The Cleanest Chromium Browsers That Still Run uBlock Origin: Desktop and Android

Google completed the migration of Chromium’s extension platform to Manifest V3 in late 2024 and permanently disabled all remaining Manifest V2 extensions on July 24, 2025 (Chrome 138); Chrome 151, shipped in July 2026, went one step further and removed the last MV2 code paths from the browser altogether. Its biggest victim is undoubtedly uBlock Origin: the full version no longer runs on stable Chrome. Curiously, the store listing is still live, but per Google’s own timeline all remaining MV2 extensions will also be purged from the Chrome Web Store on August 31, 2026. What gets left behind, uBlock Origin Lite, is hardly a proper replacement due to its rule limits, missing dynamic filtering, and cosmetic filtering/scriptlet support that ships disabled by default. Microsoft Edge is walking the same path, while Brave keeps shipping official workarounds to keep MV2 alive.

So what do you do if you love the Chromium foundation but still want full-strength uBlock Origin? The answer is simple: turn to the forks and patchsets that keep MV2 breathing. Meet Helium on desktop, along with Titanium and Bare Browser on Android.

🚫 Why Full uBlock Origin?

A quick recap of why Manifest V3 crippled content blockers:

• The declarativeNetRequest limit: Instead of the webRequest API, which is the heart of uBlock Origin, a declarative API with strict rule limits became mandatory.
• No dynamic filtering: The ability to dynamically block or allow requests per site, type, or list is gone.
• Scriptlets and cosmetic filtering restricted: The tools needed to defeat anti-adblock measures on sites like YouTube and to repair broken page layouts ship disabled by default.

For the full version of uBlock Origin to retain all these capabilities, the browser has to support Manifest V2 extensions. All the browsers below do exactly that.

🖥️ Desktop: Helium

Meet Helium: a fully open-source (GPL-3.0) browser based on ungoogled-chromium, made for people, with love. Official site: helium.computer

✨ Highlights

• uBlock Origin out of the box: The Helium team maintains their own fork of uBlock Origin and ships it embedded in the browser. You start with ads, trackers, and phishing sites blocked without touching a single setting.
• Manifest V2 support: It supports all Chromium extensions, and MV2 extensions will keep working “for as long as possible”.
• Chromium without Google: Telemetry and Google services are stripped out; on first launch the browser does not send a single web request. Extension updates go through a privacy-respecting proxy, too.
• Privacy by default: Third-party cookies are blocked and anti-fingerprinting randomization is enabled. No extra steps required.
• No bloat: No crypto wallet, no shoved-in AI assistant, no sponsored tabs. By the team’s own claim, one of the lightest modern browsers available.
• Handy extras: More than 13,000 ready-made !bang shortcuts, split view, and experimental vertical tabs.

📦 Installation

1. Head over to helium.computer; the site automatically picks the right binary for your platform.
2. Alternatively, download straight from GitHub:
   • Helium for Windows
   • Helium for Linux
   • Helium for macOS
3. Once installed, there is nothing left to do; uBlock Origin comes preinstalled and enabled.

Helium is currently in beta; if you run into unexpected issues, you can report them on GitHub Issues.

📱 Android: Titanium Browser

Meet Titanium Browser: an extension-capable, fully open-source (GPL-2.0) Chromium fork built on Vanadium, GrapheneOS’s security-focused browser. The project was formerly known as “Helium Browser for Android” but was renamed to Titanium to avoid brand confusion.

✨ Highlights

• Extension support + Manifest V2: Both direct store installs (Opera, Edge) and unpacked extension loading are supported; MV2 extensions work just fine, which means you can install the full version of uBlock Origin.
• One-click Store Installation: Direct installation from Opera Add-ons and Microsoft Edge Add-ons without needing to download CRX files manually.
• Vanadium heritage: Built on GrapheneOS’s hardened Chromium; WebRTC IP protection is on by default.
• Titanium Extension for Android: With the companion extension you can add extras such as external download manager support and enhanced dark mode.
• Two sources, seamless updates: Updates flow seamlessly between the Google Play and GitHub releases.

📦 Installation

1. Install the browser:
   • From the Google Play Store: Titanium Browser
   • or grab the latest APK from GitHub
2. Install uBlock Origin directly from your preferred extension store (installs automatically, no CRX download needed):
   • Opera Add-ons: Open the uBlock Origin page on Opera Add-ons and tap Add to Opera.
   • Microsoft Edge Add-ons: Open the uBlock Origin page on Microsoft Edge Add-ons and tap Get.

🛠️ Manual Installation (Unpacked)

Here is the alternative route for anyone who prefers offline installation or loading unpacked extensions from source:

1. Download the latest uBlock0_*.chromium.zip from gorhill/uBlock Releases. (Not the firefox build—the chromium one!)
2. Using your file manager, extract the zip into a permanent folder. Do not delete or move that folder: the browser reads the extension from it on every launch; delete the folder and the browser can no longer load the extension.
3. In Titanium, open the ⋮ > Extensions > Manage extensions page (chrome://extensions).
4. Flip on the Developer mode toggle at the top of the page.
5. Tap Load unpacked and select the folder you extracted the zip into via the file picker (SAF).
6. Loading the extension may take a few seconds; once finished, uBlock Origin is ready to use.

Google has removed all Manifest V2 extensions from the Chrome Web Store. However, you can effortlessly continue installing uBlock Origin with a single tap from Opera Add-ons or Microsoft Edge Add-ons, or by loading it unpacked from GitHub.

The developer notes that all builds are experimental. If you want maximum security, the GrapheneOS + Vanadium combination is still the gold standard; Titanium is the ideal middle ground for those who want Vanadium’s hardening combined with extension freedom.

📱 Android: Bare Browser

Meet Bare Browser: a de-Googled Chromium build for Android developed as an open-source patch series against Chromium Desktop Android (is_desktop_android), bringing true desktop extensions, privacy, and media freedoms to mobile phones. Official site: barebrowser.org

✨ Highlights

• uBlock Origin out of the box: Just like Helium on desktop, the full Manifest V2 version of uBlock Origin comes bundled inside the APK and enabled by default.
• Desktop Extension Toolbar: Run real desktop extensions on mobile (e.g. Bitwarden, Dark Reader) and pin your most-used extensions right to the phone toolbar.
• De-Googled & No AI bloat: Strips Google telemetry, tracking, and AI integration; DuckDuckGo is the default search engine on a fresh profile.
• Background Media Playback: Video and audio keep playing in the background even when switching apps or locking your phone.
• Save Streamed Media: Long-press video or audio players on web pages to download media directly, even on sites that normally restrict it.
• External Download Manager Support: Hand downloads off to external apps (like 1DM) or manage them internally.
• In-Browser Link Handling: Web links (e.g. Reddit or YouTube) stay in the browser instead of automatically launching external apps.

📦 Installation

1. Head over to barebrowser.org or download the latest APK (arm64 or arm) from GitHub Releases.
2. Install the APK on your Android device.
3. Launch Bare Browser—uBlock Origin is preinstalled and actively protecting your browsing from first run.

📊 Side by Side

	Helium	Titanium	Bare Browser
Platform	Windows, macOS, Linux	Android	Android
Base	ungoogled-chromium	Vanadium (GrapheneOS)	Chromium Desktop Android
uBlock Origin	Preinstalled and enabled	One-click store install / Unpacked (MV2)	Preinstalled and enabled (MV2)
Extension source	Chromium extensions (incl. MV2)	Opera Add-ons, Edge Add-ons, unpacked	Desktop extensions, unpacked
Extras	Google-free, split view, !bangs	Vanadium security, hardened WebRTC	Background playback, media downloader, de-Googled
License	GPL-3.0	GPL-2.0	BSD-3-Clause / GPL-3.0
Status	Beta, actively developed	Actively developed	Alpha, actively developed