If ads keep appearing in Chrome, first distinguish a notification in a corner of the screen from a pop-up that opens a new window or tab. Site notifications and pop-ups have different settings. Messages that continue after pop-ups are blocked may come from a site you previously allowed to send notifications.
On this page
Find the help you need
Choose the situation that matches what you are seeing.
This guide covers site permissions in desktop Chrome on Windows and macOS. Phone menus differ, and these steps do not remove every advertisement or every type of malware.
Identify how the message appears
If a message appears in a screen corner with a site name or address, start with site notification settings. If a new browser window or tab opens, review the allowed sites under Pop-ups and redirects. Google explains that site notifications can continue even when the default pop-up blocker is on.
A message saying “Virus found” or “Scan now” is not proof of an infection. Do not press its buttons to investigate. Open Chrome’s own menu and go to Settings directly. Use the displayed site address only as a clue to the permission entry you need to check.
Notification permission lets a site send messages. Pop-up permission concerns opening windows. Changing one does not also clean up the other permission list.
Stop unwanted site notifications
Open Chrome’s top-right More menu, then go to Settings → Privacy and security → Site settings → Notifications. Review the allowed sites and compare their addresses with the one shown in the unwanted notification.
To block a specific site, you can add its address under Not allowed to send notifications. Confirm the address before changing it, and avoid changing permissions for sites you still need at the same time. Labels can vary slightly between Chrome versions.
You may also see Use quieter messaging or a similar notification-request option. This makes permission requests less intrusive. It does not block all notifications from sites you have already allowed. To stop an existing site’s repeated messages, check that site’s current permission.
Google’s Chrome notification help explains these settings in more detail.
Stop unwanted new windows or tabs
Go to Settings → Privacy and security → Site settings → Pop-ups and redirects. Check the default setting, then review the sites allowed to open pop-ups. A site-specific exception may still exist even when the default is to block them.
If an unwanted site appears in the allowed list, use the More menu to its right and choose Block. Review this list separately even if you already blocked notifications from the same address.
Some useful services open a new window as part of their normal operation. Do not assume that every pop-up is malicious, or respond to a problem by allowing pop-ups for every site. Check that the address belongs to the service you intend to use, then decide what that particular site needs.
Google’s pop-up guidance describes the site-specific controls.
Restore notifications you still need
If useful notifications also stopped after your cleanup, return to Notifications and check that site’s current status. See whether you added it to the blocked list or whether it is still allowed. Adjust only the relevant entry.
Chrome may also withdraw permissions from sites you have not visited in a long time, even if you did not manually block them. When something used to arrive but no longer does, the current permission state is more useful than remembering that you once allowed it.
These settings control site notification permissions within Chrome. They are separate from ad-blocking extensions and system-wide notification controls in Windows or macOS. This guide cannot explain every reason a notification might fail to arrive.
If messages continue or settings are unavailable
Look again at how the unwanted content appears. Have you blocked pop-ups while leaving site notifications allowed? Is a different address still present in an allowed list? Match the symptom to the setting you are reviewing.
If the problem persists, do not assume one site permission is the only possible cause. Google lists both site notifications and malware as possible reasons for unwanted content continuing after pop-ups are blocked. That does not make the diagnosis inside an advertisement trustworthy. Avoid its supposed fix buttons and continue with the official help guidance.
Chrome managed by a workplace or school may prevent you from changing some settings. Check the organization’s policy or administrator guidance rather than trying to bypass the restriction.
If your aim was to change one site’s permission, identify the relevant setting before deleting all cookies or passwords, or resetting the browser. A broad reset is not the starting point for this permission check.
Official sources
- Google Chrome: Use notifications to get alerts (Computer)
- Google Chrome: Block or allow pop-ups in Chrome (Computer)
Official sources checked on September 18, 2026. Managed devices and mobile Chrome require separate checks.