Google Chrome will full its transition to its Manifest V3 extension specification in 2024, the corporate just lately introduced by way of a weblog submit. The change to Chrome’s Manifest V3 from the earlier model is predicted to severely restrict the performance of extensions on the world’s most generally used net browser — together with a number of common advert blockers. Google’s adjustments are anticipated to have an effect on a number of different browsers that additionally depend on the Chromium engine, whereas Firefox and Safari are unlikely to be affected.
The search big just lately revealed a weblog submit with an up to date timeline for transitioning to Manifest V3 for Google Chrome. Google’s updates to the specification will change how advert blocking extensions work together with the browser whereas additionally including limitations on how a lot entry they must the browser and the way they operate on a consumer’s laptop — a few of these adjustments have been made to enhance consumer safety, based on Google.
The corporate was anticipated to drop assist for Manifest V2 and full the transition course of final yr, however confronted intense pushback from privateness teams, builders, and customers who depend on extensions that might be hindered by the transfer. Extra just lately, YouTube started a worldwide crackdown on advert blockers that stops customers with advert blockers from viewing movies on the platform, whereas elevating the worth of its ad-free YouTube Premium subscription in seven nations.
Google says it has made some adjustments to Manifest V3 that accommodate a number of the adjustments requested by teams which can be against the upcoming adjustments to the extension specification that might have an effect on advert blockers. These embody scaling again restrictions on the Declarative Web Request API and bettering assist for content material filtering — performance provided by advert blockers.
As per Google’s up to date timeline, extensions that assist Manifest V2 might be disabled on three Chrome channels in June 2024 — Canary, Dev, and Beta. These adjustments might be launched with Chrome 127 and later. Customers will not be capable to set up older Manifest V2 extensions (these will lose their Featured badge) and current ones might be disabled on the browser, based on the search big.
There is not any concrete timeline on when these adjustments will arrive on the steady replace channel, the place it is going to have an effect on the biggest variety of Chrome customers. Google says it expects the method of observing and stabilising the adjustments to take “not less than a month”. In the meantime, Google has urged extension builders to finish the method of migration to Manifest V3 earlier than June 2024.
