TLDR
- Google forced all Chrome extensions to update to Manifest V3 (MV3). Failure to do so results in the Chrome Extension being disabled. We updated the Truple Chrome Extension to MV3 to ensure monitoring continues across all Chromebooks it’s installed on.
- MV3 introduces stricter limitations on Chrome extensions, which cause website tracking to stop working after an unspecified amount of time. Read below for more info.
Full Story
Google recently forced all Chrome extensions to update to Manifest V3 (MV3). Failure to update to MV3 would cause the Chrome Extension to be disabled. We updated the Truple Chrome Extension well ahead of the cutoff to ensure monitoring continues on all of the Chromebooks Truple is installed on. However, MV3 introduces stricter limitations on Chrome Extensions. These limitations affect how Truple tracks websites.
In our testing, we’ve found an undocumented change with MV3: it automatically revokes the ability for Chrome Extensions to monitor website changes after an unspecified amount of time. This results in Truple no longer being able to track websites after an unspecified amount time.
When this happens, if you click the puzzle icon in the Chrome browser on the Chromebook that’s being monitored, then select the Truple icon, this interaction “re-grants” the needed permissions so Truple can track website URLs again. However, after an unspecified amount of time the permission is lost again. Truple’s screenshot monitoring is not impacted by this and will continue to function as it did previously. Only website tracking is impacted.
Google implemented MV3 to boost security, and it’s unclear if this was an intentional change or not. We’ll continue exploring options to improve the situation, but at this time we are not aware of any. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to support@truple.io.
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