[Problem/Bug]: There's a momentary white splash screen when you open Edge (fixed in Brave, Vivaldi)

[n8creator]

Bug Description

Opening the Edge Browser in any way results in a momentary white flash.

For many years, numerous users have complained about this issue online, but it has not been taken seriously. Many people have silently endured the discomfort this causes to their eyes. I am just one of many who have provided feedback.

I understand that this is a Chromium issue, and @yildirimcagri-msft commented in issue #2881 back in 2022:

Since this reproes in Chromium and Edge Browser as well we will wait for the underlying Chromium bug to be fixed and be pulled into Edge, which should also fix it for WebView2

However, even though this bug is linked to Chromium, it has been fixed in Vivaldi and Brave browsers (see the ## Steps to Reproduce section below). Here is a link to the issue in Brave Browser on GitHub where this problem has been addressed and fixed: Brave Issue 38214.

Here are some browser statistics:

• Edge Browser (Edge Version: 131.0.2903.51, Chromium Version: 131.0.6778.70) - White splash screen appears!
• Google Chrome Dev (Chrome Version: 132.0.6811.2) - White splash screen appears!
• Brave Browser (Brave Version: 1.73.91, Chromium Version: 131.0.6778.85) - White splash screen fixed!
• Vivaldi Browser (Vivaldi Version: 7.0.3495.20, Chromium Version: 130.0.6723.145) - White splash screen fixed!

Importance

Moderate. My app's user experience is affected, but still usable.

Runtime Channel

Stable release (WebView2 Runtime)

Operating System

Windows 11

OS Version

22631.4460 64-bit

Steps to Reproduce

1. When opening Edge from the taskbar, a bright white flash appears.
2. When opening Edge from the desktop shortcut, a bright white flash appears.
3. When creating a new tab in Edge, a bright white flash also appears.

This is very uncomfortable for users and can hurt their eyes. Setting the #enable-force-dark flag in Edge settings does not resolve the issue—the problem persists.

Here is an example of the white splash in Edge Browser (Edge Version: 131.0.2903.51, Chromium Version: 131.0.6778.70):

As mentioned earlier, this bug has been fixed in other browsers like Vivaldi and Brave. Here is a gif showing the absence of the flash in Brave Browser (Brave Version: 1.73.91, Chromium Version: 131.0.6778.85):

Expected result:

Please permanently fix this issue. Let's make Edge Browser great again!

This problem has been ongoing for several years and has seriously affected not only my eyes but also those of many others.

Reproduces how often:

1000%

Edge version (edge://version info)

Microsoft Edge: 131.0.2903.51 (Official build) (64-bit)
Revision: e8c8535333b97b127d6cdd9f545fb1f764f74d95
Chromium version: 131.0.6778.70
Operating system: Windows 11 Version 23H2 (Build 22631.4460)
JavaScript: V8 13.1.20.5

Version/Channel Information:

• Can you reproduce this issue with the current STABLE release? -YES
• Can you reproduce this issue with the BETA channel? - YES
• Can you reproduce this issue with the DEV channel? - YES
• Can you reproduce this issue with the CANARY channel? -YES

Repros in Edge Browser

Yes, issue can be reproduced in the corresponding Edge version

[sivMSFT]

Hi @n8creator, we understand this is a chromium bug. We will check internally about the priority and revert.

[n8creator]

@sivMSFT any updates? 🙂

[IllegalD]

This issue has been destroying my eyes for years. I've got a new monitor now that makes it worse - I think I need to stop using Chromium/Edge and switch to Firefox for the sake of my eyes.

[n8creator]

Wow! Microsoft has started working on a patch to fix this issue: https://chromium-review.googlesource.com/c/chromium/src/+/6092335 💯

Check out this Reddit thread too: https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows11/comments/1hvoe1u/microsoft_may_finally_fix_the_annoying_white/