Google Sets A New Standard For Extensions In Chrome

Google can’t push through its ideas for introducing a new standard for browser extensions as easily as planned. The plan to phase out the currently valid Manifest v2 completely in the coming year has been postponed.

The Chrome Beta, Dev, and Canary build should actually start introducing version 3 of the Manifest standard in early 2023. Extensions would then have had to follow the new rules, for example, to continue to receive the “Featured” badge in the Chrome Web Store. This is considered an important quality feature that users can use to tell whether an addon is actually intended for use with the respective browser.

However, Google has now announced that the timetable for the abolition of Manifest v2 will be reviewed and the tests planned for early 2023 with the new version will be postponed. However, this is not due to the resistance that was heard from the developer community against the new rules. There is some contradiction here because some points are probably only being tightened up so as not to spoil important business for the market leader.

Slow Development

As it turns out, Google itself did not manage to bring the development to a level that would make it possible to introduce the new version without any problems. Incompatibilities with the Document Object Model (DOM) would arise with implementation at the current level. And there are still problems with the Offscreen Documents API that need to be fixed.

Ultimately, this would result in the implementation of the first tests in the development versions of the browser taking place later. As a result, extension developers would have significantly less time to do their own work before Manifest v3 arrives in the final Chrome line. However, Google had promised to allow sufficient time here, so that it is clear that the current dates cannot be kept. Google now wants to present an “updated phase-out plan and schedule” by March 2023.