How to Enable or Disable the Mini Menu on Text Selection in Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge has a mini menu feature when users select text on web pages or PDFs. Although it’s a helpful feature that lets people access quick actions like Copy, Search, and Ask Copilot, it can be intrusive or unnecessary for some users and managed environments.

If the Edge mini menu doesn’t meet organizational standards or is not essential to your users’ workflows, consider disabling it. This guide will detail ways to enable or disable the Edge mini menu using methods like Windows Settings, Registry Editor, PowerShell, and Group Policy.

Ways to enable or disable the mini menu on text selection in Microsoft Edge

📌 Prerequisites:

• For these methods to work, you need to run Microsoft Edge version 104 or later.
• For system-level settings, especially involving PowerShell and Group Policy, you need administrator privileges.

📌 Recommended deployment strategies:

Method 1: Configure Edge mini menu via browser settings

📌 Use Cases:

• Ideal for personal or unmanaged PCs
• You can use this for testing before enforcing it system-wide.

📌 Prerequisite:

• You must be on Microsoft Edge version 104 or later.

Here’s how to toggle the Edge mini menu via the browser settings

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click on the three-dot menu (Settings and more) in the upper-right corner and select Settings.
3. On the left-hand side of the sidebar, select Appearance.
4. Scroll down and click Context Menus.
5. Toggle the setting labeled “Show mini menu when selecting text.”
   • On to enable the mini menu
   • Off to disable mini menu

💡Notes: 

• This setting is turned on by default,
• Changes take effect right away; there is no need to reset your computer.
• This method will only apply the changes to the current user and won’t affect other profiles in the system.

Method 2: How to use the Registry Editor to enable or disable the Edge mini menu

📌 Use Cases:

• Enables IT administrators to tweak the mini menu on a single machine for all users.
• Best in managed environments, especially in enterprise and education, where user interfaces should be consistent.

📌 Prerequisites:

• Administrator privileges are required to tweak this registry hive (HKLM).
• MS Edge version should be 104 or later.

Here’s how to toggle the MS Edge mini menu on text selection using the Registry Editor:

1. Open the Registry Editor.
   • Use the Win + R shortcut to open the Run dialog.
   • Type regedit, and press Enter.
2. Next, navigate to the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge
3. In case the Edge key does not exist yet, you can create it using these steps:
   • Right-click the Microsoft key.
   • Select New > Key, and name it Edge.
4. Next, in the Edge key, right-click and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
5. Name the new value: QuickSearchShowMiniMenu.
6. Double-click the new value and set the Value data (Decimal) according to your preferences:
   • 1 = enables the mini menu
   • 0 = disables the mini menu
7. Click OK, then close the Registry Editor.
8. Restart Microsoft Edge (close it, then wait a few seconds, then reopen) for the changes to take effect.

💡Note: This method will apply system-wide. It also overrides the in-browser toggle; users will no longer be able to change this setting via Edge’s UI.

Method 3: How to use PowerShell to tweak the Edge mini menu

📌 Use Cases:

• Ideal for IT admins deploying settings using scripts or Microsoft Intune.
• Good for remote and automatic configuration without opening the Registry Editor across a fleet of endpoints.

📌 Prerequisites:

• This method requires administrator privileges.
• Ensure MS Edge has been upgraded to version 104 or later.

To enable or disable the Microsoft Edge mini menu or text selection, follow these steps:

1. Open PowerShell as Administrator.
2. To enable the mini menu, run this command:
   

   Set-ItemProperty -Path “HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge” -Name “QuickSearchShowMiniMenu” -Value 1 -Type DWord

3. Meanwhile, to disable it, use this command:
   

   Set-ItemProperty -Path “HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge” -Name “QuickSearchShowMiniMenu” -Value 0 -Type DWord

4. Restart Microsoft Edge so the changes can take effect.

💡Note: This method modifies the registry under HKLM. This applies to all users on the system and disables the toggle for individual profiles.

Method 4: Configure the MS Edge mini menu via Group Policy

📌 Use Cases:

• Best for managed environments, like corporate and education settings.
• Good for domain-joined systems managed using Active Directory or local Group Policy.
• You can use this to ensure users won’t have access to browser settings.

📌 Prerequisites:

• This method requires the following Windows editions: Pro, Enterprise, and Education. It is not available on Windows Home.
• For this policy to be visible, you need to have the latest Microsoft Edge Administrative Templates (ADMX) installed.
• You need to have administrator privileges to make Group Policy tweaks.
• This only applies system-wide and overrides individual user settings.

Here’s how to use Group Policy to toggle the Edge mini menu:

1. Open the Group Policy Editor. To do so, press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge.
3. In the right-hand pane, locate this policy: Enables Microsoft Edge mini menu.
4. Double-click the policy to open its settings.
5. Next, set the policy by choosing one of the following:
   • Enabled = this will show the mini menu
   • Disabled = this will hide the mini menu
6. Apply the changes by clicking OK.
7. Next, ensure the changes will take effect by running this on the Command Prompt (Administrator): gpupdate /force

⚠️ Things to look out for

How to verify if the Edge Mini Menu has been enabled or disabled

After applying your preferred configuration, follow these steps to check whether the Edge mini menu is active or inactive:

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Navigate to any webpage or open a PDF file within the browser.
3. Select any text using your mouse or touchpad.
4. Check whether the mini menu appears with options like Copy, Search, or Ask Copilot.
5. If the menu appears, the feature is enabled. Otherwise, it is disabled.

Additional considerations when enabling or disabling Mini Menu on Text Selection in Microsoft Edge

Useful but not suitable for all environments

The Edge mini menu will give quick access to various actions like Copy, Search, and Ask Copilot. This may improve productivity for some users, but in managed environments, it may be a source of distraction.

Disabling the mini menu can reduce clutter

Disabling it can help streamline the user interface, eliminate visual clutter, and prevent users from triggering unintended features.

Ensure consistency using Group Policy, PowerShell, or Registry edits

You can use Group Policy, PowerShell, or the Registry to enforce this behavior across user accounts, ensuring consistency and alignment with internal policies.

Troubleshooting mini menu issues on Edge

If the mini menu continues to appear after you’ve disabled it using one of the methods above, try the following troubleshooting steps:

1. Check if the registry key or Group Policy setting is correctly configured.

Be sure the QuickSearchShowMiniMenu value is set to 0 in the registry if you want to turn it off, or 1 if you plan to turn it on. As for Group Policy, check whether it’s enabled or disabled.

2. Verify Group Policy enforcement.

You can force Group Policy enforcement by running this command on the Command Prompt: gpupdate /force.

3. Look for conflicting policies or scripts.

Your organization might be using login scripts, MDM profiles, or overlapping GPOs that might override local changes.

4. Be sure you’re using Edge version 104 or later.

The Edge mini menu feature and its options are only available starting with Edge version 104. You can update your Edge browser to the latest version if it is unavailable.

Customize the mini menu in Microsoft Edge to meet user or organizational needs

Manage the mini menu on text selection in Microsoft Edge to create a cleaner and more focused browser experience that meets user needs and organizational standards. Whether you’re tweaking the interface for end users or enforcing consistency across an organization, you can implement it using the above mentioned methods.

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