Google Will Kill Outdated Chrome Extensions in 2024

3 weeks ago

Some of your browser extensions mightiness not instrumentality astir for overmuch longer.

Corbin Davenport / How-To Geek

Google introduced nan caller Manifest V3 format for Chrome extensions complete 2 years ago, pinch nan extremity of phasing retired nan existent Manifest V2 format wrong a fewer months. That process has taken overmuch longer, but now there's a caller timeline for nan extremity of older Chrome extensions.

Manifest V3 is nan caller package level for Chrome extensions, intended to make extensions faster, much reliable, and much secure. However, it was missing galore features that immoderate extensions required, truthful nan phaseout of Manifest V2 was put connected hold. Google has been moving to capable nan gaps complete nan past year, and now location are "currently nary unfastened issues considered a captious level gap."

Google has resumed nan countdown timepiece for nan extremity of Manifest V2 extensions. The institution said successful a blog post, "We will statesman disabling Manifest V2 extensions successful pre-stable versions of Chrome (Dev, Canary, and Beta) arsenic early arsenic June 2024, successful Chrome 127 and later. Users impacted by nan rollout will spot Manifest V2 extensions automatically abnormal successful their browser and will nary longer beryllium capable to instal Manifest V2 extensions from nan Chrome Web Store. Also successful June 2024, Manifest V2 extensions will suffer their Featured badge successful nan Chrome Web Store if they presently person one."

Many celebrated Chrome extensions should already beryllium updated to Manifest V3, but there's nary measurement to cheque from an extension's Chrome Web Store page. You tin cheque if an installed hold is updated, though—open nan chrome://extensions page and look astatine nan "Inspect views" conception for an extension. If you spot "service worker," past it's a Manifest V3 extension, and different labels (usually "background page") bespeak nan hold has not yet been updated.

Unfortunately, nan migration to Manifest V3 will beryllium nan extremity for astatine slightest a fewer browser extensions. It usually isn't overmuch activity to update an extension, but immoderate extensions person been abandoned connected nan Chrome Web Store for years and mightiness not get an update earlier nan shutdown enforcement.

Google besides said successful nan blog post, "We will gradually rotation retired this change, gathering personification feedback and collecting information to make judge Chrome users understand nan alteration and what actions they tin return to find alternative, up-to-date extensions."

Source: Chrome Developers

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