Chrome 150, expected around June 30, removes one of the last internal flags that allowed determined users to keep old Manifest V2 ad blockers alive in Chrome. Chrome 151, expected in July, removes the remaining cleanup code tied to the old extension platform.
For Chrome users running mainstream Manifest V3 ad blockers, neither update should change much. For users still trying to run the full version of uBlock Origin in Chrome through flags or other workarounds, Chrome 151 closes the final practical paths. The Manifest V2 deprecation itself effectively ended in 2025. What ends now are the escape hatches.
How Chrome got here
Google stopped accepting new public and unlisted Manifest V2 extensions in the Chrome Web Store in January 2022, then began disabling installed Manifest V2 extensions in Chrome Stable in October 2024. Chrome 138 completed that transition on July 24, 2025, disabling Manifest V2 extensions across all Chrome channels and preventing users from turning them back on.
Enterprise IT departments had a longer runway. The ExtensionManifestV2Availability policy let organizations keep Manifest V2 extensions running past the consumer shutdown, but Chrome 138 was the final version to support that policy. Chrome 139 removed it, and Google said Manifest V2 extensions would stop functioning for users upgrading to Chrome 139 and later.
That left a smaller group of power users relying on internal flags and technical workarounds. Chrome 150 and 151 remove those remaining paths.
What Chrome 150 and 151 remove
The Verge reported on June 15, 2026 that Chrome 150 and 151 are expected to remove the last remaining workarounds for older Manifest V2 ad blockers. Google developer Devlin Cronin described the remaining Manifest V2 code as difficult to maintain because of "complexity and tech debt" as well as security risks.
Chrome 150 removes one of the main internal flags users exploited to keep older extensions running after the formal shutdown. Chrome 151 follows by removing additional Manifest V2-related flags.
The core architectural shift is Chrome's move from Manifest V2's blocking webRequest model toward Manifest V3's declarativeNetRequest model, where extensions rely more heavily on browser-enforced rulesets instead of inspecting and blocking requests in the same way. Google documents declarativeNetRequest as the Manifest V3 API used to block or modify network requests, including static and dynamic rules.
What changes for your ad blocker
For most Chrome users, the answer is simple: If your ad blocker already runs on Manifest V3, Chrome 150 and 151 should not break it.
That includes mainstream options such as AdGuard, Adblock Plus, uBlock Origin Lite, and other extensions already built for Manifest V3. Google has said the top content-filtering extensions have Manifest V3 versions available, and most actively maintained Chrome Web Store extensions have already moved to the newer platform.
The early performance picture is not as dire as some of the first warnings suggested. A 2025 arXiv preprint comparing Manifest V2 and Manifest V3 blockers across 924 websites found no statistically significant drop in ad-blocking or tracker-blocking effectiveness for the mainstream blockers it tested. The study is useful for casual browsing, but it does not settle every advanced case, especially dynamic filtering, complex custom rules, or anti-adblock behavior.
In other words, casual ad blocking and tracker blocking can still work in Chrome. The biggest losses are for users who depended on the full control model of classic uBlock Origin.
Why uBlock Origin users are different
The full version of uBlock Origin is maintained as a Manifest V2 extension. There is no one-to-one Manifest V3 replacement for the full uBlock Origin extension in Chrome.
uBlock Origin Lite exists for Chrome, but it is intentionally different. The Verge previously reported that uBlock Origin developer Raymond Hill said uBlock Origin Lite is too different from uBO to be an automatic replacement. Users have to install it manually, and its filtering capabilities depend on Manifest V3's declarativeNetRequest limits and design.
That distinction matters most for advanced users. uBlock Origin Lite can handle ordinary blocking for many people, but advanced dynamic filtering, some custom filtering workflows, cosmetic filtering behavior, and anti-anti-adblock handling are more limited under Chrome's Manifest V3 model.
If you use uBlock Origin mainly to block common ads and trackers, uBlock Origin Lite or another Manifest V3 blocker may be enough. If you rely on custom filters, strict per-site controls, anti-adblock workarounds, or power-user blocking modes, Chrome is no longer the best home for that setup.
Firefox and Brave are the clearest exits
Firefox is the lower-friction switch for most users who want the full uBlock Origin experience. Mozilla's Manifest V3 migration guide says Firefox supports Manifest V3 for cross-browser compatibility while also documenting Firefox-specific differences from Chrome's implementation. For users, that means Firefox remains the safest mainstream browser recommendation for running the full uBlock Origin extension.
Brave is the main option for users who want to stay closer to a Chromium-style browser while avoiding Chrome's exact extension cutoff. Treat it as a browser-specific workaround rather than a permanent guarantee, especially because the long-term future of Manifest V2 support depends on each browser's own maintenance choices.
Opera and Microsoft Edge are less clear choices for anyone who specifically needs full Manifest V2 support. They may continue supporting some older extensions for a time, but Chrome's cleanup work shows why depending on leftover Manifest V2 infrastructure is becoming a fragile strategy.
What to do before Chrome 150
First, check which ad blocker you are using. Open Chrome, go to chrome://extensions, and look for warnings that an extension is "no longer supported" or has been turned off. If your blocker is already a Manifest V3 extension, Chrome 150 and 151 should not require any action.
If you still use the full version of uBlock Origin in Chrome through a workaround, make a decision before Chrome 151 arrives. The simplest Chrome-native move is to install uBlock Origin Lite or another reputable Manifest V3 blocker from the Chrome Web Store. That keeps you in Chrome, but it does not restore every full uBlock Origin feature.
If full uBlock Origin is nonnegotiable, switch browsers. Firefox is the cleanest path for most users. Brave is the better fit for users who want a Chromium-like browser and are comfortable depending on Brave's browser-specific support choices.
The one thing not worth planning around is another hidden Chrome flag. Chrome 150 and 151 are cleanup releases for a transition Google already completed. For Chrome users who still want the full uBlock Origin experience, the practical choice is no longer a Chrome setting. It is switching browsers.
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