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Cannot get Designer to work

J R Walker 40 Reputation points
2026-03-17T21:12:40.8033333+00:00

Designer will not open. Says I need to download Webview2 Runtime. It will not download and says my PC already has it. I'm trying to edit photos. I don't know what happened or why Designer will not open.

Windows for home | Other | Apps
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Answer accepted by question author

Hendrix-V 15,695 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
2026-03-18T02:42:27.18+00:00

Hi J R Walker,

Thank you for reaching out.

Microsoft Designer in the Photos app relies on the Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime to display its editing features. In some cases, WebView2 is already installed but needs a quick repair or refresh, which can prevent Designer from launching correctly.

Please try opening Designer the supported way

  • Open Microsoft Photos
  • Double‑click one photo so it opens by itself
  • Select Edit > Edit with Designer
  • Make sure you are signed in with a personal Microsoft account and connected to the internet

If Designer cannot run, the next recommended steps should focus on repairing or reinstalling WebView2:

  • Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps
  • Search for Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime
  • Select Modify > Repair
  • Restart the PC

If the issue continues:

  • Uninstall Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime
  • Download the official WebView2 Evergreen Standalone Installer
  • Right‑click the installer and choose Run as administrator
  • Restart the PC and try Designer again

If Designer still won’t open, as Q&A Assist mentioned, you still have fully supported alternatives so you can keep editing photos right away:

Both use the same editing features without relying on local WebView2 components.

Let me know if you need further assistance, feel free to ask me by clicking "Add Comment" or "Add Answer" if you cannot add comment so your response will be visible. Thanks for your effort.

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

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AI answer

2026-03-17T21:13:14.83+00:00

Designer in the Photos app relies on WebView2 and some additional conditions. Based on the symptoms (Designer won’t open, WebView2 message), use these checks and steps:

  1. Confirm the basic Designer requirements
    • Open the Microsoft Photos app.
    • From All Photos, double‑click a single image so it opens by itself.
    • Ensure the PC is connected to the internet.
    • Make sure Windows display language is one of the supported languages for “Edit with Designer”: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese (Brazil), German, or Italian.
    • Now look for the Designer / Edit with Designer option when editing that image.
  2. Sign in with a supported account
    • Designer’s AI editing features (like generative erase) require signing in with a Microsoft account.
    • Microsoft Entra (work/school) accounts can’t be used for editing with Designer in Photos.
    • If prompted, sign in with a personal Microsoft account and try opening Designer again.
  3. If WebView2 keeps blocking Designer
    • WebView2 is required for several modern Microsoft apps. If Windows reports it’s already installed but Designer still fails, the usual fix is to reinstall WebView2.
    • Follow the same pattern used for other Microsoft apps (Power BI, Power Apps, Office add‑ins):
      1. Uninstall WebView2 from Settings > Apps > Apps & features (search for WebView).
      2. Reinstall WebView2 using the official WebView2 Runtime download link provided in the documentation for affected apps (for example, Power BI and Power Apps both point to the WebView2 Runtime download page).
      3. After reinstalling, restart the PC and try opening Designer again from Photos.

If, after these steps, Designer still won’t open, use Designer via the web or mobile app instead:

  • Go to the web app at designer.microsoft.com and sign in with a Microsoft account.
  • Or install the Microsoft Designer mobile app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and edit photos there.

References:

AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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