Problem

Edge updates download in the background, but they do not apply until the browser restarts. Users who rarely close the browser can stay on older versions for weeks, so security patches stay pending.

In Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vulnerability reporting, this showed up as repeated findings for outdated browser versions.

So I moved to a policy that enforces predictable restart behavior and keeps browser patching moving.

Constraints

  • Windows 11
  • Intune
  • Microsoft Edge (Chromium)

Same principle applies if you’re managing Chrome or other browsers - they all have similar update/restart policies you can push through Intune.

Decision

Configure Edge policies through Intune that:

  1. Force pending updates to apply
  2. Notify users 30 minutes before restart
  3. Give users a 1-hour window to save their work and restart on their terms

Users see a popup when an update is ready. They can restart immediately or wait up to an hour. After that, Edge restarts automatically.

Implementation

1. Create a Settings Catalog Profile

  1. Go to Intune admin center → Devices → Configuration → Create → New policy
  2. Select Windows 10 and later as platform
  3. Select Settings catalog as profile type
  4. Name it something clear like “Edge - Auto Update and Restart”

2. Add the Edge Update Settings

Click Add settings and search for “Microsoft Edge”. Add these settings:

Relaunch Notification Period

  • Path: Microsoft Edge → Relaunch Notification Period
  • Setting: RelaunchNotificationPeriod
  • Value: 1800000 (30 minutes in milliseconds)

This controls how long the notification shows before Edge restarts.

Relaunch Window

  • Path: Microsoft Edge
  • Setting: RelaunchWindow
  • Value: Configure start and end time for the relaunch window

This gives users a predictable window when restarts can happen.

Force Browser Restart After Update

  • Path: Microsoft Edge
  • Setting: RelaunchNotification
  • Value: Required

This ensures users can’t ignore the update forever.

3. Alternative: Use Administrative Templates

If you prefer ADMX-based policies, you’ll need to import the Edge ADMX templates first. See Upload Custom ADMX Templates to Intune for how to do that.

Once imported:

  1. Go to Devices → Configuration → Create → New policy
  2. Select Windows 10 and later → Templates → Imported Administrative templates (Preview)
  3. Select your Edge template and navigate to Update
  4. Configure these policies:
PolicyValue
Notify a user that a browser restart is recommended or requiredEnabled - Required
Set the time period for update notifications1800000
Set the time period before required update3600000

4. Assign the Profile

  1. Click Assignments
  2. Add your device or user groups
  3. Review and create

Outcome

When an update is pending:

  1. A notification appears in Edge: “An update is available. Restart within 30 minutes.”
  2. Users can click Restart now to apply immediately
  3. If they wait, Edge restarts automatically after the timer expires
  4. Work in progress gets session restore - tabs reopen after restart

The notification isn’t aggressive. It’s a small banner that reminds users without interrupting their work.

Trade-offs

Users (or you during testing) can check applied policies:

  1. Open Edge
  2. Go to edge://policy/
  3. Look for RelaunchNotification and RelaunchNotificationPeriod

If the policies show up here, they’re active.

Trade-offs

  • Milliseconds, not seconds - The time values are in milliseconds. 1800000 = 30 minutes. Don’t accidentally set 1800 (1.8 seconds).
  • User complaints - Some users will push back on forced restarts. The 1-hour window helps. Explain it’s for security.
  • Session restore - Edge should restore tabs after restart, but remind users to save work in web apps that don’t auto-save.