Microsoft Edge Drops Older Ad Blockers in Manifest V2 Phaseout
Microsoft is phasing out the older Manifest V2 extensions platform in its Edge browser, mirroring Google Chrome's earlier transition. This update will disable older ad blockers such as uBlock Origin. Microsoft states that only 58 Edge Add-On Store extensions still meaningfully use MV2. The rollout begins this month, targeting consumer users by late 2026 and enterprise users by early 2027.
Key points
- Microsoft is phasing out the older Manifest V2 extensions platform in the Edge browser to transition users to the newer MV3 framework.
- The change cuts off support for popular ad blockers like uBlock Origin, though alternatives such as uBlock Origin Lite remain available.
- Microsoft reports that only 58 extensions on the Edge Add-On Store with meaningful usage still rely on MV2, with just three lacking MV3 versions.
- The deprecation begins this month with gradual default shutdowns for consumers, concluding for enterprise users by early 2027.
- Alternative browsers like Opera and Firefox have stated they intend to maintain support for existing MV2 extensions.
Microsoft has announced plans to discontinue support for the older Manifest V2 extensions platform within the Edge browser. The decision aligns Edge with Google Chrome, which executed a similar transition earlier this year. As a result, users relying on older ad-blocking tools, most notably uBlock Origin, will lose access to these extensions unless they adopt newer alternatives like uBlock Origin Lite or switch to competing browsers.
According to Microsoft, only 58 extensions currently listed on the Edge Add-On Store with meaningful usage still utilize the MV2 framework. Of those, only three lack equivalents on the newer MV3 platform. The phaseout begins this month, with remaining MV2 extensions being gradually turned off by default for consumer users. Microsoft intends to complete the consumer transition by the end of this year, followed by enterprise users in early 2027.
While Microsoft pushes forward with the deprecation, other browser developers are taking different approaches. Opera has stated that it will continue supporting existing MV2 extensions for as long as it remains technically reasonable, while Firefox also remains an alternative for users seeking to retain older extension formats.
Sources
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