How do I make the back arrow visible when using Edge in Windows 11?

Hi Andrew Kachele,

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A forum. I completely understand how confusing it can be when you’re new to Windows 11 and can’t find the back arrow in Microsoft Edge. Let me walk you through why this happens and how to fix it.

There are a few common reasons this occurs. If you’ve just opened Edge for the first time, you’ll see a “Set up your new profile” screen, and the toolbar (including the back arrow) won’t appear until you finish or skip that setup. Another reason is that the back arrow only shows when there’s a previous page in your browsing history so if you’re on the very first page, it will be hidden. Sometimes, toolbar customization settings can turn off the back and forward buttons, or full-screen mode (activated by pressing F11) can hide the toolbar entirely. In some cases, using vertical tabs or a compact layout changes how the back button looks, and rarely, corrupted settings may require a reset to restore defaults.

Step 1: Complete or Skip Profile Setup

When Edge launches for the first time, click Get started and follow the prompts, or select Skip to go straight to the browser.

Step 2: Navigate to Another Page

The back arrow appears only after you visit a second page.

Try clicking a link or entering a new website in the address bar.

Step 3: Exit Full-Screen Mode

If you’re in full-screen mode, the toolbar is hidden.

Press F11 to exit full-screen and restore the toolbar.

Step 4: Reset Toolbar Customization

If the back button still doesn’t appear, go to Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their default values > Reset.

This will bring back all default toolbar buttons.

Step 5: Create a New Edge Profile

If the issue persists, creating a new profile often resolves UI problems:

• Click your profile icon in the top-right corner of Edge.
• Select Set up new personal profile.
• Sign in or continue without signing in.
• Switch to the new profile and check if the back arrow appears.

Please keep me posted on how it goes, and feel free to reach out if you need any further assistance. 

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".  

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Hi Andrew,

The back button should appear automatically.

edge://settings/appearance/toolbar

Some Settings are at this page:

Some swipe settings are also in this page:

edge://settings/accessibility

I hope you find this information useful. If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to reach out. Otherwise, please take a moment to accept the answer. Wishing you good luck!