10:39:51.6133333+00:00
Hello Chuck McKay,

Thanks for the follow up. Just want to make sure we're looking at the exact right setting::

In Settings > Start, home, and new tabs, what is "When Edge starts" actually set to — Open the new tab page, Continue where you left off, or Open these pages? And if it's the last one, is MSN listed there?

Separately, the Home button section — is that pointing to MSN too?

Are you on classic Outlook or the new Outlook app?

And does the extra MSN tab show up only when you click a link from email, or also if you launch Edge fresh from the taskbar?
CHUCK MCKAY 0 Reputation points

2026-06-15T14:19:00.9566667+00:00

The Home Button section is not pointing to MSN.

I am using classic Outlook MS Office Home and Business 2021 build 20026.20168

The MNS tab only shows up when I click a link from email not when I launch Edge fresh

Edge version 149.0.4022.69 (Official build) (64-bit)
RJF 0 Reputation points

2026-06-17T13:26:37.1966667+00:00

I have the same problem and, with all due respect, am not following your response. After clicking "Settings" and clicking "Start, home and new tabs" there is no section titled "When Edge starts." It simply is not there. What next?
Thomas4-N 17,375 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-06-17T13:58:01.0766667+00:00
Hello Chuck McKay,

Thanks for the follow up.

In classic Outlook, go to File > Options > Advanced, and under "File and browser preferences" find "Open hyperlinks from Outlook in:" — let me know what it's currently set to, and if it's anything other than Default Browser, switch it to that.

While you're confirming things, in Edge > Settings > Start, home, and new tabs, tell me what "When Edge starts" is actually set to.

If the Outlook dropdown was already on Default Browser and "When Edge starts" isn't pointing at MSN, then we're likely looking at a recent Edge-update behavior, and sticking with Firefox for email links is a fair workaround in the meantime.
CHUCK MCKAY 0 Reputation points

2026-06-18T01:10:40.69+00:00

Outlook set to default browser ( I already answered this previously)

Edge:
CHUCK MCKAY 0 Reputation points

2026-06-18T02:14:32.37+00:00

I figured it had something to do with an update. Did you notice that under New Tab Page there is no "When Edge Starts"?

I will try again after the next update.
Thomas4-N 17,375 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-06-18T14:41:53.14+00:00

Hi Chuck McKay,

Thanks for bearing with me. The path I pointed at earlier seems to be from an older Edge layout, and on your build things have moved around a bit, so it didn't line up. From everything you've shown, nothing's misconfigured on your side.

It appears something has shifted on the Edge side around link handling. For now, sticking with Firefox for email links and revisiting after the next Edge update is a sensible plan. If you'd like, a quick note via Edge ... > Help and feedback > Send feedback helps flag the behavior so it's on the team's radar quickly.
Thomas4-N 17,375 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-06-18T14:42:49.39+00:00

Hi RJF,

My apologies. It looks like the steps were pointing at an older Edge layout, and the section isn't sitting in the same place on current builds, so you're not missing anything on your side. Appears something shifted on the Edge side recently.

A quick note via ... > Help and feedback > Send feedback is a good way to flag it, and using a different browser for email links is a fine workaround in the meantime.

Answer 2

The extra MSN/homepage tab is caused by how links from Outlook/Teams are now opened in Microsoft Edge, not by a generic Edge setting.

To stop the unwanted extra tab, change how Outlook/Teams open web links so they use the system default browser directly instead of the new Edge experience:

In classic Outlook for Windows:
1. Open File > Options.
2. Go to Advanced.
3. Under File and browser preferences, change the setting so hyperlinks open in the system default browser (instead of Microsoft Edge with side-by-side view).
In the new Outlook for Windows:
1. Open Settings (gear icon).
2. Go to General > Files and links.
3. Under Open hyperlinks from Outlook in, choose the system default browser instead of Microsoft Edge.
In Microsoft Teams (if links from Teams show the same behavior):
1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Files and links.
3. Under Link open preference, select the desired browser (for example, the Windows default) instead of Microsoft Edge.

Once these app settings are changed, links should open directly in the chosen browser without spawning an extra MSN/homepage tab in Edge.

References:

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How do I stop homepage from opening when I click a link from my email?

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