For years, uBlock Origin has been a widely used Chrome extension for blocking ads and unwanted web content. That run is now nearing its end as Google continues its transition away from the older Manifest V2 extension platform.
The uBlock Origin team has released version 1.74, which will be the last stable version of the ad blocker available through the Chrome Web Store. The store is expected to remove uBlock Origin on August 31, leaving Chrome users with only days before the extension is officially discontinued.
The process has already started in some cases. Searching for uBlock Origin on the Chrome Web Store currently shows uBlock Origin Lite instead.
Version 1.74 itself brings several fixes and improvements, including updates to scriptlets, cookie handling, content filtering and compatibility. However, the release is more significant because of what it means for the extension’s future on Chrome.
The move follows Google’s wider Manifest V2 transition. Chrome has been removing workarounds that allowed Manifest V2 extensions to continue operating, while Manifest V3 has introduced tighter restrictions that affect how traditional ad blockers function.
Ad blocking itself is not disappearing from Chrome, but it will work differently. Chrome developer Devlin Cronin cited the complexity of maintaining the older platform, accumulated technical debt, security concerns and MV2 bugs as reasons for ending support.
What happens to uBlock Origin after version 1.74 remains unclear. The team has described it as the last stable version, rather than explicitly calling it the final version.
The situation is different for other browsers. Firefox users can already access uBlock Origin 1.74 through Mozilla’s add-on store. Edge and Opera are still reviewing their submissions, while Brave has moved to self-hosting uBlock Origin.
For Chrome users, August 31 will mark the end of uBlock Origin’s official availability through the Chrome Web Store, closing an important chapter for one of the browser’s most popular ad-blocking extensions.
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