Google Chrome users who have extensions installed may soon have some or even all of their installed extensions disabled by Google.
While all browser extensions may be impacted, it is ad blockers and privacy extensions that are impacted the most.
One example: uBlock Origin, arguably the most loved and powerful content blocker available for browsers, will not be offered anymore for Chrome and all other Chromium-based browsers.
This means that you cannot install the browser extension anymore in Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Vivaldi, Opera, and myriads others.
One exemption: Brave Software revealed recently that it plans to continue support for uBlock Origin. This would be the one exemption at the time of writing.
The developer of uBlock Origin has created a lite-version of the extension. Called uBlock Origin Lite, it remains available for Chrome. Its functionality is reduced, however.
Furthermore, users of Chrome who use uBlock Origin need to download and install uBlock Origin Lite manually. A click on the “find alternative” button in Chrome
How to find out if you are impacted by the change
Do the following to find out if extensions that you have installed in Chrome are impacted:
- Load chrome://extensions/ in the browser’s address bar. You may also open the page manually by going to Menu > Extensions > Manage Extensions.
- If you see “These extensions may soon no longer be supported” at the top, you are affected by the change.
Tip: you can check out a detailed guide about this here.
Google lists all incompatible extensions. Each features a “find alternative” button, which opens a special page on the Chrome Web Store that highlights extensions that continue to remain compatible with Chrome in the future.
For uBlock Origin, Google suggests the following options:
- uBlock Origin Lite
- Adblock Plus
- Stands Adblocker
- Ghostery Tracker & Adblocker
While all block ads, none offers the functionality of uBlock Origin.
What you can do about it
You have just a few options at this point:
- Keep on using Chrome until Google disables the extensions. You may then extend support for about a year using Enterprise policies.
- Keep on using Chrome and use a different browser extension that works for you, hoping that Google does not introduce any other changes in the future that may impact it.
- Switch to Brave Browser. This is a valid option only if you want to keep on using uBlock Origin, AdGuard, uMatrix, or NoScript.
- Switch to Firefox or a Firefox-based browser. The extensions, including uBlock Origin, remain available and maintained for Firefox.
The first option is valid for all Chromium-based browsers, but it is temporary only. Google will remove the Enterprise policy next year, and that marks the end of support in Chrome.
As you see, you have a few options only. While you could keep on using a Chromium-based browser, Brave Browser, it is unclear for how long Brave will support the four special extensions.
Admittedly, it is also unclear for how long Mozilla will support the old extensions system. If it sees an uptick in users, as some Chrome users may migrate to Firefox because of the changes Google implements, it could very well be for a long time.
Are you affected by the change? Do you have any extensions that you rely on that would make you switch browsers, if your current favorite would not support them anymore? Feel free to leave a comment down below.
Firefox it is, has been for most of my computer experience, Firefox it remains, more than ever when Google confirms its hatred of ad-blockers, of privacy tools, which is totally logic given the very nature of Google, what the whole empire is built on : advertisement and tracking as its faithful partner.
Been using Firefox since the Netscape Navigator days, and uBlock Origin is a must. I didn’t need another reason to avoid Chrome, and yet Google keeps providing them.
I keep a copy of ungoogled Chromium around in case a site needs it. Brave doesn’t solve any problem for me.
I had used CyberFox for 3 years after it stopped updated and it was good for 99% of websites. I expect to do the same thing for Brave. I disabled Brave updates because last one messed up content blocking. If some critical websites (Banks, Governments, Utilities) stop working properly I will use Floorp (based on Firefox). If YouTube website stops working I will use FreeTube full time. But for 99% of regular websites that are none-essential but advertisement heavy, I expect to use the same system for few years.