Top 7 Ways to Fix Google Chrome Failed to Load Extension

Extensions play an important role in the Chrome ecosystem. This is one of the main reasons for the browser’s growing popularity over the years. The whole experience is not as transparent as it seems. Sometimes you may see that Google Chrome fails to load extensions unexpectedly. This interrupts the workflow and forces you to look for alternatives to get things done.

We recently encountered such an error where the password manager extension failed to load properly. So we switched to the native password manager app to see website login information.

If you are having issues with extensions on Google Chrome, follow the tips below to resolve it.

1. Restart Google Chrome

This is one of the basic steps to fix the extension loading issue on Google Chrome. Close the Chrome browser. Use Task Manager on Windows or Activity Monitor on macOS to make sure that no Chrome processes are running in the background.

Open the Google Chrome browser again and check if the extensions are working as expected.

2. Update the extension

The developers continue to release updates to the Chrome extension with new features and bug fixes.

Normally, extensions update automatically whenever a new version is available. You can also manually access the Chrome Web Store and update extensions from the My Extensions & Apps menu.

3. Reinstall the extension

If the current issue is with a specific extension, consider removing it from Chrome and installing it again. Here is how to do it.

Step 1: Open the Google Chrome browser.

2nd step: Click on the Extensions menu in the menu bar.

Step 3: Select the three-dot menu next to the problematic extension.

Step 4: Click Remove from Chrome in the next menu.

Now go back to the Chrome Web Store and reinstall the same extension.

4. Clear Google Chrome cache

Bad cache can ruin your workflow in Google Chrome. Each browser collects cache data in the background to speed up the loading process. You can clear cache and data in Chrome browser and try loading extensions again. Follow the steps below.

Step 1: Open the Google Chrome browser.

2nd step: Tap the three-dot menu and select Settings.

Step 3: Look for Cache in the search bar.

Step 4: Select Clear browsing data in the suggestions.

Step 5: Select the data you want to delete and tap Clear data at the bottom.

5. Run Google Chrome Malware Scanner

Do you know that Google Chrome comes with built-in malware scanner to remove malicious and harmful files? We can use the option to remove all browser bugs and start using extensions again. Here’s how to run the Google Chrome malware scanner.

Step 1: Open the Google Chrome browser.

2nd step: Tap the three-dot menu and select Settings.

Step 3: Scroll down and click on Advanced to open all settings.

Step 4: Scroll down to the Reset and clean section and click Clean up computer.

This will open a window where you can launch the Chrome malware scan. Simply select the Search button to start the scan. After a successful scan, try loading the extension to see if it works as expected or not.

6. Reset all Chrome settings

Resetting Chrome’s settings can help, as there are times when changing the wrong settings could potentially cause issues with extensions, especially when playing with beta features.

Step 1: Launch Chrome and open Settings.

2nd step: Scroll down and click on Advanced to open all settings.

Step 3: Scroll down to the Reset and clean section and click on Restore settings to their original defaults.

This will open a window with a warning that it will reset all of Chrome’s settings. Just select Reset Settings to continue.

7. Update Google Chrome

The developers behind Google Chrome release regular browser updates with new features and bug fixes. You need to keep Google Chrome up to date to fix annoying issues and security holes.

Step 1: Open Google Chrome and go to Settings.

2nd step: Go to the About Chrome menu and update the browser to the latest version available.

Restart the browser and try your luck with the Chrome extensions again.

Improve the Chrome experience with extensions

The developers behind an extension may have abandoned the project. Obsolete extensions can create incompatibilities with the latest versions of Google Chrome. You have no choice but to search for this specific Chrome extension alternative in the Chrome Web Store in such cases.

Which tip from the list helped you fix extensions not loading properly in Google Chrome? Share your experience in the comments section below.