This page is for an extension that is installed but not working: turned off, missing from the toolbar, marked as corrupted, or breaking websites. If Chrome will not install the extension in the first place, see Chrome extensions not installing.
Start on the Extensions page. Open chrome://extensions, or click the three-dot menu, then Extensions, then Manage Extensions. Each fix below begins there. The steps come from Google’s help page Install and manage extensions unless another source is linked.
The extension is turned off
Check the switch on the extension’s card and turn it on. If Chrome has turned it off and says it is unsupported, see the next section.
Chrome disabled it as unsupported
Google’s help explains that Chrome and the Chrome Web Store “require extensions to be up-to-date with new requirements” and “Chrome may disable extensions that don’t meet these requirements.” The best-known case is Manifest V2: Google’s Manifest V2 support timeline records that Chrome disabled all Manifest V2 extensions in July 2025, with no way for users to turn them back on, and that the store removed all remaining Manifest V2 extensions on August 31, 2026.
For an unsupported extension you can:
- Find an alternative. On the extension, select Details, then More, then Find Alternatives, and add a replacement from the Chrome Web Store.
- Remove it. Select Remove.
- Turn it on for a short time. For some unsupported extensions, the switch still works. Google says you can only re-enable one “for a limited period of time” and recommends finding an alternative first. This does not apply to Manifest V2 extensions any more.
Chrome says the extension is corrupted
- Find the corrupted extension and select Repair.
- Confirm with Repair extension.
Google’s help adds that if an extension is still corrupted after repair, “a suspicious program might be changing this extension’s files.” Run your antivirus or anti-malware software and remove programs that may be affecting Chrome. Our guide to removing browser hijackers walks through it.
The icon is missing from the toolbar
Extensions you have not pinned live in the Extensions menu, the puzzle-piece button to the right of the address bar. Select it, find the extension and select Pin. Google notes that some extensions do not have this option.
It does not work on a website
An extension can only read and change a website if it has access to that site. Select the Extensions button, point to the extension’s More menu and the line “This can read and change site data”, then choose:
- When you select the extension: it works on the current tab only after you click it.
- On [current site]: it works on that site automatically.
- On all sites: it works everywhere automatically.
You can also set this on the extension’s Details page, under site access, and add or remove individual sites there.
It does not work in Incognito
Extensions are off in Incognito unless you allow them. On the extension, select Details and turn on Allow in Incognito. Only do this for extensions you trust.
A website breaks or Chrome is slow
An extension can conflict with a site or use too much memory. To find out which one:
- Open the page in an Incognito window, where extensions are off unless you allowed them. Google’s common error messages help says that if the page works there, an extension may be the cause, and to turn it off.
- On
chrome://extensions, turn every extension off. - Turn them back on one at a time, checking the site after each. When the problem returns, you have found the extension.
Google’s crash help suggests the same approach: “Uninstall all extensions, then add them back one by one.” It also suggests uninstalling extensions you do not need, since they use memory.
An extension changed your settings
If your search engine, home page or new tab page changed without your say, an extension may have done it. Google’s help on resetting Chrome settings says a reset puts your search engine, home page, new tab page and other settings back to their defaults and also resets extensions and themes. Your saved bookmarks and passwords are not deleted. Afterwards, turn back on only the extensions you trust. See how to reset Chrome settings.
Chrome flags an extension as harmful
Safety Check can warn you about “extensions that might pose security risks”, according to Google’s Chrome safety and security help. Open the three-dot menu, then Settings, then Privacy and security, and under Safety Check select Go to Safety Check. Follow the on-screen steps for any extension it lists.
It broke after an update
Extensions update automatically, and a new version can change how one works. Check the extension’s store listing for notes from the developer, and make sure Chrome itself is current with how to update Chrome. Our guide to updating extensions shows how to check versions.
For developers: see the error
If you are building the extension, turn on Developer mode. When the extension hits an error, an Errors button appears on its card. Google’s extension tutorial shows how to use it.