Unwanted pop-ups were once one of the most annoying aspects of browsing the web, with ads and other pop-ups frequently littering the screen.
These days, most browsers have built-in pop-up blocking features that have made this a problem of the past. In fact, now it's more likely you'll need to disable your pop-up blocker for various reasons.
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Advantages of pop-up blockers
Pop-up blockers automatically prevent small pop-up windows from interfering with your web browsing.
In general, most pop-ups are a nuisance – they are usually advertisem*nts and can even be malware, and most people would prefer not to see them.
As a general rule, you should leave your browser's pop-up blocker turned on to avoid getting these pop-ups.
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Disadvantages of pop-up blockers
Some websites use pop-ups as an essential part of site navigation. A pop-up might be part of the login process, help you sign up for a newsletter, or enable a custom feature on the site.
Some sites simply might not work properly without being able to open a pop-up. In this situation, you need to allow pop-ups for that site or disable pop-ups for it to work.
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How to turn pop-ups on or off in Google Chrome
1. In Chrome, click the three-dot menu at the top right of the screen and click "Settings."
2. On the left side of the page, click "Privacy and security."
3. In the "Privacy and Security" section of the page, click "Site settings."
4. Scroll down to the "Content" section and click "Pop-ups and redirects." Here you can turn pop-ups on and off and add exceptions to the list of sites that are allowed or not allowed to use pop-ups.
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How to turn pop-ups on or off in Firefox
1. In Firefox, click the three lines at the top right of the screen and then click "Options."
2. On the left side of the page, click "Privacy and Security."
3. Scroll down to the "Permissions" section. You should see the option to "Block pop-up windows." You can enable or disable it with a checkmark, and use the "Exceptions" button to control which sites are allowed to show pop-ups.
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How to turn pop-ups on or off in Microsoft Edge
1. In Edge, click the three-dot menu and then click "Settings."
2. On the left side of the page, click "Site permissions."
3. In the main part of the page, click "Pop-ups and redirects." Here you can enable or disable pop-ups and specify exceptions to allow pop-ups on certain pages.
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Related coverage fromTech Reference:
How to stop pop-ups on a Windows 10 computer, both from the internet and your system
How to block pop-ups on your iPad in Safari, for a smoother web-browsing experience
How to stop pop-ups from appearing on your iPhone's Safari browser
How to block pop-ups on a Mac computer's Safari browser, and avoid fraudulent websites
How to allow pop-ups on a Mac computer while using a Safari browser
Dave Johnson
Freelance Writer
Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.
