System component Android System WebView responsible for displaying web content inside applications - from social networks to banking services. However, after automatic updating via Google Play users often encounter errors: applications crash, pages do not load, and the system displays the message "WebView stopped working". In 80% of cases, the problem is solved by rolling back to the previous version of the component, but this must be done carefully - incorrect actions can lead to a failure of the entire system.

In this article we will look at the only officially supported way to remove WebView updates through the Android settings, as well as alternative methods for root users and owners of devices with custom firmware. We will separately dwell on the risks associated with manual intervention in system components, and explain why in some cases it is better to wait for a patch from Google than to try to “fix” WebView yourself.

Why does updating WebView cause problems?

The component Android System WebView is updated automatically via Google Play, like any other application. However, unlike conventional apps, it is integrated into the system at a deep level. The main reasons for failures after the update:

  • 🔄 Version conflict: The new version of WebView may be incompatible with the firmware of your device (especially important for smartphones on Android 10 and below).
  • 🐞 Bugs in the release: Google periodically releases updates with critical errors (for example, massive bug in version 100.0.4896.79, due to which applications crashed when opening web pages).
  • 📱 The manufacturer has blocked updates: Some brands (for example, Huawei or Xiaomi for Chinese firmware) replace WebView with their own solutions, which leads to conflicts.
  • 🔒 Root access or modified firmware: On devices with root access or custom ROMs (for example, LineageOS), WebView updates may break system dependencies.

According to statistics Google Play Console, about 12% of users encounter problems after updating WebView. In 60% of cases, errors disappear after rolling back to the previous version or resetting the component to the factory version.

⚠️ Attention: If your device is running on Android 7.0 Nougat or older, WebView may be part of the system and not updated through Google Play. In this case, removing updates is impossible - you will need a full reset or firmware.

Method 1: Rolling back updates through Android settings (without root)

This is recommended by Google for most users. It does not require superuser rights and works on all devices with the only safe method, recommended by Google for most users. It does not require superuser rights and works on all devices with Android 5.0 Lollipop and newer.

Instructions:

  1. Open Settings → Applications (or Settings → All applications on some firmware).
  2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Show system processes.
  3. Find in the list Android System WebView and tap on it.
  4. Select Uninstall updates (or Reset to the factory version).
  5. Confirm the action and reboot the device.

After the reboot, the system will automatically install a stable version of WebView compatible with your firmware. If the option Delete updates is inactive (grayed out), then:

  • 📵 You have Android 10+, and the WebView is updated via Google Play as a regular application (see Method 2).
  • 🔧 The manufacturer has disabled this function (currently for Samsung, OnePlus and some models Xiaomi).

☑️ Preparing to rollback WebView

Done: 0 / 4

If problems persist after resetting, try clearing the WebView cache:

  1. In settings Android System WebView select Memory → Clear cache.
  2. Then press Clear data (this will delete temporary files, but will not affect the operation of applications).

Method 2: Uninstall via Google Play (for Android 10 and newer)

Starting from Android 10, Android System WebView is updated like a regular application via Google Play. This makes it easier to rollback, but requires additional steps to block automatic updates.

Steps:

  1. Open WebView page in Google Play.
  2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Delete (or Cancel update).
  3. Confirm the action. The system will return the factory version of the component.

To prevent a repeated update:

  • 🔕 In settings Google Play turn off auto-update for Android System WebView:
    • Play Store Settings → Auto-update applications → Do not update automatically
  • 📵 Alternatively: turn off the Internet for Google Play Services in the application settings (but this may interfere with the operation of other Google services).
⚠️ Attention: If, after uninstalling the update, WebView stopped working at all, check if it is disabled in the developer settings. To do this, go to Settings → System → For Developers and make sure that the option Disable WebView is disabled.
📊 What version of Android does your device have?
Android 10 or later
Android 9 Pie
Android 8 Oreo
Android 7 Nougat or older

Method 3: Uninstall via ADB (for advanced users)

If standard methods do not work (for example, the button Uninstall updates is inactive), you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB)This method requires a connection. smartphone to the computer and basic knowledge of the command line.

Step-by-step guide:

  1. Download and install ADB Tools on PC.
  2. Enable USB debugging on the phone (Settings → System → About phone → Build number — tap 7 times, then return to Settings → System → For developers).
  3. Connect the device to the PC and run in the terminal:
adb devices

(Your device should appear. If not, check the drivers.)

adb shell pm uninstall-updates --user 0 com.google.android.webview

This command will reset WebView to the factory version If it appears. error Failure [DELETE_FAILED_INTERNAL_ERROR], means:

  • 🔒 You do not have enough rights (try with root).
  • 📵 The manufacturer has blocked changes to system applications (relevant for Samsung Knox or MIUI).
What to do if ADB does not see the device?

1. Check if USB debugging is enabled on your phone.
2. Install drivers for your model (for example, Samsung USB Driver for Samsung devices).
3. Try another USB cable (preferably original).
4. PC and phone.

Method 4: Manually deleting files (root only)

If you have root access, you can manually delete WebView update files. This method is risky - incorrect actions can lead to bootloop (loop reboot).

Instructions:

  1. Install a file manager with root support (for example, Root Explorer or Solid Explorer).
  2. Go to the folder:
    3. /data/app/com.google.android.webview-1/
  3. Delete all files from extension .apk (these are WebView updates).
  4. Go to:
    5. /data/data/com.google.android.webview/
  5. Delete folders cache and lib.
  6. Restart the device.

After reboot, the system will restore the factory version of WebView from the section /system. If applications still do not work, check the integrity of the files in:

/system/priv-app/WebViewGoogle/
⚠️ Attention: On some firmware (for example, ColorOS or FuntouchOS) WebView can be integrated into the system file framework.jar. In this case, manual removal will lead to system crash. Before taking action, make a backup via TWRP or OrangeFox.

Method 5: Alternative browser engines (if all else fails)

If rolling back the WebView did not solve the problem, you can temporarily switch to an alternative display engine web content. Some applications (for example Twitter or Reddit) allow you to select a default browser.

Replacement options:

Alternative How to enable Pros Cons
Chrome Custom Tabs Install Google Chrome and select it as the default browser in the application settings. Stable operation, frequent updates High RAM consumption
Firefox GeckoView Install Firefox and enable the option Open links in Firefox. Independent of WebView, high security Not all applications support
Samsung Internet For devices Samsung: select Samsung Internet as the default browser. Optimized for One UI Samsung smartphones only
Bromite Install from official website and configure it as the default browser. Ad blocking, high speed Not on Google Play, requires manual installation

To force the application to use an alternative browser, you can use ADB:

adb shell pm set-default-browser com.android.chrome

(Replace com.android.chrome with the package of the desired browser, for example, org.mozilla.firefox for Firefox.)

💡

If after changing the browser applications still crash, clear the cache and data Google Play Services in the settings applications. This often helps with conflicts between Google services.

What to do if none of the methods worked?

If all of the above methods did not work, the problem may lie deeper:

  • 🔧 Damaged firmware: On some devices (especially after unofficial firmware), WebView may be removed or replaced incorrectly. The solution is to reflash the smartphone via Fastboot or Recovery.
  • 🛡️ Blocking by antivirus: apps like Avast or 360 Security sometimes block system components. Try temporarily disabling your antivirus.
  • 📡 Problems with Google servers: Rarely, but it happens that failures are caused by problems on Google's side. Check the status of services on dashboard.google.com.
  • 🔄 Conflict with other system updates: If you recently updated Google Play Services or Google Chrome, try to roll back them too.

Extreme measures:

  1. Reset to factory settings (save the data!).
  2. Flashing via Odin (for Samsung) or Fastboot (for Pixel, Xiaomi etc.).
  3. Installing a custom firmware (for example, LineageOS), where WebView is updated separately.
⚠️ Attention: If your device is under warranty, flashing it or getting root access will void it. In this case, it is better to contact the service center with a description of the problem - WebView failures are often covered by the warranty as a software defect.
💡

Before radical measures (reset, firmware), check whether the failure is related to a specific application. For example, errors in VKontakte or Tinkoff Bank can be caused by their internal bugs, and not WebView.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about problems with WebView

🔍 Why did banking applications stop working after updating WebView?

Banking applications (for example, SberBank Online or Tinkoff) often use WebView to display web forms. If they crash after the update, the reason may be:

  • 🔒 Conflict with the application security system (for example, RootBeer or SafetyNet).
  • 📜 Outdated security protocol in the new version of WebView (for example, refusal of support TLS 1.0/1.1).

Solution: roll back WebView (see Method 1) and clear the cache of the banking application. If the problem persists, contact bank support - they can temporarily disable WebView verification.

⚙️ How to completely remove WebView from your phone?

Complete removal Android System WebView is impossible without root access, since it is a system component. However, on devices with Android 7.0+ you can disable it:

  1. Go to Settings → Applications → Android System WebView.
  2. Click Disable (on some firmware the option may be called Uninstall for all users).

⚠️ After this, many applications will stop opening web pages. As a replacement, install Google Chrome or another browser and set it as the default application.

📅 Which version of WebView is the most stable at the moment?

The stability of the version depends on the firmware of your device. According to Google Play Console, the least number of failures was recorded in:

  • Android 12-14: 125.0.6422.165 (current as of May 2026).
  • Android 10-11: 102.0.5005.125.
  • Android 8-9: 85.0.4183.127.

You can view the current version in Settings → Applications → Android System WebView. If your version is newer and causing crashes, roll back to one of the ones listed.

🔄 Is it possible to disable automatic updating of WebView permanently?

Yes, but this is not recommended for security reasons. Methods:

  1. Via Google Play: 
    Settings → Auto-update applications → Do not update automatically

    Then manually disable auto-update for Android System WebView.

  2. Via ADB (requires PC): 
    adb shell dumpsys package com.google.android.webview | grep "autoUpdatePolicy"

    If the value is autoUpdatePolicy=4, do:

    adb shell pm set-install-location 2 com.google.android.webview

    This will block updates.

⚠️ Without regular WebView updates, your device becomes vulnerable to attacks through browser engine vulnerabilities (for example, CVE-2023-2033).

📱 Why is there no Android System WebView on my Huawei?

On devices Huawei (especially with EMUI 10+ or HarmonyOS) instead of Android System WebView uses your own component - Huawei Quick App Center or Huawei Browser. To return the standard WebView:

  1. Install Google Mobile Services (GMS) via LZPlay or ChatPartner (for models without Google services).
  2. Download APK file WebView from a trusted source (for example, APKMirror) and install manually.
  3. In application settings disable Huawei Quick App Center.

⚠️ On HarmonyOS standard WebView may not work correctly due to differences in the API.