By Jeff Carney Owner & Lead IT Specialist at DarkHorse IT

For many years, Google Chrome was the king of web browsers—and for good reason. After Internet Explorer crushed the once-popular Netscape Navigator, Chrome arrived as a breath of fresh air: faster, cleaner, and better. Millions of us switched over, and for a long time, it was clearly the best option.
But times change. Today, I’m moving away from Chrome, and it really boils down to one major reason: uBlock Origin.
uBlock Origin is a free browser extension that everyone should be using. It protects you while you browse the internet by blocking scam pop-ups, dangerous scripts, unwanted ads, and tracking tools that follow you from website to website. It even stops those fake “virus warnings” that tell you to call a phone number—those scams vanish completely when you have uBlock Origin installed. Best of all, it’s simple to use: once you install it, it starts working right away with no complicated setup.
Unfortunately, Google recently made the decision to limit how browser extensions like uBlock Origin can work. As a result, uBlock Origin will no longer function properly on Chrome. That alone is enough reason for me to switch.
Luckily, there are better options. Firefox is my personal favorite—it’s fast, free, and fully supports uBlock Origin. Even Microsoft Edge (which is based on the same technology as Chrome) still allows uBlock Origin to work as it should. There are other browsers too, like Brave or Vivaldi, that support it.
You don’t need to be a computer expert to make the switch, either. Just install Firefox or Edge, search for “uBlock Origin browser extension,” and add it to your new browser. In minutes, you’ll have a faster, safer, and much more pleasant internet experience.
In today’s world, where online scams and pop-ups seem to be getting worse by the day, protecting yourself is more important than ever. Moving away from Chrome might sound like a hassle, but it’s one of the easiest ways to keep your browsing safe—and much less annoying.
If you’ve never tried a new browser before, now’s the perfect time. Your future self will thank you!