Where apps hide your files

Locating Microsoft Edge's data folder

Updated 2026-10-28 · 6 min read

Edge is built on Chromium, so its profile layout matches Chrome's under a different name. This is the path, how to confirm it on your Mac, and the safe ways to export or clear data.

The location

~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft Edge/

Your main profile is in a subfolder called Default, and extra profiles are Profile 1, Profile 2 and so on. The bookmarks file for the main profile is:

~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft Edge/Default/Bookmarks

Microsoft's developer documentation names ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft Edge as Edge's user data directory on a Mac. Beta, Dev and Canary builds use their own folders beside it, such as Microsoft Edge Beta, so they never share a profile with the stable browser. The Default and Bookmarks names follow the Chromium layout that Edge is built on, so confirm them on your own Mac with the step below.

Confirm your profile path

Open Edge, type edge://version in the address bar, and read the Profile path line. Microsoft's own policy documentation points to this page for finding the profile directory. It prints the exact folder for the profile you are in, which is the quickest way to tell Default from Profile 3.

In Finder, use Go > Go to Folder (⇧⌘G) and paste the path. In Terminal:

open ~/Library/Application\ Support/Microsoft\ Edge
ls ~/Library/Application\ Support/Microsoft\ Edge

The ls shows folder names only, so it is safe to run. Look for Default and any Profile folders.

What to expect inside a profile folder

Because Edge shares its engine with Chrome, the same kinds of file appear. Names you can expect, based on the Chromium layout, include:

File or folder	What it holds
Bookmarks	Favorites and bookmarks as JSON, no extension
History	Visited pages (a SQLite database)
Login Data	Saved passwords, encrypted
Preferences	Profile settings
Extensions	Installed extensions, one folder per ID
Cookies, Web Data, Favicons	Cookies, autofill, site icons

Treat that table as the expected layout rather than a listing from a specific Edge release: Microsoft adds files with new features such as collections and workspaces, and exact names can differ between versions. List your own folder with ls to see what is actually there.

Getting data out the supported way

1. Favorites: type edge://favorites in the address bar to open the Favorites page, then use its More options menu (the three dots) and choose Export favorites. You get an HTML file other browsers can import.
2. Sync: sign in with a Microsoft account and turn on sync, and a new Mac gets favorites, passwords and extensions without any file copying.
3. Passwords: the password manager in Edge's settings offers an export. The result is unencrypted, so delete it as soon as you have imported it.

If you only need one file, such as Bookmarks, quit Edge before copying it. The browser rewrites it while running.

Space and safe cleanup

Chromium browsers keep their caches outside Application Support, in the Caches folder. Look for a Microsoft Edge entry:

ls ~/Library/Caches | grep -i edge

If you find one, the cache is safe to clear after quitting Edge. The supported route, as Microsoft describes it, is Settings > Privacy, search, and services, then under Clear browsing data choose Choose what to clear, tick cached images and files, and clear. That avoids touching profile files by hand.

Never delete Bookmarks, Login Data, Preferences or the Local State file at the top level unless you want to reset the profile. If a profile misbehaves, quit Edge and move that profile folder to the Desktop rather than deleting it.

Moving to a new Mac

Install Edge on the new Mac, run it once, quit it, then copy the profile folder into the same location. Passwords stored in the profile are tied to a key held in the Mac's Keychain, so they will not decrypt on another machine, and sync is the dependable route. Time Machine includes this folder, and Migration Assistant carries it across when you move to a new Mac.

Why Spotlight cannot help

Spotlight does not look inside ~/Library, so a search for "Edge bookmarks" finds nothing, and the Microsoft Edge folder name has spaces that make typed paths error-prone.

If the folder looks empty

A Microsoft Edge folder can exist even when Edge has never run. Apps that talk to browser extensions, such as password managers and AI assistants, drop small files into a NativeMessagingHosts folder inside it, which is the location Microsoft documents for them. The Mac used to check this post had exactly that: a Microsoft Edge folder holding only NativeMessagingHosts and Crashpad, with no Edge installed.

If Edge is installed and you still find no Default folder, the profile may live elsewhere. On a managed work Mac, IT can move it with Microsoft's UserDataDir policy, which is supported on macOS. Either way, edge://version is the authority: it shows the real path whatever the folder looks like.

Dragging Edge to the Trash or reinstalling it does not remove this folder, so your profiles survive a reinstall, and a Mac that once ran Edge can still hold them after the app is gone.

Finding it next time

Everywhere lists names inside Library folders, so typing Microsoft Edge shows the Application Support folder together with any Edge folder under Caches, and typing Bookmarks lists the file for every profile and every Chromium browser on the Mac. It searches names, not the contents of the bookmarks, and has a free trial. ⌘↵ reveals the match in Finder.

Common questions

Where does Microsoft Edge store its profile on a Mac?

In ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft Edge/, with your main profile in the Default subfolder.

How do I find the exact Edge profile folder?

Open Edge, go to edge://version and read the Profile path line.

Where is the Edge bookmarks file?

In Default/Bookmarks inside the Microsoft Edge folder for your main profile. It is a JSON file with no extension.

Can I delete the Edge cache?

Yes, after quitting Edge. Use Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Clear browsing data, or clear the Microsoft Edge entry under ~/Library/Caches if one exists.