The popular adblocker Google Chrome extension, uBlock is about to get phased out from the web store. According to the latest social media post from the developer of uBlock, Raymond Hill, Chrome is automatically removing the extension because it no longer adheres to the new extension specifications.
If you visit uBlock Origin on the Chrome web store now, you will notice the warning message from Google that says – “This extension may soon no longer be supported because it doesn’t follow best practices for Chrome extensions.”
The changes in the extension specifications are caused due to Google Chrome’s migration to Manifest V3. The new Manifestation protocol strips out the capabilities of ad blockers including uBlock Origin. However, the developers are already on top of preventive measures. They have already deployed uBlock Origin Lite, which follows the Manifest V3.
What Users Should Know About uBlock Origin Phaseout?
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The major thing uBlock users should be aware of is that the extension will be removed from their respective Google Chrome accounts in the coming days. It will be also removed from the Chrome web store as well. However, users can manually install the replacement of the uBlock extension called “uBlock Origin Lite” from the web store.
The developers warn that the replacement might not work as efficiently as uBlock Origin in blocking ads from certain websites. This inadequacy is due to the limited filtering capabilities of uBlock Origin Lite. This limitation is fueled by the ad-blocking restrictions of the Manifest V3.
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When Will Google Chrome Remove uBlock Origin?
Google is not actively removing any ad-blocker or other extensions from the web store. At least not at the moment. But extensions that have not migrated to Manifest V3 from Manifest Version 2 will be automatically removed from Google Chrome once it completely turns off the older version.
Google Chrome is aiming to completely migrate to Manifest V3, by the beginning of 2025. According to sources, the popular web browser will start turning off Manifest Version 2 by the end of this year, before completely transforming to the new version. This means that uBlock Origin will only be around for a few weeks or a couple of months before getting completely phased out.
What is Manifest V3?
Manifest is the protocol that lets the browser know all the information about a particular extension. Manifest determines what permissions the extension has and what version of the browser it will run on. The Manifest V3 is the new version of the extensions platform from Google Chrome.
Google says that the aim of this new step is to improve the privacy, security, and performance of extensions, and add additional features. With the new Manifest version comes a bunch of changes in how an extension interacts with the browser. For example, the new version of Manifest removes the ability of an extension to use remotely hosted code, which can lead to security issues.
The Google spokesperson, Scott Westover, revealed to journalists in an emailed statement that about 93 percent of actively maintained extensions on the Chrome Web Store have been already migrated to Manifest V3. By this statement, Westover meant that the users would probably not notice jarring changes after the migration.
How To Use uBlock Origin After Google Chrome Phaseout?
Though Google Chrome is one of the most popular web browsers available today, they are not the only one. You can easily find other capable and useful web browsers such as Firefox, where you can use the uBlock Origin extension like you did. However, you may face some challenges because Firefox falls behind in supporting some of the protocols needed for interacting with a physical 2FA environment.
You may also use AdBlock, or AdBlock Plus extensions on Google Chrome that have migrated themselves to the Manifest V3 promptly.
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Is Google Chrome Losing Face?
While Google spokespersons have repeatedly addressed the backlash it is getting for removing unBlock Origin, by expressing that the update aims to provide more security and stability, most people are not convinced.
Many users are getting into heated arguments on Reddit and Twitter about this shift in Google, saying that they have become more greedy. Many users also noted that they will be shifting to more user-centric browsers such as Brave which comes with in-built ad blocking.
