July 30, 2024

How to mute a tab in Microsoft Edge

In today’s tech-savvy era, multitasking on our computers has become routine. Whether you're browsing the web for research, streaming your favorite music, or catching up on the latest videos, managing the sounds from various tabs can be a bit overwhelming. Fortunately, Microsoft Edge offers a user-friendly solution to this common problem. Learn how to mute a tab in Microsoft Edge to ensure you have a seamless and organized browsing experience.

Muting your tabs: an overview

Tabs are the windows to your online world. Each tab you open in Microsoft Edge represents a different webpage or application. Sometimes, you may have multiple tabs running at once, and each of them might be making noise. Tame the chaos by muting your tabs with these steps:

Open Microsoft Edge. First and foremost, ensure that you have Microsoft Edge open on your computer.
Find the noisy tab. Each open tab in Edge appears as a small rectangle just above the address bar at the top of your browser window. Identify which tab is currently making noise by locating the tab with a small speaker icon next to its name.
Mute the tab. The speaker icon indicates audio is playing in that tab. To mute the tab, all you need to do is select this speaker icon.
Unmute the tab. If you decide you want to hear the audio again from that tab, just select the speaker icon once more. This will unmute the tab, allowing the sound to come through.

Credit: Image created with AI

Muting a tab using keyboard shortcuts

To mute a tab using a keyboard shortcut, first open the tab you wish to mute, then select Ctrl + M. This keyboard shortcut requires you to open a tab before muting, so selecting Ctrl + M on a soundless tab won’t have any effect, even if you have other noisy tabs open.

Using a mute tab extension

The Microsoft Edge Add-ons store offers a variety of mute tab extensions for those who want to take their tab management to the next level. These extensions enhance your control over tab muting by giving you more options, such as muting every tab at once.

How to install a mute tab extension

Open Microsoft Edge.
Navigate to Settings and more > Extensions or select the extensions icon on the toolbar.
In the pop-up menu, select Get Extensions for Microsoft Edge.
In the search box, enter “mute tab” or “mute tab extension.”
Find the mute tab extension you want and select Get to install.
Locate the mute tab extension in your extensions menu and select Show in toolbar to add the extension to your toolbar.
Then, you can mute and unmute sounds from all tabs by selecting the extension’s icon.

By muting tabs in Microsoft Edge, you can enjoy a smoother and more organized browsing experience. So, try Edge, and make your online journey more pleasant by muting those distracting tabs. For Edge access in a pinch, download the mobile app.

Features and functionality subject to change.
Articles are written specifically for the United States market; features, functionality, and availability may vary by region.