Chrome Will Never Be the Same: Popular Ad Blockers Are Being Shut Down

Starting at the end of June 2026, Google Chrome users will lose the ability to use many popular ad-blocking extensions that run on the old Manifest V2 standard. The company is gradually removing technical support for this format, starting with Chrome 150, which is expected to be released in the coming weeks.

Chrome 149 was the last version where MV2 extensions still worked without any extra tinkering. Starting with Chrome 150, the flags responsible for compatibility with the old format are being removed from the browser. Google's developers have already confirmed that Manifest V2 extensions are no longer allowed in any current version of the browser. In an official statement, a Google engineer explained that the company is ending support for MV2 due to technical complexity, bloated code, and security risks. According to him, several vulnerabilities specific to the old standard have been discovered recently, while noting that other browsers may continue to support MV2 if they see fit.

Ad blockers based on MV2 used the WebRequest mechanism, which allowed extensions to analyze and filter all network traffic before the page loaded. The new Manifest V3 standard instead offers a more limited tool where an extension can pass a predefined set of filtering rules to the browser, but cannot process each request in real time. In practice, this reduces blocking effectiveness, and some types of ads, trackers, and scripts no longer get filtered out. Moreover, MV3 significantly limits the maximum number of rules, making it impossible for heavy filter lists like those in uBlock Origin to work at full capacity.

All extensions that haven't been updated to Manifest V3 will be affected. Many developers have already rewritten their blockers, but the functionality of the new versions is noticeably weaker. For example, uBlock Origin exists in two flavors: the original (on MV2) and uBlock Origin Lite (on MV3) — the Lite version works, but can't dynamically update filters and has strict limits on the number of rules. For users who want to keep full-fledged ad blocking, a few options remain:

Google makes the vast majority of its revenue from ads, and the fewer users block them, the higher the company's profits. At the same time, Chrome remains the most popular browser in the world — according to various estimates, its market share exceeds 65%. Google officially denies any connection between commercial interests and the technical changes, explaining the switch to MV3 as a move to improve security and performance. For millions of users who are used to a clean internet without intrusive banners, video ads, autoplay, and trackers, the shutdown of MV2 will be a major change.

So, have you already thought about switching browsers, or are you planning to stick with Chrome even without a full-fledged Adblock? Share your thoughts in the comments.