You are browsing a recipe site, and suddenly a new window opens claiming “Your McAfee Subscription Has Expired.” You close it, but five minutes later, a small box slides into the bottom corner of your screen telling you that you have won a Walmart Gift Card.

The official Google support page tells you to simply “Turn off pop-ups in settings.” If you are reading this, you probably already did that, and it didn’t work.

That is because modern “Pop-Ups” aren’t just one thing. They are a three-headed monster:

1. Classic Pop-Ups: New windows that open automatically.

2. Notification Spam: System-level alerts that mimic ads (the most common modern annoyance).

3. Adware Injections: Malicious software installed on your computer that forces ads into Chrome.

I will walk you through the deep-cleaning process to stop all three, going far beyond the basic settings.

Level 1: The “Classic” Fix (What Google Tells You)

First, let’s ensure the front door is locked. This handles the old-school pop-ups that try to open a new tab or window.

1. Open Chrome and click the three dots (top right).

2. Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Site Settings.

3. Scroll down to Pop-ups and redirects.

4. Select “Don’t allow sites to send pop-ups or use redirects.”

The Analysis: This setting is the “baseline.” It blocks a website from executing the command window.open(). However, aggressive sites (like illegal streaming or torrent sites) have found ways to bypass this by triggering the pop-up only when you click anywhere on the page (a “pop-under”). For those, this setting is often insufficient, which is why we need Level 2.

Level 2: The “Notification Spam” (The Real Villain)

This is the #1 reason people think they have a virus in 2025. You visit a site, and it says: “Click Allow to prove you are not a robot.” You click Allow. Suddenly, even when Chrome is closed, you get messages in the corner of your screen saying “VIRUS DETECTED!” or “Hot singles in your area.”

This is not a virus. You gave a spammer permission to send you notifications.

How to Fix It:

1. In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Site Settings.

2. Click on Notifications.

3. Look at the list under “Allowed to send notifications.”

4. Do you see weird sites like news-daily-update.com or b3st-v1deo.net?

5. Click the three dots next to that site and select Remove (or Block).

Pro Tip: To prevent this forever, scroll up and select “Don’t allow sites to send notifications” or “Use quieter messaging.” This stops sites from tricking you with the “prove you are not a robot” scam.

Level 3: The “Inside Job” (Bad Extensions)

Sometimes the call is coming from inside the house. If you see pop-ups on every site you visit (even Google or Wikipedia), a malicious extension is likely injecting them.

The “Incognito” Test

1. Open an Incognito Window (Ctrl+Shift+N).

2. Browse the web.

3. If the ads stop in Incognito mode, it means one of your extensions is the culprit (because extensions are disabled in Incognito by default).

How to Purge Them:

1. Type chrome://extensions in your address bar.

2. Look for anything you don’t recognize or haven’t used in months. Common culprits are “PDF Converters,” “Video Downloaders,” or “Flash Players.”

3. Toggle them OFF one by one to see which one is causing the ads. When you find it, click Remove.

Level 4: The “Deep Clean” (Resetting Chrome)

If you have done all the above and ads are still popping up, the adware has likely hijacked your browser settings (changing your homepage or search engine).

You need to nuke the settings back to factory default.

1. Go to Settings.

2. On the left sidebar, click Reset settings.

3. Click “Restore settings to their original defaults.”

Warning: This will disable all extensions and clear temporary data (cookies), but it will not delete your bookmarks, history, or saved passwords. It is safe to do and often fixes the most stubborn adware.

Why Do Sites Still Use Pop-Ups? (The “Desperation” Metric)

You might wonder: “Why do marketers use these? Everyone hates them.”

The “Churn and Burn” Strategy

Legitimate brands (Nike, Apple, Ford) almost never use pop-ups. Pop-ups are used by “low-quality” advertisers—casinos, scams, and adult content.

• The Math: They know 99.9% of people will close the ad instantly.

• The Profit: They are hunting for the 0.1%—usually the elderly or non-tech-savvy—who click by mistake or out of fear (“Your computer is infected!”). It is a bottom-of-the-barrel strategy that relies on volume, not trust.

The Better Way: Value Exchange

This is why I advocate so strongly for Interactive Ads over interruptions. Instead of a pop-up screaming at you, imagine a brand using a tool like Gamewheel to present a “Spin the Wheel” discount offer that sits quietly in the corner.

• The Difference: You only click it if you want to play for a discount.

• The Result: It respects the user. Pop-ups force attention; Interactive Ads earn attention. Until the shadowy corners of the internet adopt respectful marketing, browser hygiene is your only defense.

Conclusion

Stopping pop-ups on Chrome requires more than one button. You must block the windows in settings, revoke permissions for spammy notifications, and audit your extensions. If you are seeing “Virus” warnings in the corner of your screen, remember: It’s not a virus, it’s a notification permissions issue.