In 2025, Google discontinued a bunch of popular Chrome extensions. If some of your favorite tools disappeared overnight, here's why—and we'll say goodbye to some of our best Chrome extensions.
Note : In March 2025, Google forced the removal of old extensions from Chrome, upgrading its extension framework from Manifest v2 to v3. The new version was designed to be safer and more secure, but some extensions could not be updated to the newer version. Extensions that could not be updated to the new version were removed.
5. uBlockOrigin
uBlockOrigin is one of many Manifest v2 plugins that have disappeared from Chrome, despite Google cracking down on ad blockers for a while now. The tool's main purpose was to prevent users from seeing ads on the sites they visit, whether it's YouTube or news sites (although YouTube has cracked down on ad blockers).
uBlock Origin is free and open source. However, Google removed it because the webRequest API formed a key part of the extension. This API was responsible for blocking certain web elements and was one of the key features that was blocked with the Manifest v3 update.
While you can use Google Search more effectively, it’s not perfect. A number of factors determine Google Search results, such as the websites you’ve visited. Ghostery Private Search tries to provide suggestions without letting these algorithms control what you see.
When you use Ghostery Private Search, you can see how many trackers are used on different websites. You'll get an analysis of what these tools are used for, giving you more control over your privacy.
You can also browse Google in Incognito Mode as an alternative. However, you still can't trust Google's private browsing feature; for example, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) can still track you using this tool.
How many times have you opened the same tab over and over again and not realized it until later? Probably more times than you'd like to admit. You'll know all too well how annoying it can be to have so many tabs open; it makes it hard to focus and find the information you want when you need it.
Duplicate Tabs Closer solves that problem and makes it easy to keep only one instance of each tab open. Instead of automatically closing them, you can view the duplicates in a small window. If you notice any duplicates, you can easily close them and focus only on the original.
2. Social Blade
Social Blade is a must-have Chrome extension for anyone with a creative interest in social media . You can see the profile scores of creators in your niche and their rankings in a specific category. If you're thinking about monetizing, this tool is ideal for seeing estimated earnings, allowing you to determine if you're on the same level.
This extension is great for helping you see how many views your competing creators have. Even if you don’t have a creative outlet, it’s great to understand how your favorite creators are doing. In addition to YouTube, you can see stats for TikTok, Instagram, Twitch, and Facebook.
1. Papaly
Chrome has some useful bookmarking tools, but they don’t always offer the most flexibility. Papaly is an extension that can overcome Chrome’s limitations. The software can categorize your extensions, making everything easier to access.
You can still use Papaly, but you have to use an alternative website. However, the website is heavily ad-heavy and sometimes crashes when you want to create a new board.
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