CODEWITHSUNDEEP
google-chrome-extensionuninstallation
jwegner
jwegner

Reputation: 7423

Force users to uninstall chrome extension

I built a quick one-off chrome extension about a month ago during the SOPA craziness. Long story short, it unblacked Wikipedia, so that people who needed it could get some work done.

Once the blackout was over, I updated the app to no longer have any effects on any websites. I also modified it so it would put a console.log() saying essentially "The blackout is over. SOPA is still important, but you should uninstall this extension".

Unfortunately, a month later, I'm still showing that 90% of the original users have the extension installed. Certainly it doesn't have that large of a footprint, but as a developer I feel it's my duty to not let my extension become crapware on my user's computers.

Is there a way to forcefully uninstall a chrome extension? Is there some way that would be unintrusive to the user that I could inform them that they should uninstall the extension?

Upvotes: 5

Views: 2222

Answers (2)

Mihai Parparita
Mihai Parparita

Reputation: 4236

You can update the extension so that it requires the 'management' permission, and then use chrome.management.uninstall to make the extension uninstall itself.

Upvotes: 4

Samet Atdag
Samet Atdag

Reputation: 1002

In my opinion, there is no way in this situation. Unless

  1. If your extension makes a request to a server that you can access, such as a web service from you, maybe you can send an alert to your users.
  2. If auto update is enabled in your extension, you can update your extension. In your updated version, you can show users an alert (shouldn't be a real javascript alert. Some kind of alert) to uninstall your extension.
  3. If auto update is enabled, you may update your extension to do nothing. Just a console.log message.

Upvotes: 0

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