uBlock Origin Not Working on Chrome After Manifest V2 Removal

Google is phasing out Manifest V2, the old Chrome extension framework that uBlock Origin relies on, in favor of Manifest V3. While Google claims Manifest V3 “improves privacy and security,” in practice it removes critical functionality that advanced ad blockers like uBlock Origin depend on.

As a result, many users now see a warning that uBlock Origin is “no longer supported” and is being disabled in Chrome. Google has also blocked new downloads of uBlock Origin in the Chrome Web Store. But don’t worry, you can still manually re-enable uBlock Origin and even keep it running by adjusting a few settings.

Important: Do not click “Remove”, or Chrome will uninstall the extension permanently (and you won’t be able to reinstall it easily)

Step-by-Step: How to Re-Enable uBlock Origin in Chrome

1. If Chrome says uBlock Origin has been turned off, click “Manage extension” in the warning message.
2. On the Extensions page, find uBlock Origin and flip the toggle switch back to “on”.
3. Click “Turn on” if prompted. uBlock Origin will start working again immediately.

Note: If above method doesn't work then move below.

Optional (Advanced Users): Use Chrome Flags to Keep MV2 Enabled

1. Type chrome://flags in the Chrome address bar and press Enter.
2. Search for “allow-legacy-mv2-extensions” or “Manifest V2”.
3. Enable the flag “Allow legacy extension manifest versions.”
4. Disable any flags labeled “Manifest V2 Deprecation Warnings” or similar.
5. Go to uBlock official github repository https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/tags
6. Click on the latest tag you can see.
7. Scroll down and you will see assets. Download the assest from there in my case for Google I'm downloading *.chromium.zip file.
8. Extract the downloaded zip folder.
9. Go to Setting > Extensions and Enable "Developer mode". After that click on "Load unpacked".
10. Navigate and select the extracted folder.
11. After that you'll be able to see uBlock Origin is enabled in extensions.
12. Restart Chrome to confirm the changes.

These steps restore full functionality of uBlock Origin for now.

Keep in mind: future Chrome versions may remove these flags completely.

Which Browsers Are Affected by Manifest V2 Removal?

This Chrome change hits Chromium-based browsers that follow Google’s MV3 rollout. Google began phasing out Manifest V2 in mid-2024, and Chrome is now disabling MV2 extensions on desktop.

• Other Chromium-based browsers (like Vivaldi): Likely to follow Chrome’s path unless they manually override Chromium defaults.
• Google Chrome (desktop): Manifest V2 support is being phased out starting in mid-2024. Chrome will disable MV2 extensions by default.
• Microsoft Edge: Edge Canary builds have already started disabling MV2 extensions like uBlock Origin, though you can manually re-enable them.
• Firefox: Not affected. Mozilla has committed to keeping Manifest V2 support, and uBlock Origin is still fully supported in Firefox and other Gecko-based browsers.
• Brave: Continues to support MV2 extensions and has a built-in ad blocker called Brave Shields.
• Opera: Will continue supporting uBlock Origin by customizing Chromium code to allow MV2.

Best Alternatives to uBlock Origin

1. uBlock Origin Lite (MV3)

Created by the original developer, this is a simplified version of uBlock Origin built for Manifest V3. While it lacks some features due to MV3 limitations, it’s a strong alternative and is available on the Chrome Web Store.

2. AdBlock Plus

Still one of the most popular ad blockers. The extension has been updated to comply with Manifest V3 and remains functional on Chrome. Also available on Chrome Web Store.

3. AdGuard (Browser Extension)

The AdGuard Chrome extension supports MV3 and offers reliable ad blocking. It also has paid desktop and mobile apps for full system-wide filtering. Also available on Chrome Web Store.

4. Switch to other Browsers

If you want the full power of uBlock Origin without workarounds:

• Firefox: Fully supports uBlock Origin with no limitations.
• Brave: Offers both native blocking (Shields) and support for the full uBlock Origin extension.
• Opera: Announced support for legacy MV2 ad blockers.

Final Thoughts

While Google’s decision to sunset Manifest V2 breaks powerful ad blockers like uBlock Origin, there are still ways to continue blocking ads:

• Manually re-enable uBlock Origin in Chrome.
• Use Chrome Flags to extend MV2 support temporarily.
• Switch to other browsers, such as Firefox or Brave.
• Try uBlock Origin Lite or other MV3-friendly ad blockers.

If you're serious about online privacy and ad control, moving away from Google Chrome may be the most future-proof solution. Firefox remains the top choice for unrestricted ad blocking.

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