Google Chrome users who relied on the original uBlock Origin extension can no longer use it on current versions of the browser, marking the end of an era for one of the internet’s best-known content blockers while leaving newer, more restricted alternatives in place.
Chrome Completes Its Extension Change
Google Chrome has completed the removal of support for browser extensions built on Manifest V2, the older technical framework used by the original uBlock Origin and many other extensions.
Manifest V2 extensions were disabled for ordinary Chrome users during the rollout of Chrome 138. Google then removed the remaining enterprise policy that could keep them running when Chrome 139 arrived.
This means extensions that depend entirely on Manifest V2 now load in a disabled state on Chrome 139 and later versions. Users and administrators cannot simply switch them back on through the normal extension controls.
The change has been developing for several years, but its practical effect is now clear. Chrome users who relied on the original version of uBlock Origin must choose another extension, change browsers or accept a different level of content filtering.
Ad Blocking Has Not Ended Completely
The change does not mean that Chrome has banned all ad blockers.
Extensions built for Manifest V3 remain available through the Chrome Web Store and can still block advertisements, trackers and other unwanted online content.
The important difference lies in how those extensions are allowed to operate.
Manifest V2 gave extensions broader access to examine and block network requests while pages were loading. This allowed advanced blockers to make detailed decisions in real time and apply complex filtering rules.
Manifest V3 shifts much of that work towards Google Chrome’s declarativeNetRequest system. Under this approach, the extension supplies sets of rules and the browser applies them.
Google says the newer system improves extension security, privacy and performance by reducing the amount of sensitive browsing data extensions can access and limiting the amount of code they can run continuously.
Critics argue that the restrictions also reduce the flexibility and power available to advanced content blockers.
Original uBlock Origin Reaches The End On Chrome
The original uBlock Origin is one of the most widely recognised extensions affected by the change.
Its developer, Raymond Hill, designed the extension as a broad content blocker capable of blocking advertisements, trackers, malicious websites, pop-ups, cryptocurrency miners and other unwanted material.
The original extension was built around Manifest V2 and does not have a direct Manifest V3 version offering the same full feature set.
Hill’s official project documentation confirms that support for uBlock Origin on Google Chrome ends with Chrome 139.
Users upgrading to Chrome 139 or a later release will find that the original extension no longer operates in the browser.
The extension can continue receiving development for other supported browsers, including Firefox, where the original version remains available.
uBlock Origin Lite Offers A Different Option
Chrome users who want to remain with the uBlock family can install uBlock Origin Lite.
The Lite version was created by the same developer and was built specifically for Manifest V3. It blocks advertisements, trackers, cryptocurrency miners and other unwanted requests through Chrome’s newer extension framework.
However, uBlock Origin Lite is not an identical replacement for the original uBlock Origin.
Hill describes it as a pared-down version that makes a best effort to convert the original extension’s filter lists into a Manifest V3-compatible form.
The Lite edition relies heavily on rules applied by the browser rather than the extension inspecting and changing traffic as it happens.
This can make it efficient and reduce the need for a permanent background process, but it also means that some advanced features, custom controls and dynamic filtering abilities available in the original extension are not reproduced in the same way.
For many ordinary users, the Lite version may still provide enough protection against common advertisements and trackers. More advanced users may notice the difference.
What Manifest V3 Changes
Every Chrome extension includes a manifest file that tells the browser what the extension is, what permissions it needs and how it should operate.
Manifest V3 is the latest version of that extension framework.
Under the older system, extensions could use the webRequestBlocking permission to inspect and block requests while a page loaded. That permission was particularly useful to sophisticated ad blockers because it allowed them to respond dynamically.
Manifest V3 removes webRequestBlocking access for most extensions and directs developers towards the declarativeNetRequest system.
With declarativeNetRequest, blocking rules are provided to Chrome in advance. The browser then applies those rules without giving the extension the same direct control over every request.
Google presents this as a safer design because it limits the ability of extensions to view or alter sensitive browsing activity.
The trade-off is that developers have less freedom to create complex filtering systems that respond instantly to changing website behaviour.
Why Google Says The Change Was Necessary
Google has argued that extensions can create serious security and privacy risks when they receive broad access to browsing information.
A poorly designed or malicious extension may be able to see which websites a person visits, inspect page content or change how pages behave.
Restricting those capabilities can reduce the damage caused when an extension is compromised, sold to an untrustworthy owner or deliberately created to collect user data.
Manifest V3 also replaces persistent background pages with service workers for many extensions. These workers activate when needed instead of running continuously.
Google says this can improve performance and reduce unnecessary memory use.
The company has maintained that content blockers can continue operating under Manifest V3, and the Chrome Web Store still carries several compatible options.
The disagreement is therefore not about whether any blocking remains possible. It centres on whether the new framework gives users and extension developers enough control.
Why Privacy Supporters Remain Concerned
Privacy advocates and advanced users have questioned whether Google should control the technical limits placed on ad blockers while also operating one of the world’s largest advertising businesses.
Google earns a major portion of its revenue from online advertising, while Chrome holds a dominant position in the browser market.
That combination has fuelled suspicion around the Manifest V3 transition, even though Google says the changes are intended to improve extension security and privacy rather than protect advertising revenue.
The concern is that a browser company should not be able to decide how powerful independent privacy tools are allowed to become.
Supporters of stronger ad blockers argue that users need protection from more than visible adverts. Modern blockers can also reduce tracking, prevent some malicious requests and remove disruptive page elements.
A weaker extension framework may therefore affect privacy and security tools as well as conventional ad filtering.
Publishers Also Depend On Advertising
The debate has another side.
Many online publishers depend on advertising revenue to pay journalists, photographers, developers, hosting costs and other operating expenses.
When visitors block every advertisement, publishers may lose part of the income needed to keep their content freely available.
Some websites respond by asking users to disable their blockers, limiting access or introducing subscriptions.
Aggressive advertising can still damage the reading experience. Pop-ups, auto-playing videos, full-screen overlays and heavy tracking scripts can slow websites and frustrate readers.
Publishers must therefore balance revenue needs against page speed, privacy and usability.
The decline of unrestricted blockers on Chrome may help some advertising-supported sites, but it does not remove the pressure on publishers to use advertising responsibly.
What Chrome Users Will Notice
Users who previously installed the original uBlock Origin may see it listed as unsupported or disabled in Chrome’s extension manager.
Chrome may recommend compatible replacements from the Chrome Web Store.
A disabled extension will no longer filter advertisements or trackers, even though its icon or listing may remain visible until it is removed.
Users should check their extension settings rather than assuming that their previous blocker is still protecting them.
The extension management page can be opened by entering chrome://extensions in the browser’s address bar.
Any blocker showing a disabled or unsupported warning will need to be replaced.
Users should also confirm that replacement extensions come from trusted developers. Popular extensions are sometimes copied by unrelated publishers using similar names and logos.
Chrome Users Still Have Several Choices
People who want to remain with Google Chrome can install a Manifest V3-compatible blocker such as uBlock Origin Lite or another established alternative.
They should compare the developer’s reputation, privacy policy, requested permissions and recent update history before installing anything.
Users who require the full original uBlock Origin experience can consider a browser that still supports it.
The uBlock Origin project recommends Firefox as the browser where the extension works best. It is also available for some other browsers, although support and installation methods can differ.
Another option is browser-level or network-level filtering. Some browsers include built-in tracking protection, while DNS filtering services can block known advertising and tracking domains across several devices.
These approaches do not always replace a full browser extension, but they can reduce unwanted traffic.
A Warning Against Disabling Browser Updates
Some users may be tempted to remain on an older version of Chrome to keep Manifest V2 extensions working.
That would create a serious security risk.
Browser updates regularly fix vulnerabilities that could expose users to malicious websites, data theft or software attacks. Remaining on an unsupported release simply to preserve an extension is not a safe long-term solution.
The same warning applies to unofficial methods that modify Chrome or install extensions from unknown sources.
A content blocker is intended to improve privacy and security. Using unsafe software or an outdated browser to keep it running can produce the opposite result.
Users should update Chrome normally and choose a compatible extension or browser instead.
Businesses Must Review Managed Browsers
The change also affects businesses, schools and organisations that centrally manage Chrome installations.
Google previously provided the ExtensionManifestV2Availability enterprise policy, which allowed administrators to delay the removal of Manifest V2 support.
Chrome 138 was the final version supporting that policy. It was removed with Chrome 139.
Managed organisations should therefore check whether any important workplace extensions still depend on Manifest V2.
The impact may go beyond ad blockers. Older productivity, security and internal business extensions may also stop working if developers did not migrate them.
Administrators should identify affected extensions, test replacements and confirm that business processes still work after browser updates.
Chrome’s Extension Ecosystem Has Permanently Changed
The end of Manifest V2 marks one of the largest changes to Chrome’s extension system.
For ordinary users, the effect may appear simple: a familiar blocker stops working and Chrome recommends another.
Behind that message lies a wider shift in who controls the filtering process.
Under Manifest V3, Chrome itself takes a more central role in applying extension rules, while developers operate within tighter technical limits.
Google believes this creates a safer extension environment. Developers of advanced blockers believe it can reduce the control available to users.
Both claims can be true at the same time. Restricting extension access may reduce certain security risks, while also limiting legitimate privacy tools.
The End Of One Era, Not Every Ad Blocker
The original uBlock Origin has reached the end of its supported life on Google Chrome, but ad blocking itself remains available.
Chrome users can still install Manifest V3 extensions, including uBlock Origin Lite and other content blockers.
What has ended is the older model that allowed extensions such as uBlock Origin to exercise broader control over browser traffic.
For casual users, the replacement options may be sufficient. For people who relied on advanced filtering, custom rules and greater control, the change may be more noticeable.
The future of ad blocking in Chrome will now be shaped by the limits of Manifest V3, the tools developers can build within those limits and the choices users make about which browser they trust.
Explainer: What Chrome Users Need To Know
Manifest V2
Manifest V2 was the older technical framework used by many Chrome extensions, including the original uBlock Origin.
Manifest V3
Manifest V3 is Google’s newer extension framework. It changes how extensions operate and places tighter limits on direct access to browser requests.
Original uBlock Origin
The full original extension depends on Manifest V2 and no longer works on Chrome 139 and later releases.
uBlock Origin Lite
The Lite version works with Manifest V3 and remains available for Chrome, but it does not reproduce every advanced feature of the original extension.
Other Browsers
Users who want to continue using the original uBlock Origin can consider a supported browser such as Firefox.
Q&As
Has Google Chrome Banned All Ad Blockers?
No. Chrome still supports ad blockers built for Manifest V3. The change removes support for older Manifest V2 extensions.
Does The Original uBlock Origin Still Work In Chrome?
No. The original uBlock Origin does not work on Chrome 139 and later versions because it relies on Manifest V2.
Is uBlock Origin Lite The Same As The Original?
No. It comes from the same developer and blocks ads and trackers, but it is a pared-down Manifest V3 version with different technical capabilities.
Why Did Google Introduce Manifest V3?
Google says Manifest V3 improves extension security, privacy and performance by reducing broad access to browsing data and limiting continuously running extension code.
Can Users Keep An Older Chrome Version?
They technically may be able to delay updating for a limited period, but doing so is unsafe because outdated browsers miss important security fixes.
Which Browser Still Supports The Original uBlock Origin?
The extension remains available for Firefox, which its developer says offers the best support for the full version.
How Can Users Check Their Chrome Extensions?
Enter chrome://extensions in the Chrome address bar. Extensions that no longer work may appear as disabled or unsupported.
SAI Search Summary
Google Chrome has ended support for Manifest V2 extensions, disabling the original uBlock Origin on Chrome 139 and later versions. This does not mean all ad blockers have stopped working. Manifest V3-compatible extensions remain available, including uBlock Origin Lite, which was created by the same developer but offers a reduced feature set. Google says Manifest V3 improves security, privacy and browser performance by limiting extension access to network traffic. Users who want the full original uBlock Origin can consider Firefox, while Chrome users should replace disabled extensions with trusted Manifest V3 alternatives.
Source: Google Chrome for Developers; Google Chrome Enterprise Help; uBlock Origin project documentation; Chrome Web Store.
