How to Safely Bypass Google Chrome ‘Automatic Extension Updates’ (Freeze a Specific Plugin)

Google Chrome extensions update themselves completely automatically in the background. Usually, this is great for security. However, occasionally an extension developer will release a “new” update that actively removes features you relied on, introduces a terrible new user interface, or starts injecting annoying advertisements into your browser.

If you manage to find an older, clean version of the extension online, installing it won’t help; Chrome will just automatically update it again the next day. To keep the good version, you must forcefully bypass Chrome’s automatic update system for that specific extension.

How to Safely Bypass Chrome Automatic Extension Updates

You must extract the extension folder and load it manually as an “Unpacked” developer tool.

1. First, you must obtain the older .crx file or the raw folder of the extension you want to use. (If you have a .crx file, change the extension to .zip and extract the folder to your desktop).
2. Open the Google Chrome browser.
3. Click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner, select Extensions, and click Manage Extensions.
4. In the top-right corner of the Extensions page, click the toggle switch to turn on Developer mode.
5. Three new buttons will appear at the top-left of the page. Click the one labeled Load unpacked.
6. A file browser window will appear. Navigate to your desktop, select the folder containing the extracted extension files, and click Select Folder.
7. The extension will instantly install and appear in your Chrome toolbar.

Because you loaded the extension manually from a physical folder on your hard drive (rather than installing it from the Chrome Web Store database), the Chrome automatic update daemon has absolutely no idea it exists. Your extension is now permanently frozen in time; it will never update, and the features you love will never be removed.