Delivering Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime to managed Windows 10 devices

[Guest Microsoft Edge Team]

Microsoft Edge WebView2 is a UI control that allows developers to embed web content into their Win32 C++, .NET, and WinUI applications. It powers many applications today such as Microsoft Office, Microsoft Power BI, and Visual Studio. Earlier this summer, we announced that we were beginning to roll out WebView2 Runtime – the runtime powering WebView2 applications – to Windows 10 Consumer devices to make it easier for developers to deploy their WebView2 applications. We are happy to report that WebView2 Runtime is now installed on most active eligible Windows 10 Consumer devices and will continue to be deployed on newly active Windows 10 devices. As a follow-up step to the Consumer rollout, we are also announcing that after January 16th, 2023, we will start rolling out WebView2 Runtime to managed/domain-joined devices with Windows 10 April 2018 Update or later.

[HEADING=1]Easier WebView2 application deployment[/HEADING]

WebView2 applications require the presence of WebView2 Runtime to function. On Windows 11, WebView2 Runtime is already a part of the operating system and will be readily available for any device updated to Windows 11. Windows 10, however, doesn’t have WebView2 Runtime pre-installed. We know this has been a pain point for developers who had to deploy the runtime along with their applications. Following the Consumer rollout, the rollout to managed devices is meant to further increase the availability of WebView2 Runtime on active Windows 10 devices. Going forward, the vast majority of active Windows 10 devices will have WebView2 Runtime already installed, relieving developers’ burden who will no longer need to install WebView2 Runtime on devices. To ensure the availability of WebView2 under all conditions, please see the WebView 2 Runtime distribution documentation.

[HEADING=1]Minimal disk space impact on end users[/HEADING]

Like for the Consumer rollout, the WebView2 Runtime rollout will have minimal disk space impact on your, or your tenants’, devices. WebView2 Runtime and Microsoft Edge browser are linked together, which means they only occupy the disk space of one product when they are on the same version. The rollout of WebView2 Runtime will allow for a better installation experience for any WebView2 application that you may install in the future. WebView2 Runtime will be progressively rolled out to managed devices while we monitor data and feedback to ensure end users have a great experience.

[HEADING=1]Manage WebView2 Runtime[/HEADING]

IT admins are in control of their managed devices and have a number of tools available to manage WebView2 Runtime on tenants’ devices. You can set group policies to configure WebView2 Runtime’s update behavior after the runtime is deployed. You may also opt out of the rollout by configuring the WebView2 install policy, although in most cases we do not recommend so as disabling WebView2 Runtime installation may severely impair the normal usage of WebView2 applications such as Outlook on your tenants’ device. We are excited to see WebView2 Runtime deployed to managed devices and WebView2 app deployment become easier. In the meantime, if you have any thoughts or questions, do not hesitate to reach out to us through our WebView2 Feedback GitHub repository or on Twitter @MSEdgeDev.

 

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