Microsoft Edge phases out MV2 extensions

Microsoft announced it will gradually disable Manifest V2 (MV2) extensions in its Edge browser, transitioning to Manifest V3 (MV3), following Alphabet Inc. Chrome's earlier move. The change begins in August 2026 with Canary, Dev, and Beta channels, expanding to Stable in the coming months. Consumer transition is targeted for completion by end of 2026, with enterprise deprecation in early 2027. Microsoft states that 95% of top MV2 extensions have already migrated to MV3, and only 58 MV2 extensions with meaningful usage remain, of which only three lack MV3 alternatives. The shift affects legacy ad blockers like UBlock Origin, which rely on the WebRequest API that MV3 replaces with the more restrictive Declarative Net Request API. Users are directed to MV3-compatible alternatives such as UBlock Origin Lite, AdGuard, and Ghostery. The move aligns Edge with the broader Chromium ecosystem and has drawn criticism from power users who value UBlock Origin's advanced filtering capabilities. Alternatives like Firefox and Opera continue to support MV2 or offer different approaches.