Every detail about Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime

What is Microsoft Edge WebView2

Microsoft Edge WebView2 is an application that runs during runtime to provide web-based features in Microsoft 365 desktop applications. The interesting thing is that it uses Microsoft Edge as a rendering engine to do so. It allows you to embed web technologies including HTML, CSS, or JavaScript in your native apps. The WebView2 control uses Microsoft Edge as the rendering engine to display the web content in native apps.

With WebView2, you can embed web code in different parts of your native app, or build all of the native app within a single WebView2 instance.

Where did Microsoft Edge Webview2 come from

Microsoft started automatically installing it on machines that have Version 2101 or later installed for Microsoft 365 apps. So, the fact that you didn’t install it should not worry you. Nor should you go about ending the tasks when you see them in your Task Manager next time. The process is absolutely necessary for important functions.

Microsoft uses WebView2 to provide users with Outlook features that are the same across all platforms. So, whether you’re using the Office apps on desktop or the web, it’ll be consistent everywhere. Office Add-ins will also rely on WebView2 in the future.

Do you need Microsoft Edge for running Webview2

WebView2 also doesn’t require anything on your part as Microsoft is installing it automatically on Windows machines. It also doesn’t require the Microsoft Edge browser to actually run. So, even if the browser isn’t installed on your PC, let alone running, the Runtime process can and will run.

Although Microsoft said that it’ll be installing WebView2 Runtime on systems running Microsoft 365 Apps Version 2010 or later, systems that have older versions of Microsoft Office might also have the Runtime installed.

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