Google is ending support for Manifest V2, making ad blockers like uBlock Origin no longer usable.
The new Google Chrome versions 150 and 151, expected in late June and July, will signal the end for old ad blockers, according to 9to5Google. This brings the phasing out of Manifest V2 to a close, and with it, support for ad blockers such as uBlock Origin. The transition to Manifest V3 is accompanied by new ad blockers designed to run on that platform, such as uBlock Origin Lite.
Manifest V3
In 2024, Google ended support for ad-blocking extensions built for Manifest V2. The arrival of Manifest V3 was previously slowed down by bugs, as well as resistance from developers and Chrome users. Following the end of Manifest V2, which the ad blocker uBlock Origin was built on, developers switched to Manifest V3 ad blockers including uBlock Origin Lite, or moved to a different web browser.
Google is now removing the final traces of the Manifest V2 extension platform so that ad blockers built on it will no longer function. Those who still wish to use ad blockers in Chrome will need to switch to ad blockers that work on the Manifest V3 platform, starting from Chrome version 151.
“MV2 extensions are no longer allowed in a supported version of Chrome, and we are removing support for these and the associated functionality. We will not be able to provide or maintain this functionality indefinitely due to complexity and technical debt, as well as the security risks it entails,” writes Google developer Devlin Cronin.