Google Chrome’s switch to a new extension framework is officially underway

Summary

• Google is phasing out Manifest V2 Chrome extensions in favor of Manifest V3 for better features and user experience.
• Manifest V2 extensions will be disabled soon, with users urged to switch to Manifest V3 alternatives.
• Despite concerns about ad blockers, Google assures that top filtering extensions are already on Manifest V3.

Last year, Google made a significant announcement, setting a timeline to replace the outdated Manifest V2 Chrome extension framework with the more advanced Manifest V3 by June 2024. This new framework, according to Google, offers developers a host of benefits, including Offscreen Documents, a new User Scripts API, and enhanced content filtering support. Despite concerns raised by developers about the potential impact on the user experience and ad-blockers, Google remains steadfast in its decision to phase out Manifest V2.

As June is just around the corner, Google has started pushing the Manifest V3 and turning off the Manifest V2 extensions on the Chrome Beta, Dev, and Canary channels. Starting on June 3, users who are still relying on Manifest V2 extensions will see a warning banner when visiting the chrome://extensions page, notifying them that Google no longer supports those extensions.

Developers and users are still worried about Manifest V3’s impact on ad blockers

Moreover, Google has announced that Manifest V2 Chrome extensions with the Featured badge will lose this distinction if they do not transition to Manifest V3. These extensions will be gradually disabled in the coming months, and users will be redirected to the Chrome Web Store to find Manifest V3 alternatives. Google adds that users can still temporarily turn their Manifest V2 extensions back on after they are disabled. However, the toggle will eventually disappear, and the extensions will become totally obsolete.

The rollout of Manifest V3 has commenced on Chrome Beta, Dev, and Canary channels, with plans to reach the stable version in the next few months. The transition is expected to be completed by early next year. Google has also assured enterprises using the ExtensionManifestV2Availability policy that they will be exempt from browser changes until June 2025.

Google’s push for Manifest V3 coincides with the company’s crackdown on ad blockers. As we reported earlier, YouTube has started to curb ad blockers and prevent users from watching videos with an enabled ad blocker extension.

While users and developers were worried about Manifest V3’s encounter with ad blockers, Google says the top content filtering extensions on the Chrome Web Store, including AdGuard, uBlock Origin, and Adblock Plus, have all launched Manifest V3 versions. Google also added that over 85% of actively maintained extensions in Chrome are running Manifest V3.

It’s unlikely that Google will ditch ad-blocking extensions from the Chrome Web Store. However, Google-owned YouTube will certainly not let users see content once an ad blocker is enabled on their browser. YouTube has clearly stated that using ad blockers violates its Terms of Service.