How to Disable JavaScript in Google Chrome, Edge, and Firefox

If you don't want JavaScript on your web browser, disabling it is pretty straightforward. This article shows you how to do it.

JavaScript is a website scripting (programming) language for websites that’s been a big part of web design since 1995. That scripting language integrates with HTML and enables designers to design more dynamic websites. Many sites include interactive elements added with JavaScript.

So, why might some users prefer to disable JavaScript? Disabling JavaScript will speed up page loading and block ads enabled by that scripting language. This is how you can disable JavaScript in Firefox, Edge, and Google Chrome.

How to Disable JavaScript in Google Chrome

Google Chrome includes a series of built-in content options. With those options, you can block images, cookies, pop-ups, and interactive JavaScript content on websites.

Click the Customize and Control Google Chrome (three-dot) button near the top right corner of the browser’s window. Select the Settings option to view that tab. Then, click Privacy and security in Settings.

Select the Site settings navigation option. Then, click the JavaScript content option. Select the Don’t allow sites to use JavaScript radio button. Restart Chrome to ensure the new option takes effect.

Alternatively, you can disable JavaScript only on specific websites. To do so, click the Add button for the Not allowed to use JavaScript option. Enter the URL for a website’s homepage in the Add a site box. Then click the Add option.

Would you prefer to disable JavaScript on almost all websites with a few exceptions? If so, click the Allowed to use option’s Add button. Input a URL for a website to exclude within the Site box, and select the Add option. Then select the Don’t allow sites to use JavaScript option to generally disable the scripting language.

How to Disable JavaScript in Firefox

Firefox doesn’t have a visible option for disabling JavaScript from its standard Settings tab. However, a hidden option (flag) for disabling JavaScript exists within Fox’s Advanced Preferences (about:config) tab.

Type about:config in Firefox’s website address box and press Enter. Click Accept the Risk and Continue to proceed to the flag settings.

To find the flag for disabling JavaScript, input javascript.enabled in the search box. Double-click the javascript.enabled setting to change the value for it to false. Then click Firefox’s Close (X) button to restart that browser.

If you ever want to restore JavaScript, return to the javascript.enabled flag in the Advanced Preferences tab. Double-click that flag again to switch it to true. Or you can click a Reset (arrow) option on the far right of the javascript.enabled option.

How to Disable JavaScript in Edge

Edge has similar site permission (control) options to Google Chrome. Among them is a setting for enabling/disabling JavaScript.

Select the Settings (ellipse) option to open Edge’s main menu. Click Settings on the menu. Select Cookies and site permissions on the left of Settings.

Scroll down to and click JavaScript. Click the Allowed (recommended) option’s toggle button to turn off that option. Restart Edge after selecting to disable JavaScript.

Edge also has an exclusion list option for users who select to disable JavaScript. Click the Allow option’s Add button. Then, enter a website URL for which to keep JavaScript enabled, and press the Add button.

If you want to keep JavaScript enabled, you can still select to block it on specific sites. Click Add for the Block option. Then, input a site’s web address and click Add.

Browse the Web Faster With JavaScript Disabled

Now you can sit back and enjoy faster web browsing with JavaScript disabled in your Chrome, Edge, or Firefox browser. Disabling that scripting language will noticeably enhance browsing speeds on websites that are choc-a-bloc with JavaScript elements.

However, many webpages might also look somewhat different with JavaScript disabled. So, configure Edge, Firefox, or Chrome for whichever way you prefer to have it.