Google phases out Manifest V2 extensions for Chrome, mandatory V3 from 2023

As of June 2023, Google Chrome will no longer support extensions based on the Manifest V2 requirements. As of January 17, 2022, new extensions based on Manifest V2 will no longer be included in the Chrome Web Store.

Developers have until early 2023 to make existing extensions compliant with Manifest V3, Google said in a blog post. From that moment on, existing V2 extensions can no longer be updated to meet the new requirements. When version three of the extension requirements eventually becomes mandatory, all currently unupdated extensions based on Manifest V2 will no longer work.

The current format for Chrome extensions was released early this year and places a strong emphasis on privacy, performance improvement and security. It is no longer possible for V3 extensions to use remote code, which should make it easier for Google to test the security of an extension. In addition, the new format makes it possible for service workers to perform certain tasks in the background. This eliminates the need for additional web page for secondary functions, which should reduce Chrome’s ram consumption.

Finally, a controversial new declarativeNetRequest API was introduced to replace the current webRequest API. This made ad blockers more difficult, in favor of user privacy. The api in question has meanwhile been adjusted to guarantee both the wishes of developers and the privacy of users.