Edge to Ditch uBlock Origin as Microsoft Axes Outdated Ad Blocker Support

Microsoft has announced that it will be phasing out support for Manifest Version 2 (MV2) extensions on Edge by the end of 2026, affecting popular ad blocker uBlock Origin among others. This change is part of a larger effort to transition away from MV2 and towards Manifest Version 3 (MV3), which offers improved security and performance.

The shift to MV3 also means that some features used by ad blockers will be limited or restricted, including the WebRequest API. uBlock Origin's full version is not compatible with MV3, but a 'Lite' version is available, although it lacks some of the granular controls of the original.

Other browsers such as Mozilla Firefox and Brave have committed to supporting MV2 extensions, providing users with alternatives to Edge. Microsoft will begin notifying users about the change this month (August 2026), before gradually turning off MV2 support over the coming months.