www.makeuseof.com 3 Ways to Block Images From Webpages in Google Chrome

Images enhance websites and pages in many ways. However, webpages that are choc-a-block with pictures can take somewhat longer to fully load in browsers than text-only pages. Therefore, some users prefer to block images on pages to speed up browsing.

Google Chrome is the browser of choice for most users. There are a few ways you can block images on pages with that browser’s options and extensions.

Here's how you can speed up browsing in Google Chrome by blocking website images with three different methods.

How to Block Images With Chrome’s Built-in Setting

Google Chrome includes numerous site control settings you can configure website permissions and content with. That browser’s image content options enable you to disable pictures on all websites or more specific ones.

You can block images with those settings as follows:

All webpages you now open in Chrome will not include any images. If you prefer, you can instead configure only specific pages not to show any pictures.

To do that, click the Add button for the Not allowed to show images option. Then enter a website URL to block pictures for in the text box that opens, and select the Add option.

If you keep the Don’t allow sites to show images option selected, you can still permit specific sites to show pictures. To do so, select Add for the Allowed to show images option. Input a website’s URL to allow pictures for and click Add.

How to Remove Webpage Images in Chrome With Image Blocker

Beyond Chrome’s built-in settings, you can disable images on pages with extensions for that browser. Image blocker is an extension that adds a handy button for disabling webpage images to Chrome’s URL toolbar.

You can click that button to disable images on all pages opened within a tab.

Related: Faster Chrome Extensions to Speed Up Web Browsing

To add that extension to Chrome, open the Image blocker webpage. Click the Add to Chrome button on that page.

Thereafter, you should notice an Image blocker button on the browser’s URL toolbar, as in the snapshot directly below. If not, click the Extensions button and select the Pin option for Image Blocker there.

Now open a webpage to block pictures on. Clicking the Image blocker button will remove all pictures on that page and any other you open within its tab. You can press the extension's button to quickly restore images.

To configure the extension to hide page images for new tabs by default, right-click its toolbar button to select Options. Select the Hide radio button shown directly below. Then images will be disabled on webpages when you open new tabs.

Download: Image blocker for Chrome (Free)

How to Remove Images From Webpages in Chrome With Text Mode

Text Mode is another good extension for disabling images on webpages within Google Chrome. The extension applies a black-and-white text-only mode to pages.

Aside from removing images, it also strips videos, animations, and ads from webpages. With pages fully decluttered, Text Mode can make browsing noticeably quicker.

You can get Text Mode from its Web Chrome Store page. Select the Add to Chrome option on that page to install the extension. Then you’ll see a Text Mode button on the browser’s toolbar.

Now click that Text Mode button. By doing so, you’ll enable its text-only mode for all pages you open within Google Chrome. Open a few webpage pages to see the result.

You’ll notice the browser displays those pages in black and white. If you prefer to disable images but keep color pages, you’ll need to configure the B&W Text Mode options.

To do so, right-click the Text Mode button and select Options. Then deselect the Desaturate colors and White background pages checkboxes.

There, you can also configure the image replacement boxes displayed on pages. You can choose to have completely gray boxes or blank ones with diagonal lines on them.

Download: Text Mode for Chrome (Free)

Block Images to Speed Up Your Browsing

So, you don’t need to buy a faster router to speed up your browsing. Just block images on websites with any of the above three methods instead.

Whatever method you choose to disable pictures with, they’ll all speed up browsing in Google Chrome. Without any images on webpages, page load times will drop.

Also, note that you can add Text Mode and Image blocker to other Chromium-based browsers. Google Chrome extensions are compatible with the likes of Edge, Opera, and Vivaldi.

Jack has been a freelance tech journalist for more than a decade. He has covered Windows Vista, 7, 10, and 11topics within a multitude of guides for Make Use Of and numerous other websites.

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