Contents
How to stop popups in Google Chrome?

Google Chrome has grown to become one of those apps that must be on every computer and smart device. That’s not just because it’s Google’s web browser but due to its many helpful features and functions.

You could miss out on some of Chrome’s cool settings and suffer a terrible web browsing experience as a result.

It’s not news that websites are rife with ads these days. Less than a second after a web page loads, you’re redirected to another tab or window, especially when you try to scroll through the page. You’ll also see annoying giant pop-ups blocking the content you want to read.

This problem isn’t peculiar to Google Chrome. It can happen on any browser. But you can do something about it in Chrome (not that we’re saying other browsers are powerless against pop-ups).

You’re here to find out how to stop these pop-ups in Chrome. From adjusting Chrome’s settings to running the browser’s clean-up tool, we’ll show you the steps to take to get rid of the problem.

Make Sure You Are Using Chrome’s Latest Version

While Chrome automatically installs available updates when you shut down the browser and reopen it, the updating utility might malfunction. Also, Google Chrome’s installer might not have permission to install updates on your computer.

To begin with, you should restart the browser, click on the More icon (the three dots in the top-right corner), and click on the Update Google Chrome option.

Note that you won’t see the option if your browser is already up to date.

Click on Relaunch after clicking on Update Google Chrome.

The browser will shut down and install the available update. Your open tabs, except incognito tabs, will be saved and reloaded after Chrome restarts.

Follow these steps if you want to check your browser’s version:

  1. Click on the More icon (the three dots in the top-right corner).
  2. After the menu drops down, select Help and click on About Google Chrome.
  3. You’ll see the browser’s current version under the Google Chrome heading.
  4. Chrome will also check for pending updates when you’re on this page. Click on Relaunch to apply the updates.

Use Google Chrome’s Pop-Up Blocker to Stop Pop-Ups

Now that you’ve updated Chrome, it’s time to get rid of the crazy pop-ups. Firstly, you’ll find out how to enable the built-in pop-up blocker in Chrome for Windows 10. The tool will prevent websites from throwing annoying pops-up at you.

Follow these steps:

  1. Launch Google Chrome.
  2. Once the browser opens, go to the top-right corner and click on the More option (the three dots).
  3. Click on Settings in the menu that shows up.
  4. Next, scroll down to the Privacy and Security section on the Settings page and click on Site Settings.
  5. Select “Pop-ups and redirects.”
  6. Once the “Pop-ups and redirects” page opens, go to Default Behavior and select “Don’t allow sites to send pop-ups or use redirects (recommended).”

Allow or Block Specific Websites

You can also use the built-in pop-up blocker to specify sites whose pop-ups you do not want to block. This option comes in handy since some websites offer great products in a less intrusive manner.

Follow these steps to allow a site:

  1. Launch Google Chrome.
  2. Once the browser opens, go to the top-right corner and click on the More icon (the three dots).
  3. Click on Settings in the menu that shows up.
  4. Next, scroll down to the Privacy and Security section on the Settings page and click on Site Settings.
  5. Select “Pop-ups and redirects.”
  6. After the “Pop-ups and redirects” page shows up, scroll down to Customized Behaviors.
  7. Click on the Add button next to “Allowed to send pop-ups and use redirects.”
  8. Enter the site’s web address using the format in the text box.
  9. Click on Add.

Follow these steps to block a site:

  1. Launch Google Chrome.
  2. Once the browser opens, go to the top-right corner and click on the More icon (the three dots).
  3. Click on Settings in the menu that shows up.
  4. Next, scroll down to the Privacy and Security section on the Settings page and click on Site Settings.
  5. Select “Pop-ups and redirects.”
  6. After the “Pop-ups and redirects” page shows up, scroll down to Customized Behaviors.
  7. Click on the Add button next to “Not allowed to send pop-ups and use redirects.”
  8. Enter the site’s web address using the format in the text box.
  9. Click on Add.

Disable Notifications For the Site

If a site sends you notifications, you must have clicked on Allow on one of the notification request pop-ups. Fortunately, you can easily revoke the site’s notification permission.

Follow these steps:

  1. Open the website in Chrome.
  2. Click on the padlock icon in the Omnibox.
  3. Select the Site Settings option in the context menu.
  4. After the Settings tab opens, scroll down under Permissions and select Block in the Notifications drop-down menu.
  5. Repeat Steps 1-4 for other sites that push notifications.

Get Rid of Malware

Adware and other types of malicious programs could cause incessant pop-ups and redirects. This could be the case if unwanted toolbars and Chrome extensions keep coming back after you remove them, your browser keeps redirecting to unknown web pages, you keep seeing new tabs and pop-ups that won’t go away, and virus alerts keep popping up.

You can use the Chrome Cleanup Tool, the browser’s built-in malware remover, to get rid of the malware.

Here’s how to use the tool:

  1. Launch Google Chrome.
  2. Once the browser opens, go to the top-right corner and click on the More option (the three dots).
  3. Click on Settings in the menu that shows up.
  4. Scroll down to the bottom of the Settings page and expand the Advanced section.
  5. Scroll down to “Reset and clean up” and click on “Clean up computer.”
  6. Click on the Find button next to “Find harmful software.”

Note: You can uncheck the box next to “Report details to Google about harmful software, system settings, and processes that were found on your computer during this cleanup” if you’re not comfortable with Google getting any info from your PC.

  1. Click on the Remove button if the tool finds any harmful software.

You should also use your antivirus program to scan your entire PC for malware. Make sure you run a full scan as the quick scan option will likely do no good.

Follow these steps if you use Windows Security as your main antivirus program:

  1. Press Win + S to open the Windows Search interface.
  2. After the search box shows up, type “virus” and click on Virus & Threat Protection in the search results.
  3. Once the Virus & Threat Protection page opens, click on Scan Options.
  4. Select the Full Scan radio button once the Scan Options page appears.
  5. Click on Scan Now.
  6. Allow the utility to complete the process as this could take several hours.

Remove Browser Extensions

If the endless pop-ups started to appear after installing a Chrome extension, disable or remove the extension and check if that resolves the problem.

Here’s how to disable a Chrome extension:

  1. Launch Google Chrome.
  2. Once the browser opens, go to the top-right corner and click on the More option (the three dots).
  3. Click on More Tools and select Extensions.
  4. Once the Extensions page appears, toggle off the switch under the extension to disable it or click on the Remove button to get rid of it.

Conclusion

You shouldn’t see the disruptive pop-ups and redirects anymore. However, make sure you always keep your antivirus turned on whenever you’re browsing the net. You should also ensure that you’re using a competent malware remover.