Microsoft Edge joins the Manifest V2 purge as uBlock Origin and other extensions get the boot

It’s the moment ad-blocking enthusiasts dreaded — Microsoft Edge has officially begun its crackdown on Manifest V2 extensions, following in Google Chrome’s footsteps. The latest Canary update has started disabling popular ad-blocking tools like uBlock Origin in a shake-up that’s been quietly brewing ever since Google Chrome began its own Manifest V3 journey.

This isn’t a rogue move by Microsoft. The phase-out of Manifest V2 extensions is part of a broader tech industry shift led by Google, which announced years ago that Chrome would sunset older extensions in favor of Manifest V3. The new framework promises better security, performance, and privacy — or so claims Google. Critics, however, argue it’s a thinly veiled strike against ad-blockers, which threaten the ad-driven revenue models of companies like Google (and by extension, Microsoft Edge, which runs on Chromium).

Manifest V3 restricts how extensions interact with web content, limiting their ability to block ads and trackers in real time. For uBlock Origin, the gold standard of ad-blockers, this means switching to a less powerful “Lite” version (uBlock Origin Lite) under Manifest V3. Spoiler: It’s not the same.

The rumblings started when Chrome initiated its own transition away from Manifest V2, and now Microsoft Edge is following suit with its latest Canary update. Although this change is currently confined to the Canary build — a sort of testing ground for bleeding-edge features — it signals a broader rollout that could soon affect stable versions of Edge. If you’re part of the Canary club, you might have already noticed your favorite extensions going offline, marking the start of what looks to be a gradual but definitive phase-out of Manifest V2 support.

If you’re part of Team uBlock Origin, this feels like losing a trusty sidekick. Manifest V2 extensions operate with deeper access to web pages, letting them block ads, trackers, and malware more effectively. Manifest V3, meanwhile, uses a “declarative” approach — think of it as asking permission to block ads rather than doing it unilaterally. The result? Less control for users, more loopholes for ads.

At its core, the shift from Manifest V2 to V3 is about modernization. Browser makers are aiming for a leaner, meaner approach that not only protects users from potential security risks but also streamlines extension performance. Unfortunately, this evolution comes at a cost: some of the powerful functionalities that Manifest V2 extensions have long offered are now on the chopping block. For many, it feels like their trusty ad blocker is being forced to retire before its time.

The impact is most notable for users who have installed uBlock Origin and other Manifest V2 extensions from the Chrome Web Store in Microsoft Edge. You’ll find these extensions disabled, with Edge recommending their removal. However, an interesting nuance is that extensions installed from the Edge Add-ons store, including uBlock Origin, appear unaffected, as noted in the WindowsReport article. This suggests Microsoft is differentiating between store sources, possibly to maintain control over its ecosystem while aligning with Chromium’s policies. As an alterntive, you can switch to Firefox.

Microsoft announced its embrace of Manifest V3 in October 2020, stopping the acceptance of new Manifest V2 extensions from July 2022, but allowing updates to existing ones. However, the latest Canary update suggests a more aggressive phase-out, particularly for extensions sourced from the Chrome Web Store, which may be treated differently due to Chromium’s upstream changes.