The fastest way to disable an extension

Open Chrome and click the puzzle-piece icon in the top right corner of your browser window. This icon shows all your installed extensions. Find the extension you want to turn off and click the toggle switch next to its name — it will turn from blue (on) to gray (off). The extension stops running when ready, but it stays installed on your computer.

Turning off an extension is different from removing it. When you disable an extension, Chrome keeps it in your browser but stops it from loading on web pages or accessing your data. You can turn it back on later without reinstalling it. This is useful if you want to test whether an extension is slowing down your browser, or if you only need it sometimes.

If you do not see the puzzle-piece icon, your extensions may be hidden. Click the three vertical dots in the top right corner, hover over "Extensions", and select "Manage extensions". You will see the same list of toggles there.

Key Takeaways

  • Click the puzzle-piece icon in the top right corner of Chrome to see all your extensions and turn them on or off with a single toggle.
  • Disabling an extension stops it from running but keeps it installed, so you can turn it back on without reinstalling.
  • If the puzzle-piece icon is not visible, go to the three-dot menu, select Extensions, then Manage extensions to find the same toggles.
  • You can disable extensions one at a time to figure out which one is causing a problem or slowing down your browser.

Why you might want to disable instead of delete

Disabling an extension is a good first step when you are troubleshooting. If your browser feels slow or a website stops working correctly, turn off your extensions one at a time and reload the page. This tells you which extension is causing the problem without losing your settings or having to reinstall later.

Some people disable extensions they use only occasionally — for example, a password manager you only need at work, or a video downloader you use once a month. Keeping them installed but off means they do not run in the background or use memory, but you can turn them back on in seconds when you need them.

Disabling extensions on specific websites

Chrome also lets you turn off an extension on just one website instead of everywhere. Click the puzzle-piece icon, find the extension, and click the three dots next to its name. Select "Manage extension". Scroll down to "Site access" and choose "On click" or "On specific sites". If you choose "On specific sites", you can add websites where the extension should run and block it from everywhere else.

This is useful if an extension interferes with one particular site but works fine everywhere else. For example, some ad blockers break the layout of certain news websites. Instead of disabling the whole extension, you can let it run everywhere except that one site.

Removing an extension completely

If you want to delete an extension instead of just turning it off, click the puzzle-piece icon, find the extension, and click the three dots next to its name. Select "Remove from Chrome". A confirmation box will appear asking if you are sure. Click "Remove" and the extension is deleted from your browser.

When you remove an extension, Chrome erases all its data — including any settings you saved inside it. If you change your mind and want to use it again later, you will have to reinstall it from the Chrome Web Store and set it up from scratch. For this reason, disabling is usually safer than removing if you are not certain you will never use it again.

Finding extensions you forgot you had

Many people install extensions and forget about them. Over time, old extensions can slow down your browser or create security gaps if they are no longer maintained by their developer. Click the puzzle-piece icon and look through the full list. If you see something you do not recognize or do not remember installing, click the three dots and select "Remove from Chrome".

You can also check which extensions have permission to see your browsing history or access your passwords. In the Extensions menu, click "Manage extensions". For each extension, click "Permissions" to see what data it can access. If an extension has more permissions than it needs for its job, you can either remove it or limit its site access to only the websites where you actually use it.

What to do if an extension will not turn off

Occasionally an extension will not respond when you click the toggle, or the toggle will turn back on by itself. This usually means the extension is controlled by your workplace or school, or by malware. If you are using a work or school computer, contact your IT department — they may have locked certain extensions to stay on for security reasons.

If you are on your personal computer and an extension keeps turning itself back on, it may be malware. Restart your browser completely (close all Chrome windows and reopen it). If the problem continues, remove the extension and run a malware scan using Windows Defender (on Windows) or the built-in security tools on your Mac. You can also search the extension's name online to see if other people have reported it as malicious.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does turning off an extension slow down Chrome?

No. A disabled extension does not run at all, so it uses no memory or processing power. If you want to free up resources, disabling unused extensions is just as effective as removing them — the only difference is that disabled extensions are easier to turn back on later.

Will disabling an extension delete my saved passwords or data?

No. Disabling an extension keeps all its data intact. When you turn it back on, your settings and saved information will be there. Only removing an extension erases its data permanently.

Can I disable all extensions at once?

Chrome does not have a single button to disable all extensions at once. You have to turn them off individually by clicking each toggle. However, you can use Incognito mode (Ctrl+Shift+N on Windows, Cmd+Shift+N on Mac), which runs Chrome without any extensions by default — useful for testing whether an extension is causing a problem.

What if I disable an extension and a website stops working?

Turn the extension back on and reload the page. Some websites depend on extensions like ad blockers or script blockers to function correctly. If a site breaks when you disable an extension, that extension was helping it load properly. You can use the "On specific sites" setting to let the extension run only on that website.