Microsoft Edge users recently worried that one of the internet’s most trusted ad blockers, uBlock Origin, had been removed from the browser’s extension store. The news came shortly after Google’s Chrome eliminated support for the tool, fueling speculation that Edge was also phasing it out as part of Chromium’s wider shift from Manifest V2 to Manifest V3.
Manifest V3, the new extension framework being adopted across Chromium browsers, is touted by Google as a way to improve security, privacy, and performance. Yet, for developers and power users, it comes with a major trade-off: stricter rules that prevent advanced extensions, including feature-rich ad blockers like uBlock Origin, from functioning as they once did. Since uBlock Origin cannot adapt to Manifest V3, it was pulled from Chrome and similar browsers, with many users reluctantly switching to the lighter—but far less capable—uBlock Origin Lite.
When Edge briefly lost access to the extension, many assumed Microsoft had aligned itself with Google’s approach. This seemed plausible, as most Chromium-based browsers have little choice but to adopt Manifest V3 unless they decide to commit the resources necessary to keep Manifest V2 alive, something Opera has uniquely promised to do.
Fortunately for Edge users, the situation was not as grim as it first appeared. Microsoft confirmed that uBlock Origin’s disappearance was the result of a mistake, not a policy change. The extension is now restored to the Edge add-on store and remains fully installable. Still, the larger uncertainty surrounding Manifest V3’s full rollout leaves many wondering how long this reprieve will last for advanced ad blocking tools.