Buzz
Ad blockers serve to block ads and pop-ups that can be annoying, but they might also prevent you from accessing certain parts or pages of a website. You can disable the extension from the Extension menu, or turn off the ad blocker for specific sites. This guide will show you how to disable the ad blocker on mobile devices and desktop browsers.
Steps
Use the ad blocker menu
Go to the website where the ad blocker is causing issues. This could be a site with ads you wish to view, or a website where the ad blocker is interfering with its functionality.
Click on the icon of the ad blocker extension. This icon is located at the top right corner of the web browser, next to the address bar. It is usually red with the abbreviation of the ad blocker’s name inside. This step will open the drop-down menu of the ad blocker extension.
Click on the option to disable the ad blocker. This step varies depending on the extension. It could be an icon resembling a circle with a line through it, a checkmark next to the word 'Enabled', a toggle button, or something similar. The extension will remember your choice for that website.
Use Google Chrome on desktop
Open Google Chrome. Google Chrome has an icon resembling a red, green, and yellow wheel with a blue core. Click on the icon to open Google Chrome. In Google Chrome, the ad blocker is considered a browser extension.
Click on ⋮. This icon is three vertical dots located at the top right corner of the browser. This step opens the menu.
- If you're using an older version of Chrome, this button may appear as three horizontal lines.
Hover over the More Tools option. This option is found near the bottom of the menu that appears when you click the three-dot icon. It reveals a submenu next to the main menu.
Click on the Extensions option. This is located on the left-hand sidebar of the window. It displays a list of the add-ons and extensions you have in Google Chrome.
Search for the ad blocker in the Extensions list. Each extension has its own options section on the Extensions page. All extensions are sorted alphabetically.
- If you know the name of the extension, you can quickly find it by pressing Command+F (on Mac) or Ctrl+F (on Windows) and typing the name in the 'Find' bar at the top right.
- To reactivate the ad blocker, go back to this menu and click the toggle switch to enable the extension again.
Use Chrome on Android
Launch Google Chrome. The Google Chrome icon looks like a red, green, and yellow wheel with a blue core. Tap the Google Chrome icon on your device's home screen to open Google Chrome on your Android device.
- Google Chrome doesn't support ad-blockers on iPhones and iPads. However, you can disable the pop-up blocker.
Tap on ⋮. This icon consists of three vertical dots located at the top-right corner of Google Chrome. Tapping it opens the menu.
Tap on Settings (Settings). This option is near the bottom of the Google Chrome menu that appears after tapping the three-dot icon.
Tap on Site Settings (Site Settings). This option can be found near the bottom of the Settings menu.
Tap on Pop-ups and redirects (Pop-ups and redirects). This option can be found near the bottom of the Site Settings menu, next to an icon that looks like an arrow pointing to the upper-right corner of the box.
- To reactivate the extension, go back to this menu and toggle the switch under the extension to turn it back on.
Using Safari on iPhone and iPad
- If you can't locate the settings icon, swipe your finger from the phone's screen to the right until you see the search bar, type "Settings" in the search bar, and tap the result that appears.
Tap on Safari. It's located next to the blue compass-like icon in the Settings menu. Content blocking is managed through the Safari app, and here is where you'll adjust your current ad-blocking settings.
Tap on Content Blockers (Content Blockers). This step shows the list of all content blockers you have installed on your iPhone or iPad.
- To reactivate the ad blocker, return to this menu and toggle the switch to allow the extension.
Using Safari on Mac
Open Safari. Safari's icon looks like a blue compass. Click on the Safari icon located in the Dock at the bottom of the screen to launch the browser.
Click on Safari. It can be found in the menu bar at the top left of your screen. This step reveals the Safari menu.
Click on Preferences… (Options). This is the third option in the Safari menu. It will open the Preferences menu.
Click on the Extensions (Add-ons). The Extensions option is located under an icon resembling a puzzle piece in the top section of the Preferences window.
- To re-enable the ad blocker, return to this menu and click the toggle to activate the extension.
Using Microsoft Edge on Windows
Launch Microsoft Edge. The browser's icon looks like the letter "e" or a dark blue wave. In Microsoft Edge, the ad blocker appears as an extension that has been manually added to the browser. You can disable the ad blocker by accessing the extension.
Click on the …. This symbol is three horizontal dots located in the upper right corner. Clicking it will display the menu.
Click on the Extensions (Extensions section). It can be found in the middle of the menu, next to the icon that looks like a puzzle piece. This step will display a list of all the extensions installed on Edge.
Search for your ad blocker within the list. All extensions are alphabetically organized in the menu on the right side.
Right-click on the ad blocker. A set of options will appear to adjust the extension.
- If you see many extensions and know the name of the ad blocker, you can search for it by pressing Ctrl+F and typing the extension name into the search bar that appears.
- To reactivate the ad blocker, go back to the menu and click on the toggle to enable the extension.
Use Mozilla Firefox
Open Mozilla Firefox. To disable the ad blocker, all you need to do is manage your extensions.
Click on ☰. This icon, three horizontal lines located at the top-right corner of the window, opens the menu.
Click on Add-ons (Extensions and Themes). This option is located roughly in the middle of the menu, next to the icon resembling a puzzle piece.
Click on Extensions (Extensions). This button is located on the left sidebar of the Add-ons Management page and will show you a list of all extensions that are installed and actively used in Firefox.
Search for your ad blocker within the extensions list. All enabled extensions are listed under the "Enabled" section on the Add-ons Management page.
Click on … on the right of the enabled ad blocker icon. This symbol is a horizontal ellipsis in the top-right corner of each extension’s icon in the extension list. This is the step to access the extension menu.
- If you know the name of the extension, you can search for it in the search bar at the top right corner of the Extension Manager window.
Click on Disable (Turn Off). This option is located at the top of the menu that appears when you click the ellipsis icon. On some devices, you may need to toggle the switch. The ad blocker will no longer run while using the browser.
- To re-enable the ad blocker, revisit this menu. Locate the ad blocker marked "Disabled" and click on the ellipsis icon. Then click Enable to turn the extension back on.
