diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/modules/network/ForwardingCookieHandler.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/modules/network/ForwardingCookieHandler.java
index 2ad5e8fc59989e..c61ee1ba5b3133 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/modules/network/ForwardingCookieHandler.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/modules/network/ForwardingCookieHandler.java
@@ -182,6 +182,18 @@ protected void doInBackgroundGuarded(Void... params) {
       } catch (IllegalArgumentException ex) {
         // https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=559720
         return null;
+      } catch (Exception exception) {
+        String message = exception.getMessage();
+        // We cannot catch MissingWebViewPackageException as it is in a private / system API
+        // class. This validates the exception's message to ensure we are only handling this
+        // specific exception.
+        // https://android.googlesource.com/platform/frameworks/base/+/master/core/java/android/
+        // webkit/WebViewFactory.java#98
+        if (message != null && message.contains("No WebView installed")) {
+          return null;
+        } else {
+          throw exception;
+        }
       }
 
       if (USES_LEGACY_STORE) {