How-to guide
How to Stop Pop-Up Ads and Redirects in Chrome
How-to
How to Stop Pop-Up Ads and Redirects in Chrome
On this page
- The short answer
- Pop-ups, redirects, and notification spam: what's actually attacking your browser?
- How to turn on Chrome's pop-up and redirect blocker
- How to stop sites from spamming pop-up notification requests
- Why do pop-ups and redirects still get through after you block them?
- Dedicated pop-up and redirect blocker extensions for stubborn sites
- How to block pop-ups on Chrome for Android and iPhone
- How to tell if adware, not a website, is causing the pop-ups
- When you actually want to allow a pop-up
- Quick reference: Chrome pop-up and redirect settings
- Frequently asked
The short answer
Turn on Chrome's built-in blocker at chrome://settings/content/popups, which blocks most pop-ups and script redirects by default. For notification spam, remove sites under chrome://settings/content/notifications. Stubborn ad-network redirects and overlay ads need a dedicated extension like Popup & Redirect Blocker, since Chrome's toggle only catches user-untriggered pop-ups.
Pop-ups, redirects, and notification spam: what's actually attacking your browser?
These three annoyances look similar but come from different causes, so a single setting rarely fixes all of them at once. Knowing which one you're dealing with tells you which fix to try first.
| Annoyance | What it looks like | Native Chrome fix |
|---|---|---|
| Pop-up window | A second browser window or tab opens without you clicking a link | Pop-ups and redirects setting, blocked by default |
| Forced redirect | The current tab jumps to a different site on its own, often mid-scroll | Same setting, but only catches script-based redirects, not all ad-network ones |
| Notification spam | A permission prompt asks to send notifications, then floods you with fake alerts once you accidentally allow it | Notifications setting, plus removing sites you already allowed |
These three symptoms overlap enough that people often blame the wrong one — a site that keeps sending fake notification banners isn't a pop-up problem, and a tab that hijacks itself mid-click isn't a notification problem. Fix each with its own setting rather than assuming one toggle covers everything.
How to turn on Chrome's pop-up and redirect blocker
Chrome blocks most pop-ups by default, but the setting can get flipped off by an accidental click on a permission prompt. Confirm it's on with these steps.
- Go to
chrome://settings/content/popups(or Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Pop-ups and redirects). - Confirm the toggle at the top reads Don't allow sites to send pop-ups or use redirects (blocked).
- Scroll to Allowed to send pop-ups and use redirects and remove any site you don't recognize using the three-dot menu next to it.
- Scroll to Blocked to confirm the site bothering you is actually listed; add it manually with Add if it isn't blocking correctly.
- Reload the site that was showing pop-ups to confirm the fix worked.
Blocked pop-up icon in the address bar
When Chrome blocks a pop-up, a small icon with an X appears at the right of the address bar. Click it to see what was blocked and confirm you don't want to allow it — avoid clicking Always allow unless you trust the site.
How to stop sites from spamming pop-up notification requests
Notification spam usually starts because you clicked Allow on a permission prompt without meaning to — the prompt is often disguised as a close button or a captcha checkbox.
- Go to
chrome://settings/content/notifications. - Under Allowed to send notifications, find the site sending spam and click the three-dot menu > Remove.
- Turn on Use quieter messaging near the top so future requests don't interrupt you with a full-screen prompt.
- For sites that keep re-prompting, block them outright by adding the domain under Not allowed to send notifications.
Quieter messaging replaces the interruptive banner with a small bell icon and a slash in the address bar, so a request waits for you to click it instead of popping up over the page — that alone stops most accidental allows before they happen.
Why do pop-ups and redirects still get through after you block them?
Chrome's pop-up blocker mainly stops window.open() calls and script-based tab redirects — it wasn't built to catch every trick an ad network uses.
Some 'pop-ups' are actually full-page overlay elements styled to look like a new window, or fake system dialogs claiming your device is infected — those aren't pop-ups technically, so the blocker setting does nothing for them. Multi-hop redirect chains, where a click anywhere on the page opens several new tabs, come from a rogue ad script layered over the content; Chrome reads the click as user-initiated, so its pop-up blocker allows the resulting tabs to open.
A click anywhere opens a new tab? That's a rogue overlay, not a real pop-up
Sites that hijack every click place an invisible full-page link over the content. Chrome's pop-up blocker won't stop this because it reads the click as intentional; an ad or content blocker extension that strips the overlay script is what actually fixes it.
Dedicated pop-up and redirect blocker extensions for stubborn sites
When Chrome's own setting isn't enough — usually on ad-heavy streaming, download, or forum sites — a dedicated extension gives you the fine-grained blocking Chrome's toggle leaves out.
Pop-up and redirect blockers worth trying
-
Security & Privacy
Blocks pop-ups, redirects, and intrusive ad overlays as one combined filter, which is exactly the gap Chrome's native toggle leaves open. Catch: aggressive filtering can occasionally break a site's own legitimate pop-up, like a payment modal.
-
Security & Privacy
A broader ad and tracker blocker that catches the ad-network redirects Chrome's pop-up setting misses, including on YouTube. Catch: it's a full ad blocker, so some sites will detect it and ask you to whitelist them.
-
Block RedirectsFree
Security & Privacy
Gives you per-site control over redirects specifically, useful if you want ads blocked elsewhere but need one site's redirects allowed. Catch: it doesn't touch pop-up windows, only redirects, so pair it with a pop-up-specific tool if you need both.
-
Redirect BlockerFree
Security & Privacy
Focuses on stopping malicious auto-redirects before the destination page loads, which matters most on file-download or streaming sites known for redirect chains. Catch: narrow scope means it won't help with notification spam or standard ad pop-ups.
-
Security & Privacy
A lightweight option that blocks ads and redirects from specified URLs rather than filtering everything by default. Catch: it needs you to add problem URLs yourself, so it's more manual than a full-list ad blocker.
How to block pop-ups on Chrome for Android and iPhone
Mobile Chrome blocks pop-ups by default too, and the setting lives in a similar place on both platforms, though Chrome for iOS runs on Apple's underlying engine rather than Chrome's own.
- Android: Open the three-dot menu > Settings > Site settings > Pop-ups and redirects, and confirm it's toggled off (blocked).
- Android notifications: Under Site settings > Notifications, remove any site you allowed by accident the same way as on desktop.
- iOS (iPhone/iPad): Open Chrome's three-dot menu > Settings > Content Settings > Block Pop-ups, and make sure it's switched on.
- iOS limitation: Chrome for iOS doesn't support extensions at all, so a dedicated redirect-blocker extension isn't an option on iPhone — that's a desktop-only fix.
How to tell if adware, not a website, is causing the pop-ups
If pop-ups appear on sites that never used to show them — including your bank or search results — the source is usually software on your device, not the site itself.
- Open
chrome://extensionsand check for anything you don't remember installing, especially anything added right before the pop-ups started. - Remove suspicious extensions, then fully restart Chrome, not just close the window.
- On Windows, check Settings > Apps for unfamiliar recently-installed programs — a common source of injected ad pop-ups.
- Run
chrome://settings/resetto reset all site permissions, remove all extensions, and restore default settings in one step if the problem persists. - Confirm Safe Browsing is set to Enhanced protection at
chrome://settings/securityfor a warning next time you land on a known malicious redirect page.
When you actually want to allow a pop-up
Not every pop-up is malicious — banking sites, PDF downloads, and print dialogs often rely on a legitimate pop-up window, and blocking everything can break them.
Common legitimate uses include two-factor authentication windows, payment gateways during checkout, file downloads that open in a new window, and screen-share or print previews. If a site you trust stops working after you tighten pop-up settings, allow that one domain rather than turning off the blocker everywhere. See the full walkthrough in How to Allow Pop-ups in Chrome if a specific trusted site needs pop-ups enabled.
Allow one site, not everything
Add the exact domain to Allowed to send pop-ups and use redirects rather than disabling the blocker toggle entirely — that keeps every other site protected.
Quick reference: Chrome pop-up and redirect settings
Here's where each setting lives, so you don't have to hunt for it again next time.
- Pop-ups and redirects
chrome://settings/content/popups— blocks new windows, tabs, and script redirects; blocked by default.- Notifications
chrome://settings/content/notifications— controls which sites can send alert banners; remove sites you didn't mean to allow.- Safe Browsing / Enhanced protection
chrome://settings/security— warns before you land on known malicious or redirect-heavy pages.- Reset settings
chrome://settings/reset— clears all site permissions and extensions in one step if hijacking persists.
For a related fix, see how to block a distracting site outright instead of just its pop-ups, and check the ad blocker use case hub for more options beyond the ones listed here. If YouTube specifically is the source of your pop-ups, How to Block Ads on YouTube in Chrome covers that separately.
Extensions mentioned in this guide
- Popup & Redirect BlockerBlocks unwanted pop-ups, redirects and intrusive ads for cleaner browsing.
- AdGuard AdBlockerBlocks ads, pop-ups, and trackers on YouTube, Facebook, and beyond
- Block RedirectsStops unwanted automatic redirects with per-site redirect control.
- Redirect BlockerStops malicious and annoying auto-redirects before they hijack your browsing.
- AdBlock & RedirectBlocks ads and redirects from specified URLs in one lightweight tool.
Frequently asked
How do I block pop-up ads in Chrome?
Go to chrome://settings/content/popups and confirm it's set to Don't allow sites to send pop-ups or use redirects — Chrome blocks most pop-ups this way by default.
Why do pop-ups still appear even though I have the blocker turned on?
Chrome's blocker only catches script-based pop-ups and simple redirects; overlay ads styled to look like new windows, or redirects triggered by an actual click, get through because Chrome treats them as user-initiated.
How do I stop annoying notification pop-ups from websites?
Go to chrome://settings/content/notifications, remove sites under Allowed to send notifications, and turn on quieter messaging so future requests don't show a full-screen prompt.
What's the difference between a pop-up blocker and an ad blocker?
A pop-up blocker only stops new windows and tabs from opening automatically, while an ad blocker strips the ad scripts and overlay elements that cause the redirects and fake pop-ups a pop-up blocker can't catch.
Why does my browser keep redirecting to random websites?
This is usually caused by a rogue ad script on the page or, if it happens across every site, by an unwanted extension or adware program — check chrome://extensions and your installed programs first.
Can an extension cause pop-ups instead of blocking them?
Yes — a malicious or ad-injecting extension can trigger the exact pop-ups and redirects you're trying to block, which is why reviewing chrome://extensions is a standard troubleshooting step.
How do I block pop-ups on Chrome for Android?
Open the three-dot menu, go to Settings > Site settings > Pop-ups and redirects, and make sure the toggle is off, which blocks them by default.
Does Chrome for iPhone have a pop-up blocker?
Yes — go to Chrome's Settings > Content Settings > Block Pop-ups on iOS; the setting is separate from Android and desktop because iOS Chrome runs on Apple's underlying browser engine.
How do I reset all my pop-up and site permission settings in Chrome?
Go to chrome://settings/reset and choose Restore settings to their original defaults, which clears every site's pop-up, notification, and redirect permissions and disables extensions.
Why did allowing one pop-up suddenly let a site show ads on every page?
Adding a site to Allowed to send pop-ups and use redirects applies to that entire domain, not a single page, so it can use that permission across its whole network of pages.
Should I use Enhanced protection in Chrome to stop malicious redirects?
Turning on Enhanced protection under chrome://settings/security warns you before you land on known malicious or redirect-heavy sites, which catches threats a standard pop-up block doesn't.
Is it safe to allow pop-ups for my bank's website?
Yes, if you trust the site — add its exact domain to Chrome's allowed list rather than turning off the pop-up blocker globally, since banks and payment processors often rely on a pop-up window for secure logins or checkouts.