How to Disable JavaScript in Google Chrome (All Sites or One)

Q: Is JavaScript the same thing as Java?

No. JavaScript runs inside your browser and powers nearly every website. Java is a separate programming language that Chrome has not supported for years.

To disable JavaScript in Chrome, go to Settings, then Privacy and security, then Site settings, then JavaScript, and select Don’t allow sites to use JavaScript. The change applies immediately to every site you open next. Expect most modern websites to break, because they are built on JavaScript.

Before you start

Applies to: Google Chrome on Windows, Mac, Linux, and ChromeOS.
You need: About a minute. Nothing is deleted and the change is reversible.
Expect breakage: Menus stop opening, forms stop submitting, videos stop playing, and some pages come up blank. That is the setting working, not a fault.

Why would you turn JavaScript off?

JavaScript is the language that makes web pages interactive, and switching it off is a blunt instrument. There are three reasons people actually do it.

Testing a site. Developers check that a page still makes sense without scripts.
Blocking one badly behaved site. A single page with hijacking pop-ups or auto-playing scripts can be neutered without touching the rest of the web.
Reading without clutter. Some article pages load faster and cleaner with scripts off, though Reader Mode is usually the better tool for that.

Turning it off globally as a security measure is rarely worth it. You lose most of the web, and Chrome’s own site isolation and Safe Browsing already handle the threats people have in mind.

How do I disable JavaScript in Chrome?

Click the three-dot menu at the top right.
Choose Settings.
Select Privacy and security in the side panel.
Select Site settings.
Scroll to the Content section and select JavaScript.
Under Default behaviour, select Don’t allow sites to use JavaScript.

Skip the clicking by pasting chrome://settings/content/javascript into the address bar. Reload any tab that was already open for the change to reach it.

How do I block JavaScript on one site only?

This is the version most people actually want. Leave JavaScript on everywhere and name the one site you want silenced.

On the same JavaScript settings page, leave the default set to Sites can use JavaScript.
Next to Not allowed to use JavaScript, click Add.
Type the site address, for example example.com, then click Add.

Use [*.]example.com to cover every subdomain of a site in one entry. The reverse works too: block JavaScript by default and add the handful of sites you trust to the allowed list.

There is a shortcut for the site you are already on. Click the icon at the left of the address bar, open Site settings, and set JavaScript to Block.

How do I disable JavaScript temporarily for testing?

If you are testing a page rather than changing how you browse, use DevTools. The block lasts only while DevTools is open, so there is nothing to undo afterwards.

Press F12, or Ctrl + Shift + I on Windows and Command + Option + I on Mac.
Press Ctrl + Shift + P to open the command menu.
Type javascript and choose Disable JavaScript.
Reload the page.

Close DevTools and JavaScript comes back on by itself. This is the safest option, because it cannot follow you into normal browsing.

How do I turn JavaScript back on?

Go back to chrome://settings/content/javascript and select Sites can use JavaScript. Then reload the broken page.

If a site is still broken after that, check the Not allowed to use JavaScript list on the same page. A per-site block added earlier overrides the default, and it is the reason a single site keeps failing while everything else works.

Can you disable JavaScript in Chrome on Android?

Yes. Tap the three-dot menu, then Settings, then Site settings, then JavaScript, and turn the toggle off. The per-site exception list works there too. Chrome on iPhone and iPad has no such setting, because it uses Apple’s web engine rather than Chrome’s own.

Frequently asked questions

What happens to websites when JavaScript is disabled?

Interactive parts stop working. Drop-down menus do not open, infinite-scroll feeds do not load, videos do not play, and sign-in forms often fail silently. Some sites show a message asking you to enable JavaScript, and others simply render a blank page.

Is it safer to browse with JavaScript disabled?

Marginally, and at a heavy cost. It removes one route attackers use, but Chrome already sandboxes sites and blocks known malicious pages. For most people a blanket block breaks far more than it protects.

Why does one site say JavaScript is disabled when I never turned it off?

Check the per-site block list at chrome://settings/content/javascript. An extension, especially an ad or script blocker, can also stop scripts on a site without changing this setting. Load the page in an Incognito window to test that.

Is JavaScript the same thing as Java?

No, and the similar names cause a lot of confusion. JavaScript runs inside your browser and powers nearly every website. Java is a separate programming language that Chrome has not supported for years.

The short version

One dropdown on the JavaScript settings page turns it off for every site. For nearly every real use case, blocking a single site or using the DevTools toggle is the better move, because a global block breaks most of the web. Whatever you change, it is reversible from the same page.

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Last verified: 15 August 2026