Block pop-up and redirects in Google Chrome (Explained)

Google Chrome is a versatile browser with many different types of built-in features. One standard feature built into Google Chrome is a feature to block pop-ups and redirects. This feature allows you to have pop-ups and redirects automatically blocked in Google Chrome. Blocking pop-ups and redirects helps protect you from websites that keep opening new pop-ups, thereby trying to redirect the browser to a particular website.

Here is a brief explanation of what exactly pop-ups and redirects are so that you can better understand the function of blocking pop-ups and redirects.

What are pop-ups in Chrome?

Pop-ups in the Chrome browser are small windows or advertisements that suddenly appear above the current browser page. They may contain advertising content, subscription requests, or other calls to action, often without the user’s consent. This type of window is called a pop-up because they often appear without permission and out of nowhere, distracting from what you are reading.

What are redirects in Chrome?

Redirects in the Chrome browser occur when a web page automatically takes the user to another page, which often has nothing to do with the content they initially viewed. Some redirects may be legitimate, but others may be part of malicious programs. It is a way of mainly ad networks or misleading apps to generate Web traffic.

Block pop-ups and redirects in Google Chrome

Now that you have more information about what pop-ups and redirects mean, I will explain how to enable or disable pop-ups and redirects in the browser and how to manage exceptions for a specific website(s).

1. Open the Google Chrome browser.
2. In the top-right corner, click on the menu icon.
3. In the menu, click on ‘settings.’
4. On the left settings, click on ‘privacy and security.’
5. In the privacy and security settings, click on ‘Site settings.’
6. Navigate to the ‘Content’ settings.
7. Click on ‘ Pop-ups and redirects.’

Here you see two options to either enable or disable pop-ups and redirects.

• Sites can send pop-ups and use redirects.
• Don’t allow sites to send pop-ups or use redirects (default).

You can let sites send pop-ups and redirects or don’t allow sites to send pop-ups and redirects, which is the default setting.

If you want to make an exception, for example, you would like to disable pop-ups and redirects but allow one or more specific sites to show pop-ups and/or redirects, here is how you can do so:

1. Choose to enable or disable pop-ups and redirects.
2. Click the ‘Add’ button to add an exception for a website in the ‘not allowed to send pop-ups or redirects’ or the ‘allowed to send pop-ups and redirects’ section.

You can manage the exception(s) if you change your might. You can ‘Block’ the exception, which means it will be moved to the ‘not allowed to send pop-ups and redirects’ section or vice versa.

You can also ‘edit’ the exception URL or ‘remove’ the exception through this menu.

I hope this helped. Thank you for reading!

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