Google will soon let you know why your favourite Chrome extension disappeared

Google Chrome, the popular web browser used by millions worldwide, will soon notify users whenever an extension they use disappears. The tech giant is adding a new feature to its web browser that will notify users why extensions installed from the Chrome Web Store were removed all of a sudden.

The company says these notifications are currently limited to when a developer unpublished an extension you use or if it’s flagged as malware or found to violate the Chrome Web Store policy. However, users will not be notified if Google reaches out to the developer and asks them to fix the issue. As for extensions laced with malware, Google already has a policy where extensions are automatically disabled if they are found to contain malicious code.

You can either continue using these extensions or choose to remove them. (Image Source: Google)

According to a recent blog post by Google, the upcoming version of Chrome (v117) will bring a new ‘Safety Check’ feature where users will be able to see if any of the installed extensions pose a security threat.

Found under the ‘Privacy and Security’ tab on Chrome’s ‘Settings’ page, the new feature lets users review the extensions that have been taken down from the store. Clicking on the ‘Review’ button will take you to the browser’s extension page where you can continue using the extension by ignoring the security warning or choose to remove it.