Google Chrome Begins Phasing Out uBlock Origin Amid Manifest V3 Shift
Google Chrome is gradually disabling uBlock Origin due to the transition to Manifest V3, impacting ad blockers. Learn about the introduction of uBlock Origin Lite, what Manifest V3 entails, and how it affects users.
Google Chrome is gradually phasing out support for uBlock Origin, the popular ad blocker developed by Raymond Hill. Recently, Hill shared a screenshot highlighting that Chrome is now automatically disabling uBlock Origin, citing it as "no longer supported."
This shift comes as Chrome transitions to Manifest V3, a new framework for browser extensions that may reduce the effectiveness of certain ad blockers. To adapt to this, uBlock Origin has introduced a new version, uBlock Origin Lite, which complies with Manifest V3. However, users must install this new version manually because, as Hill explains in a GitHub FAQ, it's "too different from uBO to serve as an automatic replacement."
A manifest file contains essential details about an extension, including its name, version, and required permissions. It also defines which browser versions it is compatible with. As new versions of the manifest format are released, the features and capabilities of extensions can change. For instance, Manifest V3 prevents developers from loading code from remote servers, a significant adjustment for ad blockers.
Hill notes that users may experience differences between uBlock Origin Lite and the original uBlock Origin, depending on the websites they visit and how the extension is configured. This is because uBlock Origin Lite has more restricted filtering features due to the limitations imposed by Manifest V3, specifically on the Declarative Net Request (DNR) API, which ad blockers rely on.
"In general, uBOL will be less effective against sites using anti-ad blocker techniques or reducing website disruptions because many filters can't be adapted to DNR rules," Hill writes in the FAQ.
In response to this change, Google's spokesperson, Scott Westover, told The Verge that over 93 percent of "actively maintained" extensions on the Chrome Web Store now support Manifest V3. He added that the leading content-blocking extensions, including AdBlock, Adblock Plus, uBlock Origin, and AdGuard, already have Manifest V3-compliant versions available.
As Google plans to fully implement Manifest V3 by early 2025, the company has started disabling Manifest V2 extensions, with the goal of completely phasing them out within the next year.