Will Microsoft Finally Bring WebView2 to Linux and macOS? The Answer Revealed

In 2021 a GitHub user asked whether Microsoft’s WebView2 component would support Linux and macOS.

WebView2, built on the open‑source Microsoft Edge (Chromium) engine, is a lightweight version of the browser used in many Microsoft applications such as the new Outlook and Teams, and many developers find its Chromium‑based performance superior to Apple’s WKWebView.

Three years later Microsoft’s engineer @novac42 confirmed in the discussion thread that the company has decided not to open‑source WebView2 for macOS and Linux, stating that the long‑term product strategy is to stop publicly releasing the component on those platforms and focus on delivering maximum value on the currently supported OSes.

“After careful consideration and review of our long‑term product strategy, we have decided to cease the public release of WebView2 on macOS and Linux, and instead concentrate on providing the greatest value for customers on the platforms we currently support.”

The response emphasizes that the decision is to stop “public release,” not necessarily to cease internal use; Edge itself runs on Linux and macOS, so a WebView2 that supports those OSes could exist, but Microsoft is unlikely to open‑source it.

This announcement disappoints many developers who had been waiting for years, especially after Microsoft’s 2020 statement that macOS support was planned and a 2023 roadmap that mentioned continued platform improvements (though Linux was still excluded).

Developers now may need to look for alternatives such as Electron or the emerging Tauri framework for cross‑platform desktop applications.