Easy Steps to Use Blocked Chrome Extensions

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Easily install and use blocked extensions in your web browser

Written by Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: March 29, 2025 Fact Checked

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Why Organizations Block Extensions

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Adding Blocked Extensions

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Q&A

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Warnings

Extensions are great, and many of them exist on the internet, available to you. Unfortunately, due to the new Google Chrome update, third-party extensions or ones that have not been added to the Chrome Web Store yet are blocked automatically for security reasons. In this tutorial, you will learn how to install a blocked Google Chrome extension without problems. Be careful, though, since extensions blocked by Google Chrome are most likely blocked due to security concerns.

Quick Steps

Download the .crx file of the extension you want to add to Chrome.
Go to the extension manager page on Chrome.
Enable "Developer mode."
Click Load unpacked.
Double-click the .crx file and confirm adding it to Chrome.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Why Organizations Block Extensions

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Organizations and Google may block extensions for safety reasons. If an extension requires too many permissions or if you use Google Chrome for work purposes, it may be considered a liability for data leaks, which, of course, companies and organizations want to avoid.
- Even if you aren't part of an organization that manages your computer or domain, some Reddit users found that disabling your adblockers helps.^{[1]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Adding Blocked Extensions

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Download the extension you want to add. Click Download or Install to start the downloading process.
- To get the .crx file of a Chrome extension, you can download it from a source like GitHub; just be wary of downloading files from unknown sources as they can introduce malware to your computer.
Open the browser, click the puzzle-piece icon to the right of the address bar, and select Manage extensions.
The switch should be colored and on the right side.
This will open your file manager so you can browse for the .crx file.
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Double-click the crx file to open it and confirm. Chrome will want to make sure that you're trying to add this blocked extension on purpose by asking you to confirm. After you confirm, the extension will be added to Chrome!
- Go to a new tab and return to the extensions manager page to see if the blocked extension is working.
- If an administrator blocks the extension, you won't be able to get around their block unless you sign into an administrator account. You can also ask them or the IT department to remove the block.^{[2]
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- Some other extensions, like ad-blockers, might prevent you from downloading more extensions! Turn off your ad-blocker to see if the other extension is downloadable.

Community Q&A

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Question

Can I do this on a Chromebook?

Sherman Tan

Community Answer

You can probably do this on a Chromebook, but you should check to see if your Chromebook is managed by an administrator. If it is, it might not work. You should probably be in a new incognito tab if you are trying to do this.

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Question

I followed all the steps and I dragged to get it installed, but it did not work! It says it was blocked. What do I do?

Aasim

Top Answerer

You should take into account that many extensions that are downloaded require an administrator username and password. If an extension is blocked, and you are an administrator, then Windows SmartScreen thinks it is malware. Just ignore the warning and click on "Run anyway."

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Thank you for your feedback.
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