Microsoft Edge discontinues MV2 extensions and dismisses ad blockers like uBlock Origin

Microsoft has begun ending support for the Manifest Version 2 (MV2) extension platform in Edge as it completes the transition to the new MV3 platform by the end of the year. This will lead to the end of ad blockers like uBlock Origin, among others.

MV2 is a Chromium-based extension platform that began as Google Chrome add-ons based on an earlier version of the platform. These add-ons are being retired to make way for the Manifest Version 3 (MV3) platform, which has been redesigned to offer security and performance improvements for these extensions. For example, it prevents the execution of unverified remote code instantly.

Following the process that Google began in 2024, Microsoft Edge is ending support for the MV2 platform, after announcing that 95 percent of the main extensions have already been migrated to the new MV3 platform.

Specifically, the company stated in a blog post that its Edge browser will begin the consumer transition from MV2 to MV3 extensions starting this August, with the goal of completing the consumer transition by the end of the year and the enterprise transition by early 2027.

The company assured that “the vast majority of extensions of all types”—from password managers to VPNs and ad blockers—have made the “successful transition to MV3 without any loss of functionality for the customer,” while also emphasizing its commitment to “working with all developers with MV2-based extensions to move their users to MV3 extensions seamlessly.”

According to Microsoft, there are only 58 extensions in the Edge Add-On Store with “any significant use” on MV2, and only three of them are not available on the MV3 platform. As reported by The Verge, the discontinuation of support for this platform in favor of MV3 will result in the removal of the uBlock Origin ad blocker and similar extensions.

To continue using ad blocking services in their browsers, users can turn to other ad-blocking extensions, such as uBlock Origin Lite. They can also choose to migrate their experience to other browsers, such as Opera, which specified last September that it would maintain support for MV2 extensions and will continue to do so “as long as it is technically reasonable.”

Users who continue using MV2 extensions will begin receiving advance notifications about the end of support on the Manage extensions page and on the product details pages for Microsoft Edge add-ons. They will then be directed to the recommended MV3 versions when these become available. Developers with MV2 extensions will receive a similar notification in the Microsoft Partner Center.

These changes will begin in the Canary, Dev and Beta channels, and will be gradually extended to Stable “in the coming months”.