Distribute your app and the WebView2 Runtime - Microsoft Learn
If you are a developer distributing a native app (e.g., WPF or WinForms), you cannot assume the user has WebView2 installed.
: Since the runtime is shared across all applications using the Evergreen mode, it saves significant disk space compared to the "Fixed Version" mode, which requires a dedicated copy for every app Microsoft Learn Hard-linking evergreen webview2
In the , the WebView2 Runtime is not packaged with your application . Instead, it exists as a shared, system-wide component that is initially installed on client machines using either an online bootstrapper or an offline standalone installer. Once installed, the Evergreen Runtime is automatically updated on client machines in the background by Microsoft's update services. This is the distribution method that Microsoft recommends for most developers.
: On compatible Windows versions, the WebView2 binaries are hard-linked with Microsoft Edge binaries when they match versions, further optimizing memory and disk usage Microsoft Learn Implementation Best Practices Availability Check : Always programmatically verify if the Evergreen Runtime is installed before initializing your application’s web control Microsoft Learn Update Handling Distribute your app and the WebView2 Runtime -
Integrating web tech into desktop apps used to mean dealing with outdated browsers and massive security holes. Microsoft changed this by introducing Microsoft Edge WebView2.
If ten different apps on a user’s machine use Evergreen WebView2, they all share the same set of binaries on the disk. This saves significant storage space compared to every app bringing its own "Fixed" version. How it Works: The Runtime and the Loader options.TargetCompatibleBrowserVersion = "1.0.1245.22"
If the runtime is missing, EnsureCoreWebView2Async throws an exception. Handle it by downloading the bootstrapper:
var options = new CoreWebView2EnvironmentOptions(); options.TargetCompatibleBrowserVersion = "1.0.1245.22"; var env = await CoreWebView2Environment.CreateAsync(null, null, options); await webView.EnsureCoreWebView2Async(env);
WebView2 has quickly become Microsoft's premier solution for embedding web technologies into native Windows applications. It allows developers to harness the power of the modern Microsoft Edge browser (based on Chromium) directly within their desktop software, serving as a major leap forward from the outdated WebBrowser control and third-party solutions like CEF (Chromium Embedded Framework).