The original Location Guard extension was removed from the Chrome Web Store because it was not updated to meet Chrome's Manifest V3 requirements. Here's what happened and what you can do now.
Location Guard, the popular browser extension created by Kostas Chatzikokolakis (a researcher at École Polytechnique), was removed from the Chrome Web Store. The extension was originally published in 2013 and had been protecting users' location privacy for over a decade. Its last update was in March 2022.
Google required all Chrome extensions to migrate from Manifest V2 to Manifest V3 by mid-2024. Extensions that didn't update were gradually disabled and eventually removed from the Chrome Web Store. Location Guard's developer did not release a Manifest V3 version, so the extension was taken down.
The good news is that Location Guard is still available on Firefox through the Mozilla Add-ons store. Firefox uses a different extension system and was not affected by Chrome's Manifest V3 changes. You can download Location Guard for Firefox right now.
Understanding why Google made this change and how it affects browser extensions
MV3 limits extension permissions and introduces more granular controls. Extensions can no longer execute arbitrary remote code, reducing the risk of malicious extensions.
MV3 replaces persistent background pages with service workers that activate only when needed, reducing memory and CPU usage across all installed extensions.
The new declarativeNetRequest API gives users more transparency about what extensions do with their browsing data, replacing the powerful but opaque webRequest API.
Some developers argue MV3 limits extension capabilities. Ad blockers and privacy tools were particularly affected. Extensions that weren't updated were removed from the store.
How we got here
Kostas Chatzikokolakis publishes Location Guard as a research project, introducing noise-based geolocation privacy to browser extensions.
Location Guard reaches widespread adoption with users across Chrome, Firefox, and Opera. Becomes one of the most trusted geolocation privacy tools.
Location Guard receives its final update (still Manifest V2). No further updates are released after this point.
Google begins enforcing Manifest V3 requirements. Extensions still on MV2 start getting disabled for users and eventually removed from the Chrome Web Store.
Location Guard is no longer available for installation on Chrome. Existing installations may also stop working. Firefox version remains unaffected.
You still have several ways to protect your location privacy
The original Location Guard still works perfectly on Firefox. If you want the exact same extension with the same privacy features, simply install Firefox and add Location Guard from Mozilla Add-ons.
Download for Firefox →Several developers have created Manifest V3 compatible alternatives inspired by Location Guard. These offer similar or enhanced geolocation privacy features and are available on the Chrome Web Store.
Compare Alternatives →Location Guard is open-source. Advanced users can download the source code from GitHub and load it as an unpacked extension in Chrome's developer mode. Note: this requires manual updates and is not recommended for casual users.
View on GitHub →Common questions about Location Guard's Chrome removal
Location Guard was removed because it was not updated to comply with Chrome's Manifest V3 requirements. Google required all extensions to migrate from Manifest V2 to V3 by June 2024, and Location Guard's developer did not release an updated version in time. The extension's last update was in March 2022.
Manifest V3 is Google Chrome's new extension platform that replaces the older Manifest V2. It introduces changes to how extensions handle permissions, background processes, and network requests. Google says MV3 improves security, privacy, and performance, but some developers argue it limits extension capabilities. Extensions that didn't migrate were removed from the Chrome Web Store.
Not directly from the Chrome Web Store. However, you can sideload the extension from GitHub source code for development purposes, or use one of the actively maintained alternatives like Location Guard V3, Change Geolocation, or Cloaq Location Guard.
The top alternatives are: Location Guard V3 (a Manifest V3 fork with the same privacy features), Change Geolocation (lightweight with map-based location picking), and Cloaq Location Guard (advanced features using Chrome Debugger API). All are free and available on the Chrome Web Store. Compare them in detail →
Compare actively maintained location privacy extensions that work on Chrome.
View AlternativesGet the original Location Guard on Firefox, Edge, or Opera — still fully functional.
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