Google Chrome’s Ad-Blocking Update Is Coming—Here’s How It Works

Google will launch its own ad blocker for its Chrome web browser, which will officially roll out on Thursday, Feb. 15. According to Tech Radar, the multinational technology company is attempting to kill what it calls “intrusive” advertisements.

When the feature goes live, the Chrome browser will aim to block any ads that don’t follow the “Better Ads Standards,” which have been aligned with consumer research. But not all ads will be obstructed: useful ads, such as those where websites make their money, will remain.

On desktop PCs, pop-ups, video ads with autoplay sound, and “prestitial” ads—ads that are displayed to visitors before the home page is even opened, such as a countdown—will be blocked. On mobile devices, Google will be a bit more rigid and kill the aforementioned ads, as well as animated, flashing ads, full-screen scroll over ads, and what Google calls “dense” advertisements, which compromise 30 percent of the vertical height of a site page.

Chrome will let you know if it blocks advertisements, and will give you the choice to disable the ad-killer and permit ads to show on a site.

Whether it's a culturally-relevant Google Doodle or a new app that turns your face into an emoji, Google knows what its audience wants. In January, the company upgraded its “Google Arts and Culture” app, which initially launched in 2016. The app's newest feature is a face-matching tool that allows you to find your famous museum doppelgänger.