Tech Reference

How to stop pop-ups in Google Chrome by turning on the browser's built-in blocker

Written by Steven John
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It's easy to stop pop-ups in Google Chrome. Shutterstock
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When it comes to the pleasures in life, online pop-ups rank somewhere between papercuts and dead phone batteries. 

The good news is that if you use Google Chrome as your web browser, you can block pop-ups automatically with just a few clicks.

And in fact, you might not even have to click anything at all: Chrome blocks popups by default. If you're seeing them, at some point that setting got changed, and it's time to set things right again.

Note, however, that pop-ups are different from ads. Pop-ups are new windows that appear while you're browsing and block your screen, while ads are just pictures or banners that appear on most sites.

Google Chrome has a built-in pop-up blocker, but not an adblocker. Here's how to turn the pop-up blocker on, whether you're using Chrome for your Mac or PC.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

MacBook Pro (From $1,299.99 at Best Buy)

Lenovo IdeaPad 130 (From $299.99 at Best Buy)

How to stop Google Chrome pop-ups

1. Launch the Chrome browser on your Mac or PC. Click on the three vertical dots at the top-right, then select "Settings" from the dropdown menu.

2. Scroll down and click on "Advanced" to show more options, and then scroll down a bit more to "Site Settings." It's in the "Privacy and security" section.

how to block chrome pop ups 1
You'll need to open the "Advanced" settings to find this.  William Antonelli/Business Insider

3. Click "Pop-ups and redirects."

4. Toggle the switch beside "Blocked," and make sure its white circle is on the left. Next to it should read "Blocked (recommended)."

5. If you want, you can also add specific exceptions here. Sites in the "Allow" section will show pop-ups even while they're blocked elsewhere. 

If you've decided to turn off the pop-up blocker, putting sites into the "Block" section will stop their pop-ups even while they're allowed elsewhere.

how to block chrome pop ups 2
If you still get pop-ups after blocking them, make sure the site isn't specifically set as allowed.  William Antonelli/Business Insider

 

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Steven John
Steven John has been a freelance writer for more than a dozen years and has been a regular contributor to Business Insider since 2017. His work includes a focus on the tech world, covering companies including Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Google, and others. He also reviews restaurants, shares how-to cooking articles, and writes general interest pieces.Steven also writes for publications including Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, Forbes, and more. In the past, he also wrote for New York Magazine, Mashed, U.S. News & World Report and other outlets. He runs his own outdoor lifestyle site, Dad Gear Review, and co-hosts the Fact Trekkers podcast with his son. He has had two novels published, Three A.M. and Outrider. He graduated from Emerson College with a degree in communications focused on filmmaking.He is an avid outdoorsman and can be frequently found in a kayak or on a mountain trail, often with his family along for the adventure.Expertise:Tech industryTech hardwareOutdoorsCookingRestaurantsDIYPopular articles:Microsoft: A history of the software giant co-founded by Bill Gates, its products and services, jobs, layoffs, and moreYouTube is a major entertainment force. Here's the platform's history, plus how to create a channel and upload videos.Inside the life and career of Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, billionaire, and philanthropistTim Cook net worth: How the Apple leader earns and spends his moneyBecoming an Amazon seller is a simple process. Here's what's involved, plus how you make money and get paid.