The End of uBlock Origin in Chrome

It’s official: uBlock Origin is now effectively dead for most Chrome users.

For months, it could re-enable it with a simple toggle. That option is gone.

Chrome’s enforcement of its Manifest V3 update means uBlock Origin is now permanently disabled — unless you’re using obscure hacks or Chrome Enterprise with special policies. But both those doors will close soon.

Screenshots flooded Reddit, forums, and X with the same grim message: “This extension was turned off because it is no longer supported.”

This isn’t just the end of an extension. It’s a turning point in the ad blocking ecosystem.

Why Google Did It

Google frames Manifest V3 as a security and performance upgrade.

Critics call it what it looks like: a way to neuter ad blockers by:

• Capping the number of filtering rules.

• Killing dynamic filtering (critical for power users).

• Removing the API that allowed extensions like uBO to operate at full strength.

Is there motive behind these accusations? Plenty.

Ad blockers like uBlock Origin cost Google billions in lost ad revenue — and there are ton of them. Unlike AdBlock or Adblock Plus, which take part in Acceptable Ads (a paid whitelist that allows “less intrusive” ads), these blockers reject it outright. The result? No ads get through. Not even Google can buy its way in.ay in.

By weakening ad blockers that take a hard stance against ads of any kind, Google clears the path for more effective ad recovery tactics — something we’ve already seen with YouTube.

Adblock Analyst View

For Chrome users who were using uBlock Origin, two paths emerge:

1. Install a weaker MV3-compliant blocker.
Many will simply grab an alternative like uBlock Origin Lite or AdGuard. They’ll keep browsing in Chrome, even if these options aren’t as effective as they once were. Everyday users can’t tell the difference, anyhow.

IT managers running Chrome Enterprise will notice. If they want to stick with Chrome, they’ll have to accept the downgrade and deploy a functionally inferior solution.

2. Leave Chrome behind.
Others won’t settle for watered-down ad blocking, or the idea of it. They’ll switch.

And it’s easier than ever:

• Firefox uBlock Origin is still live and well on Firefox. Plus, its regarded as the “full strength” version, better than Chrome’s.

• Brave offers built-in blocking that rivals uBlock Origin for most practical purposes — and it feels familiar because it’s built on Chromium. Import bookmarks, keep your habits, and it’s done.

• Comet, an AI-powered browser with ad blocking baked in, will attract switching users — though it hardly needs the boost in demand.

• Island, an enterprise browser with native ad blocking, will gain traction among IT managers frustrated with Chrome Enterprise’s limitations.

Switching costs have never been lower, and user frustration is high. Make no mistake, Chrome will lose users because of this. Brave, meanwhile, is on track to hit 100M monthly active users by the end of the year — bolstered by Chrome refugees.

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