If Chrome will not add an extension, the cause is almost always one of the cases below. Find the one that matches what you see. This page is about getting an extension installed. If it installed but does not work, see fix Chrome extension problems instead.
You are in Incognito or a guest window
Google’s help page Install and manage extensions says: “You can’t add extensions when you browse in Incognito mode or as a guest.” Open a normal Chrome window in your own profile and try again.
You are on a phone or tablet
Chrome on phones does not run Chrome Web Store extensions. On a phone the store offers Add to Desktop instead of Add to Chrome. Tap it, and if you are signed in to Chrome, the extension is installed on your computer the next time you open Chrome there.
Your work or school blocks it
Google’s help warns that if you use a computer through your work or school, “your organization might block some extensions.” To see whether your Chrome is managed, look at the bottom of the three-dot menu for “Managed by your organization”, or open this page (Google’s help: Check if your Chrome browser is managed):
chrome://management
If it says your browser is managed, only your administrator can allow the extension. Ask them, and give them the extension’s ID (how to find an extension ID). If it says managed on your own personal computer and nobody set that up, see our guide to removing browser hijackers.
Chrome warns the extension “isn’t trusted”
If you use Safe Browsing’s Enhanced protection, Chrome shows “This extension is not trusted by Enhanced Safe Browsing” for extensions from developers who have not yet earned trusted status. Google explains that trusted developers follow the Chrome Web Store Developer Program Policies, and that new developers generally take a few months to qualify. You can select Continue to install or Close. The warning is not an error. Install only if you trust the developer.
The extension is no longer in the store
If a link to an extension leads nowhere, or an old favorite cannot be found, it may have been removed. Google’s Manifest V2 support timeline records that on August 31, 2026, all remaining Manifest V2 extensions were removed from the Chrome Web Store, and that existing copies “can no longer receive updates or be reinstalled if removed.” Chrome had already disabled Manifest V2 extensions for all users in July 2025. Look in the store for a current extension that does the same job.
You downloaded a .crx file from a website
On Windows and Mac, Chrome does not install extension files from other websites. Google’s developer guide Distribute your extension says: “Only extensions hosted on and signed by the Chrome Web Store can be directly installed by users”, and that Windows and macOS users can install extensions from outside the store only through enterprise policies. Linux is the exception. Get the extension from its Chrome Web Store listing instead. If you are a developer testing your own code, see how to load an unpacked extension.
A program tried to add it for you
Some Windows and Mac programs install a Chrome extension alongside themselves. Google’s help says that the next time you open Chrome, you select Enable to grant permissions and use the extension, or Remove to delete it.
The store says “Not compatible”
A developer can set the oldest Chrome version their extension supports. Google’s developer documentation says that in older versions of Chrome, the store shows a “Not compatible” message in place of the install button. Update Chrome, relaunch, and try again: how to update Chrome.
Still stuck
- Restart Chrome and try the install again.
- Try another Chrome profile. If the install works there, the problem is limited to your usual profile.