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Why Isn’t uBlock Origin Working in Chrome? 5 Quick Fixes You Need to Try

By: Author Alex Lim

Posted on

Categories Troubleshooting

Struggling with uBlock Origin in Chrome? Solve It with These Effective Solutions

Ads can be annoying, right? They interrupt your browsing, slow things down, and sometimes even feel intrusive. But for publishers, ads are often the lifeline that keeps their content free and accessible. Finding balance is tough. That’s why many users turn to ad-blockers like uBlock Origin, it’s powerful, free, and simple to use.

Recently, uBlock Origin users have faced issues in Chrome due to Google’s transition from Manifest V2 to Manifest V3. If you’re frustrated because your favorite ad-blocker isn’t working, don’t worry, there are fixes you can try today.

Why Isn’t uBlock Origin Working in Chrome? 5 Quick Fixes You Need to Try

Solution 1: Enable the Extension

Sometimes Chrome disables extensions automatically. Check if this is the case:

  1. Go to chrome://extensions/.
  2. Find uBlock Origin and toggle it back on.
  3. Test if it works now.

Solution 2: Keep It for Now

Chrome may prompt you with a “Keep for Now” option when extensions are flagged during updates:

  1. Navigate to chrome://extensions/.
  2. Click the three-dot menu next to uBlock Origin and select “Keep for Now.”
  3. Enable the extension again and confirm changes.

Solution 3: Inspect Element Hack

If the “Add to Chrome” button is disabled on the extension page:

  1. Right-click the button and select “Inspect.”
  2. Look for disabled=”” aria-describedby=”c5″ in the code.
  3. Change disabled to enabled and save changes.

Solution 4: Install via GitHub

Can’t access uBlock Origin on the Chrome Web Store? Use GitHub instead:

  1. Download the ZIP file from uBlock Origin’s GitHub page.
  2. Extract the file on your computer.
  3. Go to chrome://extensions/, enable Developer Mode, and click “Load Unpacked.”
  4. Select the extracted folder to install it manually.

Solution 5: Switch to uBlock Origin Lite

If nothing works, try uBlock Origin Lite—it’s a simplified version of the extension:

  1. Install it from the Chrome Web Store.
  2. While it has fewer features, it still blocks intrusive ads effectively.

These fixes should help you regain control of your browsing experience with uBlock Origin in Chrome. If none of them work, keep an eye out for updates or alternative solutions as developers adapt to Manifest V3 changes. Don’t let ads ruin your day—try these steps now!