Chrome updates most extensions automatically, but you can check for updates manually and control which ones update on their own
Chrome's default behavior is to update extensions in the background without asking you. Most of the time you will not notice this happening — the extension straightforward works better or gains a new feature the next time you use it. If you want to see what has changed, check for updates right now, or turn off automatic updates for a specific extension, you have those options. The process takes less than a minute.
Extensions update for two reasons: the developer released a new version with bug fixes or features, or Chrome itself required the extension to change to keep working. Either way, staying current protects you. Outdated extensions can become slower, stop working with newer websites, or develop security gaps as the web changes around them.
Key Takeaways
- Chrome updates most extensions automatically in the background, and you can manually check for updates by opening the extensions page and clicking the update button.
- You can turn off automatic updates for individual extensions by toggling "Allow this extension to read and change all your site data" off, though this may break some features.
- The extensions page shows you when each extension last updated and what permissions it uses.
- If an extension stops working after an update, you can roll back to the previous version by uninstalling and reinstalling it, though the old version may not stay available.
How to check for updates manually
Open Chrome and type chrome://extensions into the address bar, then press Enter. This opens your extensions page. In the top right corner, you will see a button labeled "Update" with a circular arrow icon. Click it. Chrome will check for new versions of all your extensions and install any it finds. The page will show you which extensions updated and when.
If no updates are available, the button will be grayed out. If you see it in color, at least one extension has a pending update. You do not have to do anything — Chrome will install it automatically within a few hours — but clicking the button makes it happen right away.
Understanding automatic updates and why they happen
Chrome is set to update extensions automatically by default. This means the browser checks for new versions roughly every few hours and installs them without interrupting you. You will not see a notification or a restart prompt. The extension straightforward updates in the background.
This automatic behavior exists because extension developers release updates frequently — sometimes weekly, sometimes daily. Waiting for you to manually update each one would leave most people running outdated code. Automatic updates also let developers fix security problems quickly without waiting for users to notice and act.
The trade-off is that you lose control over when the update happens. If an extension updates and breaks something you rely on, you will not know until you try to use it. This is rare, but it does happen.
How to turn off automatic updates for a single extension
Go to chrome://extensions and find the extension you want to control. Below its name, you will see a toggle labeled "Allow this extension to read and change all your site data." Turn this toggle off. Chrome will stop updating that extension automatically.
Be aware: turning off this toggle does two things at once. It stops automatic updates, but it also removes the extension's permission to access the websites you visit. Some extensions need this permission to work at all — a password manager, for example, will not be able to fill in login forms if you turn it off. Others will work fine but lose some features. Test the extension after you change the setting to make sure it still does what you need.
If you want to update the extension later, go back to the extensions page and click the "Update" button in the top right. That manual update will work even if automatic updates are off.
What to do if an extension breaks after updating
If an extension stops working or behaves strangely right after an update, the new version likely has a bug. Your first step is to report the problem to the developer. Open the extension's page in the Chrome Web Store, scroll down to the "Support" section, and click the link to the developer's website or support page. Describe what is broken and what version you are running.
You can find the version number on the chrome://extensions page. Look for the extension, and you will see "Version X.X.X" listed below its name. Include this in your report.
If you need the extension to work right now and cannot wait for a fix, you can try uninstalling and reinstalling it. Go to chrome://extensions, find the extension, and click the trash icon. Then go to the Chrome Web Store, search for the extension by name, and click "Add to Chrome." This will reinstall the latest version, which is usually the same version you just had. If the problem persists, the issue is with the current version itself, not with your installation.
Rolling back to an older version is not straightforward in Chrome. The Web Store does not let you read previous versions, and Chrome does not keep a backup of the old code. If a new version is broken and the developer has not fixed it yet, your best option is to disable the extension temporarily and check back in a few days.
How to see what changed in an extension update
The Chrome Web Store does not always show a detailed changelog for every update. To find out what changed, go to the extension's page in the Chrome Web Store and look for a "Version history" or "Release notes" section. Not all developers include this information, but many do.
If the Web Store page does not have release notes, check the developer's website or GitHub repository. Many extension developers post detailed changelogs there. Search for the extension name plus "changelog" or "release notes" to find it.
If you want to know when an extension last updated, go to chrome://extensions and look below the extension's name. You will see "Last updated: [date]" listed there. This tells you whether the extension is actively maintained or has been abandoned.
Managing permissions when extensions update
Sometimes an extension update adds new permissions — new abilities to access your data or interact with websites. When this happens, Chrome will show you a notification the next time you use the extension. The notification lists the new permissions and asks whether you want to allow them.
You have two choices: click "Allow" to let the extension use the new permissions, or click "Block" to keep the extension working with its old permissions only. If you block new permissions, some features in the updated extension may not work.
If you are not sure whether to allow a new permission, check the extension's page in the Chrome Web Store or visit the developer's website. Look for an explanation of why the new permission is needed. If the explanation does not make sense or the permission seems unrelated to what the extension does, you can block it and report the extension to Google using the "Report abuse" link on the Web Store page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I stop Chrome from updating extensions altogether?
Chrome does not offer a global setting to disable all extension updates. You can turn off automatic updates for individual extensions using the method described above, but you cannot disable the feature entirely. If you want to control when all your extensions update, you would need to turn off automatic updates for each one separately and then manually check for updates when you choose to.
Will updating an extension delete my saved data or settings?
No. Extension updates preserve your settings, saved passwords, bookmarks, and any other data the extension stores. The update only changes the extension's code, not the information it has saved. If an update does cause you to lose data, that is a bug — report it to the developer when ready.
What happens if I disable an extension and then re-enable it?
Re-enabling an extension does not trigger an update. It straightforward turns the extension back on using the version you already have installed. If updates are available, Chrome will install them separately according to your automatic update settings.
Do I need to restart Chrome after an extension updates?
No. Most extension updates take effect when ready without requiring a restart. In rare cases, an extension may ask you to reload the page you are viewing, but Chrome will not ask you to close and reopen the browser.
Why does an extension say "Update pending" but never finishes?
This usually means Chrome is waiting for you to close all tabs that use the extension before it can complete the update. Close any tabs running that extension and check the extensions page again. If the update still does not complete, try restarting Chrome entirely. If the problem persists, uninstall and reinstall the extension from the Chrome Web Store.