Chrome Extensions Explained
How Chrome extensions really work — uBlock Origin’s MV2 saga, Manifest V3 limits, and why permissions matter more than install counts in 2026.
3 articles
"Is uBlock Origin gone?" was one of the most searched Chrome extension questions of 2026, and the answer is more interesting than yes or no. Chrome 138's Manifest V2 sunset disabled it, then it returned as v1.70.0 on March 11, 2026 — still on MV2 internals through a workaround, not the MV3 rewrite many assumed. Stories like this are why understanding how extensions actually work beats trusting a store listing.
The Manifest V3 transition is the backdrop for almost every extension question now. MV3 replaced persistent background pages with service workers, swapped blocking webRequest for declarativeNetRequest, and capped dynamic rules. Ad blockers had to rewrite their entire engine. Some did it well; others quietly shipped degraded versions while keeping the old marketing copy. A listing that still advertises MV2-era capabilities may be describing features the extension no longer has.
Permissions are the other half of literacy. An extension that requests access to all URLs can read the DOM of every page you visit, and those permissions persist through every update — including after a silent ownership change. The category of "popular utility quietly acquired, then weaponized" is now the dominant Chrome security story, which makes reading what an extension can actually do more valuable than reading its star rating.
The throughline: evaluate an extension by its permissions and its network behavior, not its install count. A million users is not a safety guarantee.
Arc Browser Status 2026: DISCONTINUED, Live, Atlassian Pivot
Arc entered maintenance mode May 2025, acquired by Atlassian for $610M. Still downloadable June 2026 — security patches only, no new features, no sunset date.
Is uBlock Origin Removed from Chrome? 2026 MV3 Truth
uBlock Origin was disabled by Chrome 138's MV2 sunset, not deleted. It returned (v1.70.0) on March 11, 2026 — still MV2. Status, what changed, what still works.
Loon Chrome Extension: Status, Safety & What It Does (2026)
Loon is a Canadian-alternatives shopping extension — archived on GitHub but still listed on Chrome Web Store. Status, safety, and what to use instead in 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is uBlock Origin removed from Chrome in 2026?
It was disabled, not deleted. Chrome 138's Manifest V2 sunset stopped uBlock Origin from loading, and it returned as v1.70.0 on March 11, 2026 — still using MV2 internals via a workaround rather than a full MV3 rewrite. As of June 2026 it works again, but its long-term status depends on how Chrome enforces MV2 going forward.
What did Manifest V3 change for Chrome extensions?
MV3 replaced persistent background pages with service workers (no always-on background code), removed blocking webRequest in favor of declarativeNetRequest, and capped dynamic blocking rules. As of June 2026, this forced every ad blocker to rewrite its engine, and some shipped reduced capability while keeping their old store descriptions unchanged.
How do extension permissions actually work in Chrome?
When you install an extension, you grant the permissions it requests — and an extension with "access to all URLs" can read the full DOM of every page you open. As of June 2026, those permissions persist through every future update, including updates that follow a silent ownership transfer, which is why broad-permission extensions carry ongoing risk.
Should I trust an extension with millions of installs?
Install count is not a safety signal. As of June 2026, two extensions with 900,000 combined installs were caught exfiltrating AI chat data, and several popular volume boosters were found injecting affiliate code. Evaluate an extension by its requested permissions and its network behavior in DevTools, not by how many people downloaded it.
What is the Loon Chrome extension?
Loon is one of the extensions covered in the SuperchargeBrowser library as part of explaining how specific Chrome tools work and what they actually do. As of June 2026, the broader lesson it illustrates is the same as every extension review here: judge a tool by its permissions and network activity, not its listing copy.
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