You might have seen some websites posting about Microsoft Edge being a requirement for the new Outlook app and how the latter stops working if you uninstall the browser. That is an interesting claim, especially in light of the recent Windows changes that made it possible to uninstall Microsoft Edge with a simple click. Interesting, but false.
Windows 10 and 11 come with two versions of Microsoft Edge. One is the browser you use to surf the internet, and another one, called WebView2 Runtime, is hidden under the hood. Many apps require WebView2 to display web content, and Microsoft ships it with Windows by default to ensure all users have the necessary dependencies. The built-in runtime also makes life easier for developers since they can offload the burden of maintaining WebView2 to Microsoft.
The upcoming Windows 11 "Moment 5" update, which should land later this month, will let users in the European Union uninstall Microsoft Edge with a simple click. And if you live outside the EU, you can do the same with the help of our handy guide. Uninstalling Microsoft Edge does not affect WebView2. In fact, you cannot uninstall it even with the latest EU-compliant changes.
The new Outlook app, which many users call a glorified progressive web app, requires WebView2 to operate. You can check it by expanding its process in Task Manager. The only way to break it is to get rid of WebView2 Runtime, which is not a simple task.
So there you have it. If you plan to delete Microsoft Edge after installing the next Windows 11 feature update, rest assured that doing so should not break any apps. By the way, if you do not like the new Outlook, you can go back to the old Mail app, which Microsoft recently allowed re-enabling.