Brave ad blocker not working? Here's the fix

Is your Brave ad blocker not working? We’ve got some good news for you.

The popular browser proudly presents itself as a “user-first” option amid reports that Google is phasing out Manifest v. 2 extensions, which include uBlock Origin.

Since then, many browsers have come out against the decision. Brave joined the laundry list of browsers that still offer such features, including the likes of Opera and Firefox, for example.

But, over the weekend, many users have reported that the ad blocker wasn’t working. A quick X (fka Twitter) or Reddit search shows you a gazillion frustrations where the “Ad blockers are not allowed on YouTube” warning pops up when they put Brave’s natively built-in ad blocker to use.

Since then, Brave has come out with a fix. Here’s how to do it.

How to Fix Brave Ad Blocker Not Working

1. Open Brave.

2. Go to brave://components on your address bar, and hit Enter.

3. Scroll down until you find Brave Ad Blocker Update. Click Check for update. Make sure it’s the latest version.

4. If that option doesn’t show up, go to brave://settings/shields/filters on your address bar

5. Click Update lists

Google has been waging wars against ad blockers for months, even though YouTube Ads have become one of its biggest moneymaking machines in recent quarters. I mean, well, how else would they make the money?

Earlier this year, Google said that its paid subscription services, led by YouTube offerings like ad-free content, music, live TV, and NFL Sunday Ticket, generated $15 billion annually.

Then, in October, Alphabet, Google’s parent company, said that its Q3 2024 earnings show YouTube revenue topping $50 billion. Google Cloud also grew 35%, with total revenue up 15% year-over-year.