Firefox: the ultimate last major browser to support uBlock Origin (2026) | newssparx

The uBlock Origin extension is currently only supported by Firefox, the only major browser. Concerns over the availability of extensions and privacy features have been raised by other browsers that have phased down support. In a recent Bluesky article, Firefox declared, "Our support for uBlock Origin isn't going anywhere." The announcement that uBlock Origin and other ad-blocking extensions based on Manifest V2 architecture would soon be blocked by Microsoft Edge is the reason for this moment.

Major browsers have changed their extension regulations during the last few years. Some extensions, including uBlock Origin, are no longer supported by Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge due to their switch to a more restrictive extension API. In an effort to increase security, Apple Safari has also restricted extension support, hence eliminating compatibility for numerous well-known ad-blockers. Due to Mozilla Firefox's continued wider support for legacy extensions, uBlock Origin is still operational.

The Manifest V3 extension system, which Chrome and Microsoft Edge have adopted, restricts the ability of ad blocks like uBlock Origin to examine and block content. Firefox has maintained the fundamental feature that enables uBlock Origin to function at its best, but it has not made the same significant adjustment. Despite sharing the Chromium engine with Chrome, Brave has managed to maintain its complete ad blocking capabilities. The only major non-Chromium browser that currently offers the full, original uBlock Origin extension is Firefox.

These days, using ad blockers is more than just avoiding obtrusive banner ads. A true security layer is provided by full-strength content blocks. They prevent malware redirects, drive-by download attempts, and monitoring scripts that enter via ad networks, which security researchers have identified as a serious concern when protection is compromised on a large scale. The impact is significant when a browser used by most internet users worldwide loses that security. Every day, millions of users rely on uBlock Origin, one of the most popular browser extensions worldwide. For the majority of those individuals, it goes beyond simply avoiding obtrusive pop-up advertisements and automatically playing video banners. It concerns privacy. The invisible trackers that follow you from website to website and covertly compile a profile of your clicks, searches, and purchases often without your knowledge are blocked by uBlock Origin. This extension is one of the few effective ways that many users can protect themselves from this kind of ongoing background monitoring.

For this reason, Firefox's choice to maintain full uBlock Origin support is so significant. Firefox declined to adopt a more stringent extension structure that restricts what ad blocks can do, in contrast to Chrome and Microsoft Edge. It reserved the kind of dynamic, per-site control that initially made the extension so successful, as well as the deeper technical capabilities that enables uBlock Origin to operate at full strength, infinite filter lists, and real-time blocking. Users of Chrome and Edge, on the other hand, are currently being pushed toward a reduced version that just isn't as capable as the original.

This provides Firefox with a real edge rather than merely a talking point for marketing. With complete ad and tracker blocking, Firefox stands out in a browser market where nearly all of the major options have the same core Chromium engine and constraints. That distinction is turning becoming one of the most obvious and tangible justifications for people who are concerned about their privacy to choose a different browser.