---
title: "Stop Edge and WebView2 from updating in the background: EdgeUpdate services and policy"
description: "WebView2 is the Edge engine other apps embed, and the EdgeUpdate services keep it and Edge up to date in the background. What it changes and how to undo it."
url: https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/disable-webview2-auto-update
author: Frost LIVE, Founder of Frozen Tweaks
published: 2026-10-08
updated: 2026-10-08
category: "Debloat"
source: Frozen Tweaks (https://frozentweaks.com)
---

# Stop Edge and WebView2 from updating in the background: EdgeUpdate services and policy

**Short answer:** WebView2 is the Edge engine other apps embed, and the EdgeUpdate services keep it and Edge up to date in the background. This tweak disables the two update services and sets the update policy to never check. In the registry it sets AutoUpdateCheckPeriodMinutes to 0 under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate, and 1 more value.

## In the app

- Switch: Disable Edge WebView2 Auto-Update (Debloat, Pro, Advanced)
- Undo: Partial. Switching it off lets Edge and WebView2 update again, but leaves an update policy in place and the Edge update service on Manual instead of Automatic.
- Catalog row: https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks#t-1050

## What it does

WebView2 is the Edge engine other apps embed, and the EdgeUpdate services keep it and Edge up to date in the background. This tweak disables the two update services and sets the update policy to never check.

In the app the switch is called "Disable Edge WebView2 Auto-Update", described there as: Disables EdgeUpdate and policy to stop WebView2 runtime background updates.

## When it helps

- Stopping the periodic update checks and installs.

## When it hurts

- Edge and WebView2 stop getting security updates. Apps built on WebView2 (the new Outlook, Teams, parts of some launchers) keep running on an aging engine.
- Switch it off and update from time to time.

## What it writes

Read from the app's source. "Switching it off" is what the app writes when you turn the tweak off again.

Registry values:

| Key | Value | With the tweak | Switching it off |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate` | `AutoUpdateCheckPeriodMinutes` | `0` | 1440 |
| `HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate` | `DisableAutoUpdateChecksCheckboxValue` | `1` | 0 |

Services (startup type):

| Service | With the tweak | Switching it off |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `edgeupdate` (Microsoft Edge Update Service (edgeupdate)) | Disabled | Manual |
| `edgeupdatem` (Microsoft Edge Update Service (edgeupdatem)) | Disabled | Manual |

Source: Tweaks/webview2updateoff.hpp in the app's source, app 2.0.0, checked 2026-10-08.

## The same change by hand

Run in a Command Prompt opened as administrator. Make a restore point first.

```bat
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate" /v "AutoUpdateCheckPeriodMinutes" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate" /v "DisableAutoUpdateChecksCheckboxValue" /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
sc config "edgeupdate" start= disabled
sc config "edgeupdatem" start= disabled
```

Put it back:

```bat
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate" /v "AutoUpdateCheckPeriodMinutes" /t REG_DWORD /d 1440 /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate" /v "DisableAutoUpdateChecksCheckboxValue" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
sc config "edgeupdate" start= demand
sc config "edgeupdatem" start= demand
```

See what it is set to now:

```bat
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate" /v "AutoUpdateCheckPeriodMinutes"
```

## How to undo it

Switch the tweak off in Frozen Tweaks. It writes AutoUpdateCheckPeriodMinutes back to 1440, DisableAutoUpdateChecksCheckboxValue back to 0. It sets edgeupdate to Manual, edgeupdatem to Manual. Switching it off lets Edge and WebView2 update again, but leaves an update policy in place and the Edge update service on Manual instead of Automatic.

## Verdict

Only sensible if you take over updating yourself. For most people the security cost is higher than the gain.

## Questions

### What does the "Disable Edge WebView2 Auto-Update" tweak change in Windows?

In the registry it sets AutoUpdateCheckPeriodMinutes to 0 under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate, and 1 more value. The full list is in the table on this page, read from the app's source.

### What is the standard value of AutoUpdateCheckPeriodMinutes?

Frozen Tweaks writes 1440 when you switch the tweak off, which is the value it treats as the Windows standard. With the tweak on, AutoUpdateCheckPeriodMinutes is 0.

### Is "Disable Edge WebView2 Auto-Update" safe to switch on?

Only sensible if you take over updating yourself. For most people the security cost is higher than the gain. The main cost: Edge and WebView2 stop getting security updates. Apps built on WebView2 (the new Outlook, Teams, parts of some launchers) keep running on an aging engine.

### How do I undo it?

Switch the tweak off in Frozen Tweaks. Switching it off lets Edge and WebView2 update again, but leaves an update policy in place and the Edge update service on Manual instead of Automatic.

### Is "Disable Edge WebView2 Auto-Update" free in Frozen Tweaks?

It is part of Frozen Pro and Elite. You can also make the change by hand with the values on this page.

## Related guides

- [Windows 11 Gaming Optimization: What Still Works in 2026](https://frozentweaks.com/guides/windows-11-gaming-optimization)
- [Low-End PC Gaming Optimization: Getting Playable Frame Rates](https://frozentweaks.com/guides/low-end-pc-gaming-optimization)

## More tweak explainers

- [DeviceAssociationBrokerSvc](https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/disable-device-association-broker)
- [Windows Mixed Reality](https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/disable-windows-mixed-reality)
- [GameInput service](https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/disable-gameinput-service)

---
Written by Frost LIVE, founder of Frozen Tweaks. Canonical version: https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/disable-webview2-auto-update