Google. It’s a staple in the online industry and no matter how you try to escape them, they’re ever present in the digital landscape.
Some websites (looking at you Reddit, Stack Overflow, Stack Exchange, numerous forums, et al) now employ the Google “Sign in with Google” pop-up which is super annoying.
For example, if you livestream and wish to keep your real name as private as possible, then these sign-in prompts can actually reveal your given name. This can cause complications (potential doxxing, et al) if your audience sees your real name instead of your online handle like Cupcake Ninja instead of Jane Doe.
Here’s how to silence and banish these prompts.
Heads Up
The following guide will require you to use an Adblocker, such as the AdGuard Browser extension, uBlock Origin or a custom-filter-supporting third party ad blocking extension.
It’s 2025 and if you’re not running some sort of Ad Blocker, it’s like you’re running around with your pants down. The amount of crap I see on client machines from ad infested websites is honestly disappointing…
If you do sign into websites with Google, this filter WILL BREAK that functionality. Keep that in mind. No warranties, no money back guarantees, let’s do this.
The Filter
In your Ad Blocker’s filters – for example, uBlock Origin has a tab in the settings called “My Filters” – insert these two lines and apply changes.
||smartlock.google.com
||accounts.google.com/gsi/client
What do these do?
The first line blocks the Google Smart Lock subdomain, which is something to do with Google Chrome’s auto-login facility as far as I understand.
I could be wrong and if I am, let me know in the comments below.
The second line blocks the Google Sign-in (gsi) functionality which makes those “Sign in with Google” buttons appear. The reason we want to block these is that they are visually annoying – the in-page popups usually hover at the top right and beg you to sign in.
Just recently, they have started appearing as a native browser modal window. This means that the pop-up looks like it’s a request from the web browser itself, asking you to sign in with Google.
In my testing, it would also refuse to focus away from the sign-in window until I had either said No or actually let it sign me in.
Okay, done that, now what?
Alright. Ensure your browser allows you to run your Ad Block in private browsing mode – right click the extension (or use the Extension Manager) and ensure it’s set to run in private windows/tabs.
If you’re logged into any website that uses GSI, then open up a private window/tab.
Then, go to the front page of the site or any other page that would trigger the Sign-in Popup.
If done successfully, no prompt will appear since your ad blocker is successfully defending you thanks to the added rules.
Afterthoughts
I’m getting tired of big corporations like Google dictate how we use the internet. Unfortunately, it’s a David and Goliath battle – us internet users are quite powerless unless we have heavy weights whack the company back into line.
Things like Manifest V3 also are examples of Google’s reign over the browser world. Extensions that used to make life easier for power users like me are no longer functional because Google said so.
Yeah, I know Microsoft Edge, Vivaldi and Brave still support extensions like that, but the mass users will just grab Google Chrome and have Google ram their sausage down their throats.
I know some of my clients run their Chrome fully stock which literally phones home with telemetry every possible chance.
Anyway, that’s just one computer nerds’ frustrations. I genuinely hope this helps.
Until next time,
Coburn out.