Transfer uBlock Origin Settings from Chrome to Brave (Manual Method)

transfer-ublock-settings-chrome-to-brave.md

Transfer uBlock Origin Settings from Chrome to Brave (Manual Method)

Problem

When Chrome disables uBlock Origin due to Manifest V3 changes, you may lose access to the extension's dashboard and cannot use the built-in export/import functionality. This guide shows how to manually transfer your uBlock Origin settings from Chrome to Brave.

Prerequisites

• Both Chrome and Brave browsers installed
• uBlock Origin installed in Brave
• Access to your system's file manager or terminal

Method 1: Using File Manager (GUI)

Windows

1. Close both Chrome and Brave completely
2. Navigate to:

   C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm
   

3. Copy the entire cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm folder
4. Navigate to:

   C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\
   

5. Delete the existing cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm folder if present
6. Paste the copied folder here
7. Start Brave

macOS

1. Close both Chrome and Brave completely
2. Open Finder and press Cmd + Shift + G
3. Go to:

   ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default/Local Extension Settings/cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm
   

4. Copy the entire cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm folder
5. Navigate to:

   ~/Library/Application Support/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser/Default/Local Extension Settings/
   

6. Delete the existing cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm folder if present
7. Paste the copied folder here
8. Start Brave

Linux

1. Close both Chrome and Brave completely
2. Navigate to:

   ~/.config/google-chrome/Default/Local Extension Settings/cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm
   

3. Copy the entire cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm folder
4. Navigate to:

   ~/.config/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser/Default/Local Extension Settings/
   

5. Delete the existing cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm folder if present
6. Paste the copied folder here
7. Start Brave

Method 2: Using Terminal/Command Line

macOS/Linux

# Close both browsers first!

# Navigate to Chrome's uBlock Origin data
cd ~/Library/Application\ Support/Google/Chrome/Default/Local\ Extension\ Settings/cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm

# Remove existing Brave uBlock data (if any)
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser/Default/Local\ Extension\ Settings/cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm

# Copy Chrome uBlock data to Brave
cp -r . ~/Library/Application\ Support/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser/Default/Local\ Extension\ Settings/cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm

# Verify the copy worked
ls -la ~/Library/Application\ Support/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser/Default/Local\ Extension\ Settings/cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm

Windows (PowerShell)

# Close both browsers first!

# Copy Chrome uBlock data to Brave
$chromeSource = "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm"
$braveDestination = "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm"

# Remove existing Brave uBlock data (if any)
if (Test-Path $braveDestination) { Remove-Item $braveDestination -Recurse -Force }

# Copy the folder
Copy-Item $chromeSource $braveDestination -Recurse

# Verify the copy worked
Get-ChildItem $braveDestination

What Gets Transferred

This method transfers all your uBlock Origin settings including:

• Custom filter lists
• Whitelist entries
• Blacklist entries
• Advanced settings
• Custom cosmetic filters
• Trusted sites

Troubleshooting

Settings Don't Appear

• Make sure both browsers were completely closed during the file transfer
• Verify the folder path is correct for your system
• Check that uBlock Origin is installed and enabled in Brave

Permission Errors

• On macOS/Linux, you may need to use sudo for some operations
• On Windows, run PowerShell as Administrator if needed

Multiple Chrome Profiles

If you use multiple Chrome profiles, replace Default in the path with your profile name (e.g., Profile 1, Profile 2).

Alternative: Export Method (If Extension Still Works)

If you can still access uBlock Origin's dashboard in Chrome:

1. Click uBlock Origin icon → Dashboard
2. Go to Settings tab
3. Click "Backup to file" at the bottom
4. In Brave: Dashboard → Settings → "Restore from file"

Notes

• The folder name cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm is uBlock Origin's extension ID
• This method works for transferring between any Chromium-based browsers
• Always backup your data before making changes
• Settings may take a moment to appear after restarting Brave

Contributing

Found an issue or have improvements? Please leave a comment below or fork this gist with your changes.

License

This guide is provided as-is under MIT License. Use at your own risk.