● Covered by 2 sources · 2 reportsMedium impact2 neutral
Microsoft Edge to End Support for Manifest V2 Extensions, Impacting Ad Blockers
Key points
- Microsoft Edge is ending support for Manifest V2 extensions.
- This change will disable older ad blockers like uBlock Origin.
- Google Chrome previously made a similar transition to Manifest V3.
- Firefox is now the only major browser still supporting uBlock Origin.
- Users can switch to MV3 ad blockers or alternative browsers.
Edge Follows Chrome in Manifest V3 Transition
Microsoft Edge is discontinuing support for the Manifest V2 extensions platform. This decision aligns Edge with Google Chrome, which made a similar transition earlier this year. The change will affect ad blockers and other extensions that rely on the Manifest V2 architecture.
Impact on Ad Blockers
The shift to Manifest V3 will disable older ad blockers, including uBlock Origin, within Microsoft Edge. Manifest V3 limits the functions available to extensions, which can affect the ability of ad blockers to identify and block ads effectively. Microsoft states that only 58 extensions on the Edge Add-On Store with meaningful usage still use MV2, and only three of those are not available on the newer MV3 platform.
User Options and Alternatives
Users currently relying on Manifest V2 extensions in Edge will need to adapt. Options include switching to a different ad blocker, such as uBlock Origin Lite, which is compatible with Manifest V3. Alternatively, users can migrate to other browsers like Opera, which continues to support MV2 extensions, or Firefox, which has affirmed its ongoing support for uBlock Origin.
Firefox Becomes Sole Major Supporter of uBlock Origin
With Microsoft Edge's move, Firefox is now the only major browser that continues to support uBlock Origin. This is because Edge, like most modern web browsers including Opera, Brave, Vivaldi, and Samsung Browser, is based on Chromium, the open-source engine that Google initiated the Manifest V3 migration for. Firefox is one of the few major browsers not based on Chromium.
Phased Rollout
Microsoft plans to gradually disable remaining MV2 extensions starting this month. Users will receive notifications prior to their extensions being turned off by default. The company intends to complete the transition of all consumer users to MV3 extensions.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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How outlets covered it
Firefox announced it will continue to support uBlock Origin, making it the only major browser to do so, as Microsoft Edge follows Google Chrome in migrating to Manifest V3. This change in Manifest V3 will limit the functionality of ad-blocking extensions like uBlock Origin on Chromium-based browsers, impacting users who rely on comprehensive ad blocking.
Microsoft Edge is ending support for Manifest V2 extensions, which will disable older ad blockers like uBlock Origin, mirroring a change previously made by Google Chrome. This transition means users of these specific extensions will need to switch to newer MV3 versions or alternative browsers, impacting their ad-blocking capabilities within Edge.