Microsoft begins turning off uBlock Origin and other extensions in Edge

If you use the uBlock Origin extension in Google Chrome or Edge, you should probably start looking for alternative browsers or extensions—either way. A few days ago, users noticed that Google had begun disabling uBlock Origin and other Manifest V2-based extensions as part of the migration to Manifest V3. Now, Microsoft Edge appears to be following suit.

The latest Edge Canary version started disabling Manifest V2-based extensions with the following message: "This extension is no longer supported. Microsoft Edge recommends that you remove it." Although the browser turns off old extensions without asking, you can still make them work by clicking "Manage extension" and toggling it back (you will have to acknowledge another prompt).

At this point, it is not entirely clear what is going on. Google started phasing out Manifest V2 extensions in June 2024, and it has a clear roadmap for the process. Microsoft's documentation, however, still says "TBD," so the exact dates are not known yet. This leads to some speculating about the situation being one of "unexpected changes" coming from Chromium. Either way, sooner or later, Microsoft will ditch MV2-based extensions, so get ready as we wait for Microsoft to shine some light on its plans.

Another thing worth noting is that the change does not appear to be affecting Edge's stable release or Beta/Dev Channels. For now, only Canary versions disable uBlock Origin and other MV2 extensions, leaving users a way to toggle them back on. Also, the uBlock Origin is still available in the Edge Add-ons store, which recently received a big update.

In August 2024, when Google started flagging uBlock Origin as unsupported, the extension's maker stepped in and recommended users switch to uBlock Origin Lite, a Manifest V3-based extension, and accept some of its limitations. Another option is to switch to Firefox. Mozilla recently announced its plans to keep Manifest V2 extensions working, including uBlock Origin, based on Mozilla Manifesto, which claims that "individuals must have the ability to shape the internet and their own experiences on it."

Now, users can either switch to a browser that still supports MV2 extensions or move to MV3-based ad blockers. Of course, not all MV2 extensions have "more modern" versions, so for many, switching to Firefox or another browser with MV2 support will be the only option to keep old extensions working.

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