How to Disable Chrome Extensions Without Uninstalling Them

Turning an extension off keeps it installed with its settings intact, ready to switch back on. It's the quickest way to find out which extension is breaking a site, or to keep one you rarely use out of the way.

Turn an extension off

1. Go to chrome://extensions, or click the puzzle-piece icon in the toolbar and choose Manage extensions.
2. Find the extension and click its blue toggle so it turns grey.

That's it. The extension stops running everywhere, but stays installed with its data. Click the toggle again to turn it back on. You don't need Developer mode.

Limit it to certain sites instead

Often you don't need an extension off entirely, just off certain sites. Right-click the extension's icon, or open its Details page in chrome://extensions, and set Site access:

• On click: it only runs on a page after you click its icon.
• On specific sites: it only runs on the sites you list.
• On all sites: the default for many extensions.

Many extensions also have their own "disable on this site" option in their menu.

Find the extension that's breaking a page

1. Open the page in an Incognito window (Ctrl + Shift + N, or Cmd + Shift + N on Mac). Extensions don't run there unless you've allowed them.
2. If the page works in Incognito, an extension is the likely cause. Turn your extensions off, then turn them back on one at a time, reloading the page each time, until it breaks again.

Why Chrome turns some extensions off by itself

• Old extensions. Chrome no longer runs extensions built on the older Manifest V2 system. If an extension says it's no longer supported, look for an updated version or an alternative.
• Safety. Chrome turns off extensions that Google flags as malware or that break Chrome Web Store policy, and Safety Check suggests removing ones that are no longer available.
• Changed permissions. When an update asks for new permissions, Chrome may switch the extension off until you approve.

Can you stop extensions from being uninstalled?

On your own computer, no setting blocks uninstalling, but you can make sure you never lose them:

• Sync extensions. Sign in to Chrome and keep extensions in your sync settings. On a new computer or after a reinstall, they come back automatically.
• Use profiles. Keep work and personal extensions in separate Chrome profiles, so cleaning up one doesn't touch the other.

On managed work or school devices, administrators can force-install extensions with a policy. Users can't remove or disable those, which is the only real "can't uninstall" setting.

Turning everything off at once

Chrome has no single button to disable all extensions. For troubleshooting, Incognito or a Guest window gives you a browser with none running, and a fresh profile does the same with your settings left untouched.