The final lifeline for uBlock Origin in Chrome is nearly gone for good

Google has been working for a while on a technique to block previous browser extensions in Google Chrome. This goes hand in hand with the swap from Manifest V2 to Manifest V3, a more recent and presumably safer structure for the favored browser.

As early as March 2025, this rendered some extensions—together with standard advert blockers akin to uBlock Origin—abruptly unusable, although it was nonetheless potential to entry them with a workaround. By the top of June, nevertheless, even that may now not work. A future launch of Chrome will block all add-ons nonetheless based mostly on Manifest V2.

The decisive issue right here is the “ExtensionManifestV2Disabled” flag in Google Chrome’s code, reviews PiunikaWeb. It’s not solely clear whether or not this shall be completely disabled in Chrome 150 or 151, as there are differing analyses on this level. In Chrome 150, it nonetheless appears to be potential to allow the flag, not less than to some extent.

Right here’s what we all know for positive: as soon as the change goes reside, there’s no going again. It will likely be considerably tougher to make use of advert blockers like uBlock Origin. Doing so would require utilizing developer settings and making modifications that will make the browser much less secure.

Why is that this occurring?

The blocking of advert blockers just isn’t a direct transfer by Google however somewhat a facet impact of the deliberate swap to Manifest V3. (At the very least, that’s the official stance of the corporate.) This new structure is meant to make the browser safer, sooner, and stop rogue browser extensions from interfering deeply with a consumer’s system.

Provided that there have been repeated cases of extensions posing a severe menace, it’s comprehensible that Google desires to stop that from occurring. The truth that it could actually additionally hamper advert blockers with the identical transfer is only a bonus that Google is unlikely to be too upset about.

Builders have the choice to adapt current extensions to Manifest V3 and modify them in order that they nonetheless work. Nevertheless, there’s no assure that the identical performance shall be obtainable.

What are you able to do about it?

Should you’re nonetheless counting on uBlock Origin, it’ll quickly be time to change over to one thing else. We’ve highlighted advert blockers that may nonetheless work with Chrome, together with uBlock Origin Lite (the successor to uBlock Origin with fewer options however absolutely suitable with Manifest V3).