Tell HN: uBlock Origin on Chrome is finally gone

Hacker News Discussion ↗

Chrome’s Manifest V2 Removal and uBlock Origin

  • uBlock Origin (full) is being effectively removed from Chrome as Manifest V2 support is killed; Chrome 138 is the last version where it can be forced to run, and 139 removes MV2 entirely for all users.
  • Enterprise policy (ExtensionManifestV2Availability) can delay the breakage until at least June 2025.
  • Some mention a Chromium feature flag (kAllowLegacyMV2Extensions), but overall consensus is that this is a short-lived workaround and a good time to export uBO settings and custom filters.

uBlock Origin Lite and Other MV3 Adblockers

  • uBlock Origin Lite remains on Chrome and is reported to work “well enough” for most users, especially for visible ad blocking.
  • Others reject Lite on principle: the change demonstrates that extensions not aligned with the browser’s ad-driven business model can be weakened or removed at will.
  • AdGuard and other MV3-based blockers are suggested, but commenters stress they are inherently less powerful under MV3.

Impact on Extensions and User Control

  • Other MV2 extensions like Social Fixer and script managers (e.g., ScriptSafe, userscript loaders) are also broken or weakened.
  • Some users are angered by Chrome’s UX: a forced “unsafe, please remove” dialog and inability to re-enable uBO.
  • Concerns raised that MV2’s “too much power” argument is weak when websites already run arbitrary remote JavaScript; extensions are at least user-installed.

Alternative Browsers: Pros, Cons, Politics

  • Many report switching (or planning to switch) to Firefox or Firefox forks: LibreWolf, Mullvad Browser, Waterfox, Pale Moon, Zen, IronFox.
  • Pros cited: still supports full uBO, strong devtools, more privacy control, vertical tabs/tab groups, container tabs.
  • Cons: performance/jank on some sites, occasional crashes, missing or buggy features (copying, password autofill, Twitch performance, iOS limitations).
  • Chrome-based options (Brave, Vivaldi, Edge) are discussed: Brave’s built-in adblocker is praised, but future MV2 support is uncertain and maintaining a deep Chromium fork is seen as costly.
  • Some distrust Mozilla and forks due to ad-tech involvement, data-sharing language changes, and perceived “politicization,” while others dismiss these concerns or argue they don’t affect the code’s usefulness.

Switching Costs and Workarounds

  • Suggested migrations: move passwords from Chrome to Firefox or to external managers (Bitwarden/Vaultwarden, 1Password), import bookmarks, re-create filters.
  • Short-term workarounds exist to re-enable uBO in Chrome 138+ mainly to export configurations before fully switching.