Downgrade the WebView2 Runtime to an earlier version

If a new version of the WebView2 Runtime introduces a critical regression in a specific WebView2 app, an IT Admin can downgrade the WebView2 Runtime for that app to a previous version, by using the DowngradeVersion policy, as a temporary solution.

Detailed contents:

• Overview of enterprise downgrade
  • How enterprise downgrade works
  • Why enterprise downgrade exists
  • Applicable WebView2 apps
  • Policy configuration and precedence
  • Core design principles
• Temporarily downgrading the WebView2 Runtime
  • Option 1: Group Policy (GPO)
  • Option 2: Registry Editor (regedit)
  • Important notes
  • Process flow: How downgrade is implemented
• Limitations of downgrading the WebView2 Runtime
  • Version limitations
  • Scope limitations
  • Shared User Data Folder (UDF) constraints
• Risks of downgrading the WebView2 Runtime
  • Security risks
  • Data integrity risks
  • App compatibility risks
  • Operational risks
• Testing and troubleshooting downgrading of the Runtime
  • Verifying that the Runtime downgrade was applied
    • 1. Check the versioned folder
    • 2. Check the registry policy
    • 3. Check the BrowserExecutableFolder redirect
  • Triggering a force-update
  • Diagnostics tools for deeper troubleshooting
  • Common issues and resolution
• Removing the downgrading of the WebView2 Runtime
  • Option 1: Disable group policy (recommended)
  • Option 2: Remove the policy via the registry
  • Option 3: Automatic expiry
  • Post-revert behavior
• Escalating and contacting the WebView2 team
• See also

Overview of enterprise downgrade

In an enterprise, the IT Admin can downgrade the WebView2 Runtime to a previous version, as a temporary measure, by using the DowngradeVersion policy. When using the Evergreen Runtime, if a new Runtime version introduces a critical regression, each WebView2 app and each Windows component that uses the WebView2 Runtime is likely to be impacted. Enterprise Downgrade offers a short-term mitigation approach for the IT Admin to restore impacted productivity.

The DowngradeVersion policy is a controlled version downgrade capability that allows an enterprise IT Admin to temporarily revert a specific WebView2 application (WebView2 app) to use a previous version of the WebView2 Runtime via Group Policy when a critical regression disrupts business operations. See DowngradeVersion in Microsoft Edge WebView2 - Policies.

The Evergreen distribution model means that the WebView2 Runtime updates automatically alongside Microsoft Edge, so that the WebView2 app always runs on the latest version of the WebView2 Runtime, without manual intervention. The Evergreen WebView2 Runtime ensures that the WebView2 app gets security patches and feature improvements automatically. The enterprise IT Admin cannot uninstall the impacting WebView2 Runtime update.

WebView2 is a browser control that allows Windows applications (such as Microsoft Teams, Outlook, and third-party enterprise software) to embed web content by using the Microsoft Edge rendering engine.

How enterprise downgrade works

1. The IT Admin identifies that a new WebView2 Runtime version has broken a specific WebView2 app.

2. The IT Admin sets a Group Policy that specifies that for this WebView2 app, use a specific previous version of the WebView2 Runtime, instead of the latest WebView2 Runtime.

   Only WebView2 Runtime version N-1 or N-2 relative to the current Evergreen WebView2 Runtime version is supported. Downgrading to a version of the WebView2 Runtime that's earlier than version N-2 is rejected.

3. The Edge Updater downloads and installs the older WebView2 Runtime version side-by-side with the current WebView2 Runtime.

4. The WebView2 Loader redirects only the targeted WebView2 app to the older WebView2 Runtime.

5. All other WebView2 apps on the device continue using the latest WebView2 Runtime version; they are unaffected by the downgrade.

6. The downgrade automatically expires after the pinned version is no longer within the two most recent previous versions of the WebView2 Runtime.

Why enterprise downgrade exists

Enterprise Downgrade is a last-resort recovery tool. Enterprise Downgrade is targeted, time-bound, and managed by the enterprise IT Admin in partnership with WebView2 app owners. Enterprise Downgrade is not a version-pinning mechanism.

Enterprise Downgrade provides a temporary, Admin-controlled version downgrade for the specific WebView2 app that's affected, while the platform team prepares a proper fix. Enterprise Downgrade should only be used as a last-resort recovery measure, when a critical regression is actively disrupting business operations and no other mitigation (such as a hotfix, feature flag, or update pause) can resolve the issue in a timely manner. The downgrade buys time for the platform team to ship a proper fix; the downgrade is not a substitute for shipping a proper fix.

In mission-critical enterprise environments, unexpected regressions in the WebView2 Runtime can halt business workflows with no immediate remedy. Even brief outages result in lost revenue, missed SLAs, and increased operational costs. Mission-critical enterprise environments include, for example:

• Healthcare systems
• Financial trading platforms
• Retail point-of-sale
• Government services

Applicable WebView2 apps

Enterprise Downgrade of the WebView2 Runtime doesn't automatically affect any WebView2 app. The IT Admin must explicitly configure the DowngradeVersion policy for a specific WebView2 app. The policy then applies only to that specific WebView2 app.

The following types of WebView2 apps can be targeted:

• Any WebView2 Evergreen-Runtime app running on enterprise-managed Windows devices.

  • The IT Admin specifies the target by either:

    • The Application User Model ID (AUMID), for packaged/MSIX apps.
    • The executable name (such as ms-teams.exe).

  • If both an AUMID and .exe name entry exist for the same WebView2 app, the AUMID entry takes precedence.

To find the .exe name:

1. Open Task Manager, and then on the left, select Details.

2. Find the running WebView2 app.

3. Examine the Name column for the WebView2 app, such as ms-teams.exe or olk.exe.

The following types of WebView2 apps are not affected by the DowngradeVersion policy:

• WebView2 apps that aren't specified in the DowngradeVersion policy.

  • Such apps continue to use the latest WebView2 Evergreen Runtime.

• WebView2 apps on consumer devices or unmanaged devices.

• WebView2 apps that use an app-bundled (Fixed Version) WebView2 Runtime.

Policy configuration and precedence

HKEY_CURRENT_USER (HKCU) is not supported; this is a machine-level enterprise policy only (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (HKLM)).

Precedence when multiple policies exist (highest to lowest):

1. DowngradeVersion policy — always wins.

2. BrowserExecutableFolder — if set independently by the IT Admin.

3. Default Evergreen Runtime — lowest.

If both DowngradeVersion and BrowserExecutableFolder are independently configured, DowngradeVersion takes precedence and overrides the BrowserExecutableFolder redirect.

Core design principles

• Enterprise IT Admin Driven: Only IT Admins can initiate downgrade via Group Policy. Developers and end users cannot trigger it.

• Updater Service Compliance: The Edge Updater downloads the required version if needed and continues normal updates for all other apps.

• Automatic Expiry: A downgraded version remains valid only as long as it is within the two most recent previous versions (N-1 or N-2). Once two subsequent new major versions release beyond the downgraded version, the downgrade expires and the app automatically reverts to the latest Runtime. Microsoft recommends that the IT Admin should remove the stale policy after it auto-expires.

• Per-App Targeting: Downgrade is applied per-app, not device-wide. Each WebView2 app must be individually specified in the policy.

Temporarily downgrading the WebView2 Runtime

Updating the policy template

To update the policy template:

1. Go to Download and deploy Microsoft Edge for Business.

2. In the Download the latest section, click one of the following buttons:

   • Windows
   • macOS
   • Linux

3. Click a Download ... Policy link, such as:

   • Download Windows 64-bit Policy
   • Download Windows 32-bit Policy
   • Download Windows ARM64 Policy
   • Download macOS Universal Policy
   • Download Linux (.rpm) Policy
   • Download Linux (.deb) Policy

   The Download Microsoft Edge Policy File dialog opens.

4. Click the Accept and download button.

   A file is downloaded, such as MicrosoftEdgePolicyTemplates.cab.

5. In Microsoft Edge, select Settings and more (...), select Downloads, and then for the downloaded file, click Open containing folder.

   On Windows, File Explorer opens, with the file MicrosoftEdgePolicyTemplates.cab selected.

6. Right-click MicrosoftEdgePolicyTemplates.cab, and then select Open.

   MicrosoftEdgePolicyTemplates.zip appears.

7. Right-click MicrosoftEdgePolicyTemplates.zip, and then select Extract.

   The Select a Destination dialog opens.

8. Select the directory such as C:\Users\local-account\Downloads, and then click the Extract button.

   A folder is created, such as: C:\Users\local-account\Downloads\MicrosoftEdgePolicyTemplates.zip

9. On the left, select MicrosoftEdgePolicyTemplates.zip, and then on the right, open the /windows/ directory.

   The folders /adm/ and /admx/ are listed.

10. Copy the folders /adm/ and /admx/ to a /PolicyDefinitions/ directory. For example, for Windows, copy the /adm/ and /admx/ folders to C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions\.

    The Destination Folder Access Denies dialog opens, saying "You'll need to provide administrator permission to copy to this folder".

11. Click the Continue button.

    The User Account Control dialog opens.

12. Enter admin credentials.

Option 1: Group Policy (GPO)

This is the recommended approach for enterprise environments. Group Policy ensures centralized, auditable management across managed devices.

1. Open the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc).

2. Navigate to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge WebView2

3. Find Configure per-application WebView2 downgrade version.

4. Enable the policy, and enter this information:

   • Name: The application identifier (AUMID). Or, the .exe name, such as ms-teams.exe.

   • Value: The target four-part version number (such as 151.0.2178.0).

Option 2: Registry Editor (regedit)

For targeted configuration on individual machines. Requires local administrator privileges.

1. Open regedit as Administrator.

2. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Edge\WebView2

3. Create a new key named DowngradeVersion (if it doesn't exist).

4. Inside the DowngradeVersion key, create a new String Value (REG_SZ):

   • Value name: The AUMID or executable name (such as ms-teams.exe).

   • Value data: The target major version number.

     • Set the value to the target full version string using the four-part numeric format (such as 151.0.2178.0).

     • The IT Admin can find the exact four-part version number in the Microsoft Edge release notes for Stable Channel.

     • Example values:

       • Name: ms-teams.exe, Value: 151.0.2178.0
       • Name: olk.exe, Value: 152.0.2164.0

5. Restart the WebView2 app, for the policy to take effect.

Example:

Key:   HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Edge\WebView2\DowngradeVersion
Value: ms-teams.exe = "151.0.2178.0"
Value: olk.exe = "152.0.2164.0"

Important notes

• Only HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (HKLM) is supported; HKEY_CURRENT_USER (HKCU) is ignored.

• The following values are not supported:

  • Major-only values (such as 151).
  • Wildcard values (such as 151.*).
  • Values that are not exact four-part numeric versions.

• The WebView2 loader resolves the Runtime installation directory only when a folder that exactly matches the configured full version exists. For example, 151.0.2178.0 must match 151.0.2178.0 exactly.

  If no exact matching folder is found, the policy has no effect, and the Runtime defaults to the BrowserExecutableFolder policy or the Evergreen Runtime (the default auto-updating Runtime).

• The Edge Updater will automatically download the required version if it satisfies the N-1 and/or N-2 conditions. The IT Admin doesn't need to pre-stage version folders on disk.

• No restart of the machine is needed, but the WebView2 app must be restarted, and it might take up to 1 hour for the downgrade to take effect.

• Policy latency for the WebView2 app: Changes take effect within 1 hour of deployment. This is aligned with the Microsoft Edge and WebView2 update task cadence. To trigger a force update, see Triggering a force update, below.

• Runtime downgrade policy enforcement overrides the following:

  • Maintenance windows.
  • Extended update intervals.
  • Cached last-check timestamps.

Process flow: How downgrade is implemented

1. The IT Admin sets policy by using Group Policy, specifying the AppId and TargetVersion.

2. The Edge Updater reads the policy, and validates that TargetVersion is within N-1 or N-2.

3. The Edge Updater downloads the downgraded version of the WebView2 Runtime, if needed, as a side-by-side install.

4. The Edge Updater sets BrowserExecutableFolder policy for the target app, to redirect it to the specified version of the WebView2 Runtime.

5. The Edge Updater maintains the mapping as long as the downgraded version of the WebView2 Runtime stays within the supported range.

6. When the pinned version of the WebView2 Runtime falls outside of the supported range, or the policy is removed, the Edge Updater cleans up and reverts the WebView2 app to using the latest version of the WebView2 Runtime.

If a WebView2 Runtime downgrade policy is active, but the target WebView2 Runtime version is not yet downloaded (such as due to network or disk constraints), the WebView2 app continues using the latest WebView2 Runtime, until the earlier WebView2 Runtime is present. The WebView2 app will not fail to launch solely because the downgraded version of the WebView2 Runtime is pending download.

Limitations of downgrading the WebView2 Runtime

Version limitations

Scope limitations

Shared User Data Folder (UDF) constraints

The IT Admin must downgrade all WebView2 apps that share the same User Data Folder (UDF), to use the same WebView2 Runtime version.

WebView2 apps can share a WebView2 User Data Folder (UDF) to reuse browser state. Very few apps share a User Data Folder (UDF); the only known apps that share a UDF are the Office Suite apps: Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

Accessing the same UDF from different WebView2 Runtime versions is unsafe. If WebView2 app A is downgraded, and WebView2 app B shares the same UDF but is not downgraded, both WebView2 app A and WebView2 app B will fail fast on launch.

Risks of downgrading the WebView2 Runtime

Security risks

Data integrity risks

App compatibility risks

Operational risks

Testing and troubleshooting downgrading of the Runtime

Verifying that the Runtime downgrade was applied

After setting the WebView2 Runtime downgrade policy and restarting the target WebView2 app, do the following.

1. Check the versioned folder

1. In File Explorer, navigate to: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\EdgeWebView\Application\

2. Confirm that a new folder appears, matching the downgraded version (such as 150.0.2178.0).

   The presence of this versioned folder indicates that the Edge Updater has fetched and staged the downgraded WebView2 Runtime.

2. Check the registry policy

1. Confirm that the DowngradeVersion key is set, under: HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Edge\WebView2\DowngradeVersion

2. Verify that entries match your configured AppId → TargetVersion.

3. Check the BrowserExecutableFolder redirect

• The BrowserExecutableFolder policy should be set automatically to point the app to the downgraded Runtime path.

Triggering a force-update

After setting the DowngradeVersion policy, the Edge Updater needs to download the target version. By default, this happens within approximately 1 hour (aligned with the Edge/WebView2 update task cadence).

To trigger an immediate update:

1. Open PowerShell as Administrator.

2. Find the Edge Update task:

   Get-ScheduledTask -TaskPath "\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate\*" | Select TaskName, TaskPath

3. Run the task:

   Start-ScheduledTask -TaskName "<task name from step 2>"

4. Wait a few minutes for the download to complete.

5. Restart the WebView2 app.

Diagnostics tools for deeper troubleshooting

The following tools are for troubleshooting issues — they are not required for standard verification:

Common issues and resolution

Removing the downgrading of the WebView2 Runtime

Option 1: Disable group policy (recommended)

Important: Do not delete registry keys directly. Always use Group Policy (GPO) to disable the policy, to ensure clean removal and avoid orphaned configuration.

If GPO was used to configure the downgrade:

1. Open the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc).

2. Navigate to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge WebView2

3. Set "Configure per-application WebView2 downgrade version" to Disabled or Not Configured.

4. Restart the WebView2 app.

   The app will revert to the latest Evergreen Runtime on next launch.

Option 2: Remove the policy via the registry

Caution: Direct registry manipulation should only be used if the original policy was set via Registry Editor. If Group Policy (GPO) was used, always revert by using GPO, to ensure consistency.

If the policy was originally set directly via Registry (not recommended in production):

1. Open regedit as Administrator.

2. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Edge\WebView2\DowngradeVersion

3. Delete the specific value (such asms-teams.exe).

4. Restart the WebView2 app.

Option 3: Automatic expiry

The downgrade expires automatically when the pinned version is no longer within the two most recent previous versions:

• Trigger: Two subsequent new Evergreen versions release beyond the pinned version.

• Behavior: The Edge Updater automatically reverts applicable apps to the latest Runtime.

• Admin action required: Remove the stale policy once it auto-expires.

• Example: If you downgrade to version 145 while 147 is current (145 is N-2), and then version 148 release, version 145 is now three versions behind → downgrade auto-expires.

Post-revert behavior

Escalating and contacting the WebView2 team

Escalation path:

1. The Enterprise Admin contacts Microsoft CSS.

2. CSS troubleshoots the issue by using this article.

3. If unresolved, CSS escalates the issue to the WebView2 Platform team ICM.

   Area Path: Edge\Web Experience\WebView2\Distribution

   Owning Service: Edge Browser customer incidents.

   Owning Team: Edge WebView2.

See also:

• Contact the WebView2 team

See also

• DowngradeVersion in Microsoft Edge WebView2 - Policies.
• Microsoft Edge release notes for Stable Channel

External:

• Enterprise management of WebView2 Runtimes
• Contact the WebView2 team