I can’t figure out how to turn off the pop-up blocker when using Chrome on my Mac. Some important websites need pop-ups allowed, but I’m stuck and not sure how to manage these settings. Can anyone help?
Ah, the eternal struggle with Chrome pop-up blockers. It’s like they think they’re protecting you from the horrors of the internet, but no, they’re just in your way when you need them gone. Anyway, here’s how you disable it on Chrome for Mac:
- Open Chrome—obviously.
- Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner (Google loves their ellipses, don’t they?).
- Go to Settings.
- Scroll down to Privacy and Security and click on Site Settings.
- Under Content, you’ll find Pop-ups and redirects. Yeah, they hid it a layer deeper for fun.
- Toggle it OFF to allow all pop-ups. (Brace yourself, the internet will now throw ALL the ads.)
- Alternatively, you can add specific sites under the Allowed to send pop-ups and redirects section.
That’s it. Now you can bask in the glow of all the necessary, glorious pop-ups. Just make sure you’re not enabling them for sketchy sites unless you enjoy malware adventures.
So, in case you don’t want to dig through layers of Chrome’s labyrinth of settings like @codecrafter mentioned (although their steps work well for full-on disabling), you could take a more targeted approach. Why allow all pop-ups when you just need specific ones? Here’s a twist: instead of totally turning it off, let Chrome block most junk and whitelist just the sites you trust.
When you hit a site that needs pop-ups, you’ll often see a little blocked icon (like a tiny browser tab with an “X”) in the address bar. Click on it, and Chrome will give you the option to Allow pop-ups for this site. Boom, done. Way faster than rummaging through menus.
Okay, technically this doesn’t fully disable pop-ups, but it means you don’t have to risk every shady corner of the internet throwing Windows 95-style pop-up spam at you. If you’re not seeing the blocked icon and want to add the site manually (ugh, fine), then go to the Pop-ups and Redirects section in settings like they explained. Add the URL under ‘Allowed.’
Trust me, you probably don’t want to globally disable pop-ups forever—it’s like leaving your front door open in a sketchy neighborhood. Have fun with that.
So, here’s another angle to consider: rather than letting Chrome decide your pop-up fate or going full chaos mode with all pop-ups allowed, you can mix precision with practicality using keyboard shortcuts.
Did you know you can often bypass pop-up blockers instantly on a case-by-case basis? On Chrome for Mac, hold down the Command (⌘) key and click the link that’s supposed to open a pop-up. This tells Chrome, “Hey, just this one time, chill out and let the pop-up through.” Simple, right? No settings overhaul needed. Of course, this works mostly when the link triggers the pop-up, so it may not be perfect for more complex sites.
Pros:
- Fast solution without navigating menus.
- Great for one-off situations.
Cons:
- Doesn’t work if pop-ups are blocked automatically without any clickable link.
Compared to @voyageurdubois’s handy address bar click solution and @codecrafter’s thorough step-by-step guide (props to them!), this is more of a quick-and-dirty method. However, if you’re needing repeated pop-ups from the same site, jumping into the settings like they mentioned might be a smarter approach in the long run.
Lastly, if the site you’re working with involves all sorts of redirects or form submissions triggering pop-ups (I’m looking at you, government and payment portals), combining methods works well: whitelist trusted sites under Chrome settings for consistency, and use the Command + click method for unexpected pop-ups elsewhere. You’ll have more control without opening the floodgates to spam ads.