Disable all extensions from the Extensions menu

The fastest way to turn off every extension at once is through Chrome's Extensions menu. Click the puzzle-piece icon in the top right of your browser — this is your Extensions button. A dropdown list appears showing all your installed extensions. At the bottom of that list, click Manage extensions. This takes you to a page that shows every extension you have, with a toggle switch next to each one.

On this Manage Extensions page, look for the toggle switches on the right side of each extension name. Instead of clicking each one individually, look for a toggle in the top left corner of the page — it says "Developer mode" and has a switch next to it. This is not what you want. Instead, scroll to the top of the list and you will see another toggle labeled something like All extensions or a master control. Click that single toggle to turn off every extension at once. All the individual toggles below it will switch off when ready.

If you do not see a master toggle at the top, you can still disable all extensions quickly by clicking each toggle one by one — it takes about 30 seconds if you have 10 or fewer extensions. The toggles are blue when an extension is on and gray when it is off.

Key Takeaways

  • The Extensions menu (puzzle-piece icon, top right) is the quickest place to turn off all extensions without removing them from Chrome.
  • Click Manage extensions from the dropdown, then look for a master toggle at the top of the page to disable everything at once.
  • Disabled extensions stay installed but do not run — you can turn them back on later without reinstalling.
  • If you cannot find a master toggle, clicking each individual toggle takes only a minute or two and achieves the same result.

Why you might want to disable all extensions at once

Disabling all extensions is useful when you are troubleshooting a slow browser, a website that will not load properly, or a page that keeps crashing. Extensions run in the background and can interfere with each other or with the websites you visit. By turning them all off, you can test whether the problem goes away — if it does, you know an extension is the cause.

Another reason is privacy or security. If you are using a shared computer or a public network, you might want to turn off extensions that store passwords, track your activity, or access your browsing history. Disabling them is safer than leaving them running while you use the computer.

The difference between disabling and removing extensions

When you disable an extension, it stays installed on your computer but stops running. You can turn it back on anytime by clicking the toggle again. This is what you are doing when you use the toggle switches on the Manage Extensions page.

When you remove an extension, you delete it entirely from Chrome. You would have to reinstall it from the Chrome Web Store if you wanted it back. Disabling is the safer choice if you are not sure whether you want to keep the extension — it lets you test life without it before you commit to removing it.

How to turn extensions back on

Go back to the Extensions menu (puzzle-piece icon) and click Manage extensions. Find the extension you want to turn back on and click its toggle switch. It will turn blue, and the extension will start running again when ready. You do not need to restart Chrome.

If you disabled all extensions at once using a master toggle, you can re-enable them all the same way — click the master toggle again and every extension will turn back on. This is faster than clicking each one individually if you want to restore your full setup.

What to do if an extension does not have a toggle

Occasionally you will see an extension on the Manage Extensions page that does not have a toggle switch next to it. This usually means the extension is required by Chrome or installed by your computer administrator — it cannot be disabled through the normal menu. These extensions are rare and usually do not cause problems.

If an extension without a toggle is causing trouble, you have two options. First, check whether your computer is managed by an employer or school — if it is, contact your IT department to ask them to remove it. Second, if it is a Chrome-required extension, you can try removing it by clicking the trash-can icon next to its name, though Chrome may reinstall it automatically.

Checking which extensions are slowing down your browser

If you disabled all extensions and your browser runs faster, you know one of them is the problem. Rather than leave them all off, turn them back on one at a time and test your browser speed between each one. This tells you which extension is causing the slowdown.

To test speed, open a website that usually loads slowly for you, or open several tabs at once and see how long they take to load. If the page loads quickly with all extensions off but slowly again after you turn one back on, that extension is the culprit. You can then decide whether to remove it, update it, or adjust its settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will disabling extensions slow down my computer?

No — disabling extensions actually makes your browser faster because they are no longer running in the background. If you disabled all extensions and your browser is still slow, the problem is something else, like too many open tabs or a slow internet connection.

Do I lose my extension settings if I disable them?

No. When you disable an extension and turn it back on later, all your settings stay the same. Passwords, preferences, and saved data remain intact. You only lose settings if you remove the extension entirely.

Can I disable extensions on specific websites only?

Yes. On the Manage Extensions page, click on any extension and you will see an option that says "Allow on all sites" or "Allow on specific sites". Choose the second option and you can pick which websites the extension runs on. This is useful if one extension breaks a particular website.

What if disabling all extensions does not fix my problem?

The issue is not caused by an extension. Try clearing your browser cache, restarting Chrome, or checking whether you have the latest version of Chrome installed. If a website is not loading, the problem might be on the website's side, not yours.