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How to fix Google Chrome ERR QUIC PROTOCOL ERROR?

You are unable to access any website using Google Chrome. Instead, you get ‘ERR QUIC PROTOCOL ERROR’ with a message that goes like this: “This site can’t be reached – The webpage at [website URL] might be temporarily down or it may have been moved permanently to a new web address.”

Under normal circumstances, this error message should only appear when a website is down. But if it now happens with every URL you try to visit and you are sure that the sites are available, it means that something is wrong.

Chrome is considered to be a stable and reliable browser. So why does this happen? Well, don’t despair as you’ll soon find out the answers you seek. All you have to do is keep reading.

What Does ‘ERR QUIC PROTOCOL ERROR’ Mean?

QUIC (Quick UDP Internet Connections) is an experimental transport layer network protocol in Google Chrome. It connects two endpoints over UDP (User Datagram Protocol).

It was created to offer users security protection that could be compared to TLS (Transport Layer Security)/SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) but that will allow faster browsing experience and better graphics for online games.

The core benefits include:

    • faster connection establishment,
    • better congestion control,
    • forward error correction and connection migration.

However, since the protocol is still under development, it may sometimes fail, resulting in a situation where you cannot access web pages that are related to Google (such as YouTube or Gmail) or any other website at all.

How to Fix ERR QUIC PROTOCOL ERROR in Google Chrome

There are a handful of troubleshooting solutions you can apply. By the time you are done with one or a few of them, the error will have been taken care of.

How to Resolve ERR QUIC PROTOCOL ERROR in Chrome for Windows 10:

  1. Disable the QUIC protocol
  2. Remove or disable third-party browser extensions
  3. Disable your firewall temporarily
  4. Disable the VPN/proxy when logging into your user account
  5. Reset Chrome to its default settings

Before we begin, try to load the web pages using another browser, such as Edge, Firefox, Opera, or Safari. If they don’t go through and the error message is displayed, then it means that the fault doesn’t lie with Chrome. Check your internet connection and try again.

But if the pages load successfully on another browser, you can go ahead with the solutions below.

Fix 1: Disable the QUIC Protocol

This is the easiest way to resolve the issue. It may suffice, and you won’t have to try any other fix.

Follow these simple steps to get it done:

  1. Launch your Chrome browser.
  2. Go to the URL bar and type (or copy and paste) “chrome://flags” (don’t include the inverted commas) and then press Enter.
  3. On the page that opens, you’ll find a list of experimental features. Under the ‘Available’ section, scroll down and locate “Experimental QUIC protocol” (To make things easier, you can type the name in the Search flags box at the top of the page).
  4. Expand the drop-down menu beside the option and select ‘Disabled.’ Immediately you do so, a dialog will appear at the bottom of the screen, prompting you to relaunch your browser now so as to apply the change. Click the button to restart your browser.
  5. After Chrome restarts, the Experimental QUIC protocol will now be disabled. See if the error has been successfully resolved.

If it happens that the problem somehow persists, go ahead and apply the next fix.

Fix 2: Remove or Disable Third-Party Browser Extensions

Although third-party extensions enhance the functionality of your browser and offer a customized web surfing experience, they can sometimes cause unexpected issues like ‘ERR QUIC PROTOCOL ERROR.’ This is especially so with unknown extensions or those designed to block ads, page pop-ups, and so on.

Therefore, you should disable your extensions and see if there’s one that’s causing the error.

Follow these easy steps:

  1. Launch Google Chrome.
  2. Type (or copy and paste) “chrome://extensions” in the address bar and press Enter.
  3. On the page that opens, click the toggles on the available extensions to disable them.
  4. Restart the browser and see if the error will still occur when you try to load a website. If it doesn’t, then go back to ‘chrome://extensions’ and enable the extensions you trust. This way, you can figure out the one that caused the issue and remove it.

Fix 3: Disable Your Firewall Temporarily

Windows Firewall monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic. It protects your private network against malicious software and keeps unauthorized users from accessing files on your computer.

If you have another security program that serves the same function (like a trusted anti-malware tool such as Auslogics Anti-Malware), you can try disabling Windows Firewall temporarily. See if that helps in resolving the ‘ERR QUIC PROTOCOL ERROR’ issue.

Follow these easy steps:

  1. Press the Windows logo key + R combination on your keyboard to bring up the Run dialog.
  2. Type ‘Control Panel’ in the text field and press Enter or click OK.
  3. In the window that opens, select ‘Category’ in the ‘View by:’ drop-down in the top-right corner of the screen.
  4. Click on System and Security > Windows Firewall.
  5. On the left-hand side of the screen, click on ‘Turn Windows Firewall on or off.’
  6. Select ‘Turn off Windows Firewall (not recommended)’ and click the OK button to save the change.

Now, try to visit the website once more. If the problem still occurs, go back and enable Windows Firewall again.

You can also disable the firewall on your antivirus program. See if that makes any difference. If it doesn’t, then you should enable it again.

We also suggest you follow the steps below to check if there’s a problem with your firewall or proxy settings. The error in discussion occurs when Google fails to receive data from your end.

Here is how to check your LAN settings:

  1. Go to Control Panel as already shown above.
  2. Select ‘Large icons’ in the ‘View by:’ drop-down.
  3. Click on Internet Options.
  4. In the window that opens, go to the Connections tab and click the LAN Settings button. Review the settings and make sure there is no problem.

Fix 4: Disable the VPN/Proxy When Logging Into Your User Account

Some ISPs (Internet Service Providers) differentiate user accounts. They display a login prompt for you to enter a username and password before you can access the internet.

To fix the QUIC protocol error issue, try disabling your VPN or proxy while logging into your user account.

Here’s how:

  1. Go to the Start menu.
  2. Click on Settings.
  3. Click Network and Internet > Proxy.
  4. Click the toggle to turn on “Automatically detect settings.”
  5. Click the toggle to turn off the “Use a proxy server” option.
  6. Go back to Network and Internet and click on VPN.
  7. Select the connection you want to remove and click the ‘Remove’ button.
  8. Click Remove to confirm.

In the event that you just subscribed to the ISP and don’t have the username and password, confirm from them whether they have such a security protocol in place.

Fix 5: Reset Chrome to Its Default Settings

Resetting Chrome might fix the issue. But keep in mind that your search engine settings, home page, and pinned tabs will be cleared. Also, all browser extensions will be disabled, and temporary files (including cookies and cache) will be erased.

However, saved passwords, bookmarks, and history will not be affected.

Here’s how to reset Google Chrome:

  1. Launch the browser.
  2. Click the Menu icon in the top-right corner of the screen and select Settings.
  3. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and expand the ‘Advanced’ drop-down.
  4. Scroll down again to the bottom of the page. Under ‘Reset and Clean up’, click on ‘Restore settings to their original defaults.’
  5. Now, click the Reset Settings button to confirm the action.
  6. Restart Chrome and see if the error occurs.

The solutions presented here should resolve the ERR QUIC PROTOCOL ERROR issue. But in case you’re still running into it, contact Google Support for further help.

We hope this guide has been of use to you.

Please feel free to share your thoughts in the section below if you have any questions or further suggestions.

We’ll like to hear from you.