How to Disable Your Ad Blocker

Last Updated: October 25, 2022 Tested

Ad blockers are useful for blocking annoying ads and pop-ups, but they can also block you from accessing certain sites or parts of a site. This wikiHow teaches you how to disable your ad blocker on mobile and desktop browsers.

Things You Should Know

Using Chrome on a computer, go to ⋮ > More Tools > Extensions. Find your blocker. Turn the switch to the off position.
>
.
Using Chrome on an Android, go to ⋮ > Settings > Site Settings. Turn the switches for Pop-ups and redirects and Ads to "on"
.
Using Safari on a computer, go to Safari > Preferences… > Extensions. Uncheck all enabled ad blockers
.
Using Safari on a phone, go to
> Safari. Turn off the switch next to "Block pop-ups" and "Content Blockers"
.

Method 1

Method 1 of 6:

Using Google Chrome on Desktop

1
Open the Chrome web browser. Google Chrome is an icon that resembles a red, green, and yellow wheel with a blue dot in the middle. Click the icon to open Google Chrome. On Chrome, ad blockers function as a browser extension.
2
Click ⋮. It's the icon with three vertical dots in the top-right corner of the browser. This prompts a menu to open.
- If you have an older version of Chrome, this button may display as three horizontal lines.
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3
Click More Tools. It's near the bottom of the menu that appears when you click the icon with three dots and opens a submenu to the left.
4
Click Extensions. This displays a list of plugins and extensions you have on Google Chrome.
5
Find your ad blocker in the list of extensions. Each extension, like Adblock Plus or uBlock Origin, has its own options box on the Extensions page, listed alphabetically.
- If you know its name, you can search for it by pressing Command+F (Mac) or Ctrl+F (Windows) and typing its name into the "Find" bar in the upper-right corner.
6
Click the toggle switch
in the extension box. The enable/disable toggle switch is in the lower-right corner of the box for each extension. If the toggle switch is grey and to the left, the extension is disabled.
- To enable the ad blocker again, navigate back to this menu and click the toggle switch..
- Alternatively, you can click the extension's icon in the top right corner of your browser (there is an area for extension icons to the right of the address bar) and click Pause on this site (for uBlock Origin, press Ctrl and click to disable the ad blocker on a specific site). By disabling your adblocker this way, you'll only be turning it off for the current site you're visiting.

Method 2

Method 2 of 6:

Using Chrome on Android

1
Open Google Chrome
. This app icon resembles a red, green, and yellow orb with a blue dot in the middle. You'll find the Chrome app icon on one of your Home screens, in the app drawer, or by searching.
- Google Chrome has not implemented its ad blocker on the iPhone and iPad. However, you can disable the pop-up blocker.^{[1]
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2
Tap ⋮. It's the icon with three vertical dots in the upper-right corner of Google Chrome and opens a menu.
3
Tap Settings. This option is near the bottom of the Google Chrome menu that appears when you tap the icon with three vertical dots.
4
Tap Site Settings. You'll find this near the bottom of the Settings menu under the header, "Advanced."
5
Tap Pop-ups and redirects. It's near the bottom of the Site Settings menu next to an icon that resembles an arrow pointing to the upper-right corner of a box.
6
Tap the toggle next to "Pop-ups and redirects" to turn it on
. A blue switch indicates that Chrome will allow pop-up ads and redirects on your browser.
7
Tap
. It's the arrow in the upper-left corner of the Chrome browser. This navigates back to the Site Settings menu.
8
Tap Ads. It's the option just below "Pop-ups and redirects". It's next to an icon that resembles a web browser window.
9
Tap the toggle next to "Ads" to turn it on
. This allows ads on your Google Chrome browser.
- To prevent pop-ups and ads, return to these settings in "Pop-ups and redirects" and "Ads" and tap the toggles to turn them off (the switch turns grey).

Method 3

Method 3 of 6:

Using Safari on iPhone and iPad

1
Open the Settings menu
. You'll find this gear icon on one of your Home screens.
- If you can't find the Settings icon, swipe your finger to the right on your phone screen until you reach a search bar, type "Settings" into the search bar, and tap on the result that appears.
2
Tap Safari. It's next to an icon that resembles a blue compass in the Settings menu. Content blockers are controlled through the Safari app, and this is where you'll modify your ad blocker's current settings.
3
Tap the toggle switch
next to "Block pop-ups". A grey switch indicates that the feature is off and it will disable the pop-up blocker for Safari.
- If you want to disable specific ad blockers interacting with Safari, you'll need to turn this switch on (green) to continue. Otherwise, if you want to turn off all your ad blockers, you're done once you turn the switch next to "Block pop-ups" grey.
4
Tap Content Blockers. This displays a list of all content blockers you have installed on your iPhone or iPad, though you won't see this option if the toggle next to "Block pop-ups" is grey or if you don't have any content blockers installed.
5
Tap the toggle switch
next to all enabled pop-up blockers. A grey switch indicates the features are disabled.
- To turn the ad blocker back on, navigate back to this menu and click the toggle switch.

Method 4

Method 4 of 6:

Using Safari on Mac

1
Open Safari. This app icon resembles a blue compass that you'll find in the Dock.
2
Click Safari. This option is in the menu bar at the top of the screen in the upper-left corner next to the Apple logo.
3
Click Preferences…. It's usually the third option in the Safari menu and opens the Preferences window.
4
Click the Extensions tab. It's below the icon that resembles a blue puzzle piece at the top of the Preferences window.
5
Click the checkbox next to all enabled ad blockers to clear them
. All extensions and ad blockers are listed in the panel to the left in the Extensions menu. Click them to remove the checkbox to the left of all ad blocker extensions. If the checkboxes are all clear, you've disabled all ad blockers on Safari.
- To enable the ad blocker again, navigate back to this menu and click the toggle switch.^{[2]
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- Alternatively, you can click the extension's icon to the left of the address bar and click to disable the blocker on this specific site.

Method 5

Method 5 of 6:

Using Microsoft Edge on Windows

1
Open Microsoft Edge. It has an icon that resembles an "e" with a gradient of dark blue to light green. You can turn off your ad blocker by accessing your extension.
2
Click …. It's the icon with three horizontal dots in the upper-right corner and displays a menu.
3
Click Extensions. It's about halfway down the menu next to an icon that resembles a puzzle piece. You're redirected to a page that displays a list of all of the extensions you've installed on Edge.
4
Find your ad blocker in the list. All extensions are listed in alphabetical order in the menu to the right.
5
Click the toggle switch
next to your ad blockers. This disables the extension while you browse. If the toggle switch is grey and to the left, the extension is disabled.
- To turn the blocker back on, navigate to this menu again and click the toggle switch.

Method 6

Method 6 of 6:

Using Mozilla Firefox

1
Open Mozilla Firefox. This app looks like an orange flame or fox surrounding a bluish and purplish orb. To disable your ad blocker, all you have to do is manage your Add-ons.
2
Click ☰. It's the icon with three horizontal lines in the upper-right corner of the window. This displays a menu.
3
Click Add-ons and Themes. This menu option is about halfway down the menu next to an icon that resembles a puzzle piece.
4
Click Extensions. This button is located in the left sidebar of the Add-ons page and will show you a list of all the applications you have installed to be used directly in Firefox.
5
Find your ad blocker in the list of extensions. All enabled extensions (like your ad blocker) are listed below "Enabled" on the Extensions page.
6
Click the toggle switch
next to your ad blockers. This disables the extension while you browse. If the toggle switch is grey and to the left, the extension is disabled.
- To turn the blocker back on, navigate to this menu again and click the toggle switch.

Community Q&A

Question

Can I choose certain sites to "white list" so ads can be seen? I don't want to disable Ad Blocker on all sites.

Community Answer

Yes, just visit the website, click on Ad Blocker in your toolbar, and select "Don't run on this page."
Question

Why would I turn off my ad blocker?

Community Answer

Because, some websites will not work unless your ad blocker is off.
Question

Why would I disable my ad blocker?

Aiden Baker

Community Answer

Some sites may not display content if you have an ad blocker on. You may also want to support a website by allowing ads, which give the site money.