How to Use a Redirect Blocker in Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari

You click something on a page — or sometimes don’t click anything at all — and suddenly you’re on a gambling site, a fake virus alert, or an app store page you never wanted. What you need is a redirect blocker, and browser settings alone often aren’t enough to handle what modern redirect scripts actually do.

This guide covers how to activate redirect blocking in every major browser, what happened to redirect blocker extensions after Chrome’s Manifest V3 migration, and when you need something that operates outside the browser entirely.

What’s Actually Causing the Redirects

The fix depends on the type of redirect you’re dealing with. There are three technically distinct kinds, and they behave very differently.

Server-side redirects (301/302). The server sends your browser to a different URL before the page even loads. These are mostly legitimate — site migrations, URL shorteners, affiliate tracking links. A redirect blocker at the network level can catch these; a browser extension generally can’t intercept them fast enough.

Client-side redirects (meta refresh, JavaScript). The page loads, then a script fires and sends you somewhere else. This is how most aggressive redirect scripts work — via JavaScript click listeners, touch event handlers, or meta-refresh tags. Browser built-in settings catch almost none of these.

Extension or adware injection. A browser extension or installed software intercepts your navigation globally — not per-site. If redirects follow you across every site you visit, this is usually the cause.

The fixes below address all three, starting with the easiest.

Redirect Blocker Extensions for Chrome — What Manifest V3 Changed

If you’ve been searching for a redirect blocker extension for Chrome, here’s context that will save you time.

Until 2023, browser extensions could intercept and cancel network requests in real time using Chrome’s webRequest API. That’s how redirect blockers worked: the extension saw the redirect request before it loaded and killed it. Fast and effective.

Manifest V3 replaced that with declarativeNetRequest — a system where extensions declare static filter rules in advance instead of intercepting requests dynamically. Extensions can no longer stop redirect scripts that trigger through JavaScript, inline event handlers, or click listeners, because those run inside the page — not as separate network requests an extension can intercept. Most redirect blocker extensions for Chrome now catch some redirects but miss the ones that are most disruptive in practice.

This isn’t a flaw in any specific extension — it’s a structural limit of what Chrome now allows extensions to do. Every Chromium-based browser, including Edge, has the same constraint. Firefox still uses the older API model, which is part of why it handles redirects better natively — and why redirect blocker extensions on Firefox remain more effective than their Chrome counterparts.

The tools that still catch JavaScript-based redirects reliably are ad blockers that operate at the network or system level — outside the browser entirely, where Chrome’s extension rules don’t apply.

Chrome’s Built-in Redirect Blocker — and Its Limits

Chrome has decent built-in protection, but it won’t catch modern redirect scripts by default.

Step 1 — Turn on Chrome’s popup and redirect blocker

Go to chrome://settings/content/popups and make sure it says “Don’t allow sites to send pop-ups or use redirects.” If you see sites in the “Allowed” list that you don’t recognize, remove them — that’s a common way redirect-heavy sites whitelist themselves.

Step 2 — Enable Enhanced Safe Browsing

Go to chrome://settings/security and switch Safe Browsing from Standard to Enhanced. Enhanced mode checks URLs against Google’s threat data in near-real-time rather than relying on a cached list — it catches more known redirect destinations, particularly phishing chains, before they load.

Step 3 — Check your extensions

Go to chrome://extensions/ and audit everything installed. If you don’t recognize something or don’t remember installing it — anything with vague names like “App Manager,” “Search Helper,” “New Tab Override” — disable it and see if the redirects stop. Re-enable extensions one by one to find the culprit.

Step 4 — Scan for malware (Windows and Mac)

Chrome’s built-in cleanup tool was removed in 2023. Run Malwarebytes instead — the free version works fine. It’s specifically good at catching browser-hijacking software that standard antivirus often misses.

Step 5 — Reset Chrome if nothing else works

Settings → Reset and clean up → Restore settings to their original defaults. This doesn’t delete bookmarks or passwords but kills all modified settings — which is often where redirect-causing changes hide.

How to Stop Redirects on Android

Nobody wants to land on a shady page stuffed with ads. But redirects make that happen whether you asked for...

How to Block Redirects in Firefox

Firefox is better than Chrome at blocking trackers out of the box, but redirects from ad scripts still get through on default settings.

Enable Strict Enhanced Tracking Protection

Go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Enhanced Tracking Protection and switch from Standard to Strict. Standard mode blocks known trackers; Strict also blocks tracking scripts inside redirects and the cross-site cookies ad networks use to chain redirects together. The tradeoff: Strict mode occasionally breaks login buttons or embedded content on some sites — if that happens, whitelist that specific site.

Turn on redirect blocking in about:config

Type about:config in the address bar, accept the warning, search for accessibility.blockautorefresh, and set it to true. This stops pages from auto-refreshing or auto-redirecting after a delay — a tactic used by low-quality ad pages to bounce you to a second destination before you can navigate back.

Check your add-ons

Go to about:addons. Same logic as Chrome: anything you don’t recognize or didn’t consciously install should go. Because Firefox still supports the older webRequest API, a malicious Firefox extension can actually do more damage than its Chrome equivalent — it can intercept and modify redirect requests in real time.

How to Stop Redirects in Microsoft Edge

Edge is Chromium-based so the logic is nearly identical to Chrome, but the menu paths are different.

Go to Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Pop-ups and redirects → set to Block. Then check edge://extensions/ for anything suspicious.

Edge also has “Typo Protection” and “Scareware Blocker” under Settings → Privacy, search and services → Security. Turn both on — Scareware Blocker specifically targets the full-screen fake virus warning redirects that have become very common. Edge’s Scareware Blocker uses a locally-run machine learning model rather than a remote blocklist, so it can catch new redirect pages that haven’t been flagged yet.

How to Block Redirects in Safari

On Mac

Safari → Settings → Websites → Pop-up Windows → set to Block for all websites. Also go to Safari → Settings → Extensions and audit everything installed — Safari extensions have the same hijacking potential as Chrome extensions.

One underused setting: Safari → Settings → Advanced → enable “Block all cookies from trackers.” More aggressive than the default, but it cuts off a lot of the cross-site tracking that ad networks use to coordinate redirect chains. For stronger blocking, AdLock for Safari adds content rules on top of what the browser handles natively.

On iPhone and iPad

Settings → Safari → toggle on “Block Pop-ups.” Also enable “Fraudulent Website Warning” if it’s not already on — it catches known redirect destinations before they load.

If redirects happen in apps rather than just Safari, ad SDKs inside apps can trigger those too. AdLock for iOS handles those at the network level — something Safari’s built-in settings can’t reach.

How to Stop Redirects on Android

Android is where redirects are most aggressive — especially on free content sites opened from social media or search. The mobile Chrome settings are more buried than on desktop.

In Chrome for Android: tap the three dots → Settings → Site Settings → Pop-ups and redirects → Block. Also go to Site Settings → Ads and enable blocking for intrusive ads.

These settings only work for sites that use standard popup APIs. Most aggressive redirect scripts bypass them entirely — using touch event listeners and JavaScript tricks that Chrome’s built-in blocker doesn’t catch. That’s the gap where an Android ad blocker operating outside the browser becomes the practical fix.

When a Redirect Blocker Outside the Browser Is the Only Fix

If you’ve done everything above and redirects are still happening, the problem is likely bigger than browser settings can handle.

As covered above, Manifest V3 means Chrome and Edge extensions can no longer intercept JavaScript-based redirect scripts in real time. That’s not a temporary problem — it’s how the extension API works now. Redirect scripts that extensions would have caught a few years ago now get through, and this applies to every extension, including our own Chrome extension.

The standalone AdLock app works at a different level entirely. It filters traffic at the network and JavaScript layer, outside the browser process — so MV3 restrictions don’t apply. It intercepts redirect scripts before the browser executes them and neutralizes JavaScript-based redirect logic running on the page. It works across all browsers and apps on your device without any per-browser setup, which is the key practical difference from any extension.

For a DNS-level layer on top, NextDNS lets you block entire categories of redirect and tracking domains before they even resolve — useful if you want protection at the router level for all devices on a network.

Quick Diagnosis: What Kind of Redirect Do You Have?

If you’re not sure what’s causing it, here’s a fast way to narrow it down.

Open an incognito/private window and visit the same site. If redirects stop in incognito, the problem is almost certainly a browser extension — incognito disables extensions by default. If redirects continue in incognito, the problem is at the network or device level, not extensions.

Try a different browser. If redirects happen in Chrome but not Firefox, the issue is Chrome-specific — likely an extension or a Chrome setting. If they happen in both, it’s deeper: adware or a network-level injection.

You can also open Chrome’s DevTools (F12), go to the Network tab, and reload the page that redirects. Sort by type and look for 301/302 responses — those show you the server-side redirect chain. If you see no network-level redirects but the page still bounces you somewhere, it’s JavaScript doing it, and only a system-level blocker will catch it reliably.

FAQ

Why do websites keep redirecting me even though I didn’t click anything?

Modern redirect scripts trigger on page load, scroll events, or cursor movement — not just clicks. It’s a deliberate tactic used by low-quality ad networks to generate traffic.

Is a browser redirect the same as a virus?

Not always. Most redirects come from aggressive ad scripts on legitimate websites. But some redirects lead to malware downloads or phishing pages, so they’re worth taking seriously even if your device isn’t infected.

How do I stop redirects on Android without installing anything?

Chrome Settings → Site Settings → Pop-ups and redirects → Block. Also enable ad blocking under Site Settings → Ads. This covers basic redirects — but not JavaScript-based ones that bypass Chrome’s settings entirely.

Why did disabling extensions stop the redirects?

Some extensions — especially free VPNs, PDF converters, and shopping helpers — contain code that intercepts your navigation and redirects clicks for affiliate revenue. They’re often installed as part of free software bundles without being obvious about it.

Do redirects slow down my browsing?

Yes. Every redirect is an additional HTTP request, and chained redirects can add hundreds of milliseconds per page load. Blocking them improves browsing speed noticeably.

Will a VPN stop browser redirects?

A VPN encrypts traffic but doesn’t block redirect scripts. You need an ad blocker or DNS filter to stop redirects at the source — they solve different problems.

Chrome says “This site can’t be reached” after I blocked pop-ups — did I break something?

No. Some sites exist only to forward traffic somewhere else. If you blocked that redirect, Chrome shows an error because the navigation failed. You haven’t broken anything.

Do redirect blocker extensions still work in Chrome after Manifest V3?

Partially. Extensions can still block redirects that happen via network requests matching a known filter list. But JavaScript-based redirects that run inside the page — the most common kind now — can no longer be intercepted by Chrome extensions under MV3. For those, you need a system-level blocker that operates outside the browser.

What’s the difference between a redirect blocker and an ad blocker?

Most redirects come from ad network scripts, so a good ad blocker also functions as a redirect blocker. The difference is scope: purpose-built redirect tools focus on stopping navigation hijacks, while a full ad blocker additionally removes display ads, tracking pixels, and other ad-related content. In practice, a system-level ad blocker covers both.