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Learn how to remove web browser extensions you no longer use
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- Chrome |
- Microsoft Edge |
- Internet Explorer |
- Firefox |
- Safari |
- Opera |
- Tips |
- Warnings
Add-ons are third-party extensions and plugins that can be added or downloaded to Internet browsers to enhance the user experience. Add-ons have the ability to customize and improve one or more functionalities of your browser. You can remove or disable add-ons from your Internet browser when you no longer require their use; the process is simple, regardless of which browser you use.
Things You Should Know
- Disabling an extension or add-on turns it off without uninstalling it permanently.
- You can remove all extensions and add-ons at once by resetting your web browser.
- If you can't disable an add-on, it could be malware. Run a malware scan to check for and remove all threats.
Steps
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Click the Chrome Menu button â‹® . It's the button with three vertical dots. You can find this in the upper-right corner of the Google Chrome web browser.
- Extensions are not available for the mobile version of Chrome.
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Select More Tools . Placing the mouse cursor over "More Tools" displays a sub-menu to the left.
- You can also type chrome://extensions/ into the address bar.
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Click Extensions . It's in the sub-menu that appears to the left when you hover over "More Tools". This displays a list of all your extensions in various boxes.
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Click below an extension. Each box that lists an extension has a blue toggle switch in the lower-right corner. Click the toggle switch of the extension you want to disable to turn it off. The toggle switch turns grey when the extension is disabled.
- To uninstall an extension, click the Remove button at the bottom of the box that lists the extension you want to uninstall.
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Reset Chrome to disable all add-ons at once. If you are overloaded with add-ons, resetting Chrome will disable all of them. Use the following steps to reset Google Chrome to it's default settings.
- Click the Chrome Menu button ( â‹® )
- Click Settings .
- Click Advanced â–¾ at the bottom of the menu.
- Scroll down and click Reset settings to their original defaults .
- Click Reset settings .
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Scan for malware. If you are having difficulty getting rid of a toolbar or other extension, it may be a malicious program. Download and run AdCleaner and Malwarebytes Antimalware. These free programs can find and remove most malicious software.
- See Remove Malware for detailed instructions on getting rid of malware and adware.
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Click … . It's the button with three dots in the upper-right corner. This displays the options in a drop-down menu.
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Click Extensions . It's near the bottom of the drop-down menu. This displays a list of extensions in the drop-down menu to the right.
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Click below an extension. A toggle switch appears below each installed extension. Click the toggle switch to disable an extension. If the toggle switch is gray, the extension is disabled.
- To uninstall an extension, click the gear icon to the right of an extension in the menu to display information about the extension, then click Uninstall below the extension information.
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Scan for malware. If you are having difficulty getting rid of a toolbar or other extension, it may be a malicious program. Download and run AdwareCleaner and Malwarebytes Antimalware. These free programs can find and remove most malicious software.
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Click . It's the icon that resembles a gear. It's in the upper-right corner of Internet Explorer. This displays the Settings menu.
- Note: Add-ons are not available for the Metro or Mobile version of Internet Explorer.
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Click Manage add-ons . It's in the center of the Settings menu. This displays the Manage Add-ons window in the center of the screen.
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Click the add-on type. Add-ons are organized by type. Click the add-on type in the box on the left side of the "Manage Add-ons" window. This displays a list of add-ons in the larger box to the left.
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Click an Add-on. When you see the add-on you want to disable, click it to display information about the add-on in the box at the bottom of the Manage Add-ons window.
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Click Disable . This can be found in the lower-right corner of the window after selecting an add-on.
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Click Disable to confirm. You'll be informed of any related add-ons that will be disabled as well.
- Click Remove to uninstall the selected add-on (if possible). Not all add-ons can be uninstalled, as some are required in order for Internet Explorer and Windows to work properly. If you can remove the add-on, the "Remove" button will appear next to the "Enable" and "Disable" buttons. [1] X Research source
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Disable all add-ons at once by resetting Internet Explorer. If you're plagued with toolbars and add-ons, you can reset Internet Explorer to disable them all at the same time using the following steps.
- Click the gear icon.
- Click Internet options.
- Click the Advanced tab.
- Click Reset .
- Confirm Reset .
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Check your computer for malware infections. If you can't get rid of some extensions. If you can't get rid of certain toolbars, or are getting lots of pop-ups, you may have an adware infection. Download AdwareCleaner and Malwarebytes Antimalware to scan for and remove any infections. Both of these programs are free.
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Click ☰ . It's the button with three vertical lines in the upper-right corner of Firefox. This a drop-down menu below the button.
- The mobile version of Firefox does not support add-ons.
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Click Add-ons . It's the about halfway down the drop-down menu. This displays a list of extensions in the Add-ons Manager.
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Click Disable . It's to the right of each add-on in the list of add-ons. This disables the add-on.
- To uninstall an add-on, click Remove next to an add-on. Not all add-ons can be uninstalled.
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Reset Firefox to remove all of your installed extensions. Unlike other browsers, this will completely remove extensions, not just disable them. Use the following steps to reset Firefox.
- Click the Firefox Menu button ( ☰ ).
- Click Help .
- Click Troubleshooting Information .
- Click Refresh Firefox .
- Confirm Refresh Firefox .
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Download some anti-malware tools. If you're having difficulty getting rid of a toolbar or other add-on, you may have an adware infection. AdwareCleaner and Malwarebytes Antimalware are powerful adware scanners that can find and remove infections for free.
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Click Safari . It's in the menu bar at the top of the screen in the upper-left corner. It's next to the Apple icon. This displays the Safari menu.
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Click Preferences… . It's the third option in the Safari menu. This displays the Preferences menu for Safari.
- The mobile version of Safari does not support add-ons.
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Click the Extensions tab. It's the tab that has an icon that resembles a puzzle piece. A list of your installed add-ons will be listed on the left side of the window.
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Select the extension that you want to disable. Extensions are listed in the sidebar to the right. Details about the extension will appear on the right side of the window.
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Uncheck the check box next to an extension. This disables the add-on. The checkbox appears to the right of the add-on in the sidebar to the right. The add-on will be disabled immediately.
- To Uninstall an extension, click an extension and click "Uninstall" to remove it. This will uninstall the extension from your Mac.
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Download Malwarebytes for Mac. If you have toolbars that won't go away. The popular anti-malware program AdwareMedic was acquired by Malwarebytes and is now called "Malwarebytes for Mac." It is still free, and can remove most adware infections.
- See How to Get Rid of AdChoices for general Mac adware-removal tips.
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Click the Opera menu. It's button with a red "O" in teh upper-left corner of the app.
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Select Extensions . This displays a sub-menu to the left.
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Click Extensions .
- You can also press Ctrl + ⇧ Shift + E .
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Click the Disable below an extension. Extensions are listed in bars that contain information about the extension. The "Disable" button is below the information.
- Click the "X" in the upper-right corner of the add-on's description to remove it. You'll be asked to confirm that you want to uninstall the extension.
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Scan for adware. If you can't get rid of a certain toolbar, or you're getting a lot of pop-ups, you may have an adware infection. Running Malwarebytes Antimalware and AdwCleaner will find and remove most common adware infections. Both of these programs are free.
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Tips
- Disable or uninstall an add-on completely if the source or website you downloaded it from is not trusted or reputable. Some add-ons from untrusted third-parties may pose security threats, and could potentially harm your computer if you keep them installed in your browser.Thanks
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Warnings
- Some add-ons cannot be removed from your browser if they are required for your browser or computer to run correctly. If a particular add-on does not provide you with the option to disable or uninstall it, then you will not have the ability to remove that particular add-on from your browser.Thanks
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About This Article
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 188,076 times.
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