Browser guide — Microsoft Edge
Keep your screen awake in Microsoft Edge
Since Edge switched to the Chromium engine in 2020, it supports the same Screen Wake Lock API as Chrome — version 84 onward. Edge adds two battery features of its own that are worth understanding.
Support at a glance
| Platform | Support | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Windows, macOS | Yes — Edge 84+ | Visible, HTTPS tab required |
| Android | Yes — current versions | Foreground tab required |
| iOS | Yes — iOS 16.4+ | Uses Apple's WebKit engine — see Safari |
Using the tool in Edge
Open the tool, choose a duration, tap the button. Edge holds the wake lock while this tab is visible — and because Edge ships with Windows, it's usually already on the work laptops where changing power settings isn't allowed.
Two Edge features worth knowing
Efficiency mode (Settings → System and performance) reduces Edge's resource use — and when it's set to aggressively save resources, or the battery is low, wake-lock requests may be refused. If the tool reports that the browser blocked the lock, this setting is the first place to look.
Sleeping tabs fade background tabs after inactivity and freeze their JavaScript. A sleeping tab can't hold a wake lock, so Edge releasing it there costs you nothing — the lock is only valid on visible tabs regardless. Because our countdown is clock-based, even if Edge briefly puts this tab to sleep while it's hidden, the remaining time is still accurate when you return.
Kiosk PCs and Edge
Edge is the usual browser on Windows kiosk and assigned-access setups, where power settings are deliberately locked down. A full-screen browser tab holding a wake lock is often the only way to keep such a screen on without IT involvement — use the tool's fullscreen button.
Troubleshooting
- “Browser blocked the wake lock”: efficiency mode on battery. Plug in, or whitelist this site in Edge's performance settings.
- Screen turns off anyway: check Windows' own Screen and sleep timers — wake locks don't extend a PC-level sleep countdown. See the Windows guide.
- Very old Edge (pre-2020, “EdgeHTML”): no wake lock support exists there; update Edge — the current version updates automatically with Windows.