Microsoft has announced that it is rolling out the WebView2 Runtime to supported consumer versions of its Windows 10 operating system. This will allow these users to embed web content in applications.
For those of you unaware of Microsoft Edge WebView2, this is a special control for developers that allows them to use the latest improvements and technologies available in the Edge browser in different Windows programs.
Windows 11 from its infancy, and now, Windows 10.
The latest OS already includes the WebView2 Runtime. However, users are not conversant with it because they do not have the opportunity to interact with it directly. Most users only interact with this technology in the applications it is enabled in.
In the announcement post, the company has prepared for the occasion:
“For Windows 10, we have recommended developers to distribute and install the runtime with their applications. In the past two years, more than 400 million of these devices now have the WebView2 runtime thanks to developers building and distributing WebView2 applications.”
Redmond says that bundling WebView2 in Windows 10 will help developers cut costs and ensure that their customers have all the necessary dependencies. Previously, they had to spend extra time to and effort to bundle the WebView2 Runtime with their apps on the platform.
Developers can learn more about the WebView2 Runtime distribution in the official documentation.
For the average consumer, the announcement does not matter that much.
The rollout has begun, and WebView2 will arrive on systems running the Home and Pro variants of Windows 10, version 2004 and newer, in waves, as is now the norm with the software titan. It will not impact disk space too much, as the runtime is tied to the Edge web browser.
