Troubleshooting uBlock Origin on Chrome: Common FixesuBlock Origin is a powerful, lightweight content blocker that improves browsing speed, reduces ads, and enhances privacy. Even so, issues can arise when using it with Chrome. This article walks through common problems, step‑by‑step troubleshooting, and practical fixes so you can get uBlock Origin working reliably.
1. Installation and basic checks
Before diving into troubleshooting, confirm these basics:
- uBlock Origin is installed from the Chrome Web Store. (Avoid forks or similarly named extensions.)
- Chrome is up to date. Outdated browsers can cause extension compatibility problems.
- Only one major ad blocker is enabled at a time. Multiple ad blockers can conflict.
- Extension isn’t disabled by enterprise policy. On managed devices, administrators may restrict extensions.
If any of the above are not met, address them first: update Chrome, remove duplicate ad blockers, or reinstall uBlock Origin by removing it and adding it back from the Chrome Web Store.
2. uBlock Origin shows ads or doesn’t block some elements
Symptoms: Ads still appear on pages, or particular elements aren’t blocked.
Fixes:
- Refresh page and hard reload (Ctrl+F5 or Shift+Reload). Some resources are cached.
- Open uBlock Origin’s popup and check the logger:
- Click the extension icon → click the large power button for the site to toggle blocking.
- Click the “Open the dashboard” (the gear icon) → go to the “Logger” to see what requests are being allowed or blocked. The logger shows filters matched and network requests.
- Update filter lists:
- Dashboard → Filter lists → click “Update now.”
- Ensure commonly used lists (EasyList, EasyPrivacy, uBlock filters) are enabled.
- Enable additional regional or anti‑tracking lists if needed (e.g., Fanboy’s lists).
- If specific elements persist, use element picker (uBlock popup → eye dropper) to create a cosmetic filter.
- Check for inline scripts or dynamic ad injection; some elements require advanced rules or script blocking (temporarily enable the “I’m an advanced user” option in settings and use dynamic filtering).
3. Extension icon greyed out or disabled on sites
Symptoms: uBlock Origin icon appears dim or shows zero counts; site content seems unaffected.
Fixes:
- Verify site whitelisting: Click the uBlock icon and ensure the big power button isn’t turned off (orange = disabled on site).
- Global disable: Check Chrome’s extension page (chrome://extensions) to see if uBlock is disabled. Re-enable if off.
- Incognito mode: If using Incognito, ensure uBlock Origin is allowed in Incognito:
- chrome://extensions → Details under uBlock Origin → toggle “Allow in incognito.”
- Site-specific content scripts may be blocked by extension permission settings; re-installing can reset permissions.
4. Performance issues or high CPU/memory usage
Symptoms: Chrome becomes slow after enabling uBlock Origin, or CPU spikes when loading pages.
Fixes:
- uBlock Origin is generally lightweight, so high resource usage likely stems from:
- A very large number of custom filters or complex dynamic rules.
- Logger left open and actively recording requests.
- Conflicts with other extensions (privacy/test extensions, script managers).
- Steps:
- Close the logger; it consumes CPU while recording.
- Remove unnecessary custom filters: Dashboard → My filters.
- Disable other extensions temporarily to identify conflicts.
- Reset uBlock to default settings if you’ve heavily customized it.
5. Breakage of site functionality (e.g., videos won’t play, login fails)
Symptoms: Media players, logins, forms, or widgets stop working on certain sites.
Fixes:
- Temporarily disable uBlock Origin on that site (popup → power button) to confirm it’s the cause.
- Use the dynamic filtering pane (click the uBlock icon → the panel with a grid) to selectively allow scripts or frames from specific domains:
- Green (allow) or red (block) for script/frame requests; click to apply temporary or permanent rules.
- After verifying which domain needs allow rules, make them permanent in the dashboard if desired.
- Check cosmetic filters: some cosmetic rules can hide interactive elements; remove offending cosmetic filters in My filters or using the element picker to unblock.
- For login/cookie issues, ensure third‑party cookies aren’t being blocked by other extensions or Chrome settings.
6. uBlock Origin settings and advanced options
Key settings to know:
- Dashboard → Filter lists: enable, disable, and update lists.
- Dashboard → My filters: custom and imported rules.
- Dashboard → My rules: dynamic filtering rules you can create from the popup.
- Dashboard → Settings: enable “I’m an advanced user” for granular control (only for experienced users).
- Dashboard → Purge all caches and Update now: useful when filter lists behave inconsistently.
If you toggle “I’m an advanced user,” expect a different workflow centered on dynamic filtering; it’s powerful but requires learning its matrix.
7. Extension conflicts and Chrome policies
- Conflicts: Other privacy/ScriptBlocker extensions (NoScript, Ghostery, Privacy Badger) might overlap and cause unintended behavior. Disable other similar extensions to test.
- Policies: On enterprise-managed devices, Chrome policies can restrict extensions or force settings; check chrome://policy or consult your administrator.
8. Reinstalling and resetting uBlock Origin
When simpler fixes fail, a clean reinstall helps.
Steps:
- Export your filters/rules if you want to keep them (Dashboard → My filters/My rules → copy).
- Remove uBlock Origin: chrome://extensions → Remove.
- Restart Chrome.
- Reinstall uBlock Origin from the Chrome Web Store.
- Import your filters if needed.
9. Privacy/security considerations
- uBlock Origin itself is open source and widely trusted. Install only the official extension from the Chrome Web Store.
- Beware of look‑alike extensions or clones with similar names; check publisher (“Raymond Hill (gorhill)” for the official uBlock Origin).
- Avoid installing multiple ad blockers; they may leak or override rules in unexpected ways.
10. When to seek help or report bugs
- If you suspect a bug in uBlock Origin:
- Gather reproducible steps, Chrome version, uBlock Origin version, and screenshots or logger output.
- Report on the official uBlock Origin GitHub issues page.
- For site‑specific problems, try asking the site’s support if they allow ad blockers or provide compatibility notes.
Conclusion
Most uBlock Origin issues are resolved by checking filter lists, using the logger and dynamic filtering, ensuring Chrome and the extension are up to date, and testing for extension conflicts. If problems persist after reinstalling, collect diagnostic details and report them to the uBlock Origin project.
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