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msedgewebview2.exeMicrosoft Edge WebView2ProcessWidely reported

msedgewebview2.exe: why it uses so much memory and how to rein it in

By Gaurav Rawat · Updated Oct 2, 2026 · Checked against Microsoft documentation · How this page is made

Quick answer

msedgewebview2.exe is the Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime, which other apps use to show web content: Widgets, Teams, the new Outlook, Copilot and many third-party apps. It isn't a virus, and you shouldn't uninstall it. When it uses a lot of memory, one app is usually responsible, so find that app and close, update or turn it off.

What it means

Plenty of Windows apps are partly web pages inside a window. Rather than each one shipping its own browser engine, they use WebView2, a shared copy of the engine behind Microsoft Edge. Every time one of those apps shows web content, you get one or more msedgewebview2.exe processes.

That's why you often see several of them in Task Manager. They can belong to different apps, and each app may run a few processes for different jobs, as a browser does with tabs.

Why memory climbs

WebView2 itself rarely misbehaves. The memory belongs to whatever the app is displaying: a busy Teams chat, a Widgets board refreshing news, or an app with a memory leak. Closing or restarting that app frees the memory.

Don't uninstall it

The WebView2 Runtime is part of Windows 11, and apps expect it to be there. Removing it breaks those apps, and Windows or Edge updates usually put it back anyway. It's updated automatically, so you don't need to manage it.

Common causes

  • Widgets keeping a feed loaded in the background.
  • Teams, the new Outlook or another WebView2 app running for a long time with heavy content.
  • An app with a memory leak in its web content.
  • Several WebView2 apps open at once, each with its own processes.

How to fix it

Safest and most likely fixes first. Readers' answers to "Did this fix it?" reorder this list over time.

  1. Find which app owns it

    Always start here. The fix depends on the app.

    1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager and go to the Processes tab.
    2. Expand the apps at the top of the list. The msedgewebview2.exe processes appear under the app that started them.
    3. If they're listed separately, right-click a msedgewebview2.exe entry and choose Go to details, then add the Command line column on the Details tab: the path usually names the app.
    Did this fix it?

  2. Restart or update that app

    When one app holds most of the memory.

    1. Quit the app fully, including from the system tray (right-click its icon and choose Quit).
    2. Open it again and check whether memory stays reasonable.
    3. Update the app from the Microsoft Store or its own updater, since memory leaks are often fixed in newer versions.
    Did this fix it?

  3. Turn off Widgets if you don't use them

    If the processes belong to Widgets.

    1. Open Settings > Personalization > Taskbar.
    2. Turn off Widgets.
    3. Restart the PC so the Widgets processes don't start in the background.
    Did this fix it?

  4. Stop apps launching at startup

    If WebView2 processes are running as soon as you sign in.

    1. Open Settings > Apps > Startup.
    2. Turn off apps you don't need straight away, such as chat or launcher apps.
    3. Restart and check Task Manager again.
    Did this fix it?

Is it just you?

25+ Microsoft Q&A threads discuss this. Most recent activity:

Checked Oct 2, 2026. Refreshed automatically every few days.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Is msedgewebview2.exe a virus?

No, it's the Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime. If you're unsure, right-click it in Task Manager, choose Open file location, and check it's in a Microsoft Edge WebView folder under Program Files (x86).

Can I uninstall Microsoft Edge WebView2?

You shouldn't. Apps such as Widgets, Teams and Outlook rely on it and will break or reinstall it.

Why are there so many msedgewebview2.exe processes?

Each app using WebView2 runs its own set of processes, much like browser tabs. Several at once is normal.

Written by

Gaurav Rawat

Gaurav Rawat is a full-stack developer from Jaipur with a B.Tech in Information Technology. At PC Decoder, he writes practical guides on Windows 11 updates, error codes, and fixes for apps that stop working after an update, with an emphasis on clear steps that actually solve the problem.

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