This is a comprehensive guide on how to disable JavaScript in your browser.
Many users do this for reasons, such as enhanced privacy, improved performance, better control over browsing, or increased security.
Disabling JavaScript can change how websites behave.
While it may reduce ads or strip out certain interactive features, it can also break site functionality or prevent access to content.
Furthermore, some users have observed that certain sites display more content when JavaScript is turned off.
Remember this site does not endorse using browser tweaks to access subscriptions or content restrictions.
Instead, I encourage readers to explore legitimate ways to access premium articles.
How to disable JavaScript tips
There are three ways to disable JavaScript:
- Disable browser JavaScript settings
- Disable JavaScript for specific websites
- Disable JavaScript for a specific web page
1. Disable browser JavaScript settings
Mozilla Firefox Browser:
Go Firefox, type about:config into the address bar.
Click the "Accept the Risk and Continue" button.
Then type: javascript.enabled in the search box provided.
You could see "javascript.enabled" shows under it.
Double click anywhere within the javascript.enabled box to change the value from "true" to "false".
REMINDER: Remember to activate the browser JavaScript settings back to "true" after used. If not, some websites may not work properly, and others may not load at all.
Google Chrome Browser:
Click the three dots on the top right hand side of the address bar.
A menu drops down, click "Settings".
Next click "Privacy and security" on the left side of the page.
Scroll down a little, and click "Site settings".
It opens a new page, scroll down until the "Content" section.
Click "JavaScript".
Under the Default behaviors, select "Not allowed to use JavaScript".
Similar to Firefox, after using it, remember to revert the settings back to "Sites can use JavaScript".
Brave Browser:
By default, Brave browser allows JavaScript.
To disable or turn off Brave browser JavaScript is similar to Chrome.
Go to Brave browser, click the three parallel horizontal lines (aka Hamburger Menu) at the top right hand corner.
A menu drops down; click "Settings".
Next, click "Privacy and security" on the left side of the page.
A box pops up on the right side; click "Site and Shields settings".
It opens a new page; scroll down until the "Content" section.
Click "JavaScript".
Under the Default behaviors, select "Not allowed to use JavaScript".
Similar to Chrome and Firefox, after using it, remember to revert the settings back to "Sites can use JavaScript".
2. Disable JavaScript for specific websites
Google Chrome Browser:
For example, you want to disable JavaScript for The Boston Globe.
At the Chrome browser, click the three dots on the top right-hand side of the address bar.
A menu drops down; click "Settings".
Next, click "Privacy and security" on the left side of the page.
Scroll down a little, and click "Site settings".
It opens a new page; scroll down until the "Content" section.
Click "JavaScript".
Under "Customized behavior", go to "Not allowed to use JavaScript".
Click the "Add" button.
A box pops up; type in this line.
[*.]bostonglobe.com
Click the blue "Add" button.
That's all you need to do.
Alternately, you can use any of these two disable JavaScript Chrome extensions.
NoScript Security Suite extension
Install and pin it on the toolbar.
Go to the website homepage, and enable the extension by clicking on its small icon in the toolbar.
At the same time, you can see this JavaScript Disabled icon in the address bar.
Mozilla Firefox Browser:
To turn off JavaScript of a particular site, again use a browser extension.
Once again, you can use these two Firefox extensions to disable JavaScript:
NoScript Security Suite extension
Install it and pin it to the browser toolbar.
To use it, click the small extension icon in the toolbar.
Brave Browser:
This is how to disable JavaScript in the Brave browser for a particular website.
For example, this is how to disable The New Yorker articles JavaScript:
Go to The New Yorker homepage, and click the Brave browser icon (lion head) at the toolbar.
A menu box drops down; click on the toggle switch next to "Block scripts".
The white button slides to the right and changes to blue, and next to it, it shows the number of blocked JavaScript.
Now you have successfully disabled the New Yorker website.
3. Disable JavaScript for specific web pages
Google Chrome Browser:
Use either of the two browser extensions for Chrome.
NoScript Security Suite extension
Install it and pin it to the toolbar, but do not enable it.
When you want to use it, then click the icon to enable it.
Mozilla Firefox Browser:
Similarly, use any of the two Firefox browser extensions below to turn off JavaScript.
Disable JavaScript Firefox Add-On
No Script Security Suite Firefox Add-On
Download and install it, then pin it to the toolbar.
Brave Browser:
The method is the same as what I have just explained above for specific websites.
When you come to the webpage, click the Brave browser icon (lion head) on the toolbar.
A menu box pops up; click on the gray color with the white round button "Block scripts" toggle switch.
The white round button slides to the right and changes to a blue color.
Two more ways are by using the DevTools and uBlock Origin.
Follow these two tutorials:
How to disable JavaScript with DevTools
How to disable JavaScript with uBlock Origin
These are various ways to disable JavaScript in your browser.