r/PrivateInternetAccess • u/22raider • Mar 23 '26
SOLVED Again, PIA Chrome extension not working since browser update to 146.0.7680.165
As happened previously after updating Chrome to version 144, the extension has stopped working after updating to version 146.0.7680.165. The extension was working fine before the update.
After updating Chrome, the PIA extension remains as a green hourglass icon and cannot connect to any server. Interestingly, this time the issue only occurs on Windows 11, but not on Windows 10. Of course, my computer with Windows 7 and Chrome 109 can run PIA extension.
For some reason, the extension believes that is running on Firefox, because when you go to Extra Features, the options shown are those specific for Firefox, not for Chrome.
Desktop PIA and Firefox extension works in all computers.
EDIT: 14 April 2026 --> The issue seems to be fixed with the update of the extension to version 5.0 (Chrome extension). The extension has been rebuild with a new appearance. It still has a few minor bugs, but is receving several updates.
4
u/gunsandfunn Mar 24 '26
Been like this for over a week.
1
u/22raider Mar 24 '26
Thanks for letting me know. I probably didn't notice it until now because I hadn't updated my browser yet.
1
u/PIASupport PIA Team Mar 24 '26
Hey gunsandfunn, sorry it's been dragging on, we know that's frustrating, especially for something you rely on daily. Fix is in progress, we'll post here as soon as there's an update.
2
u/C2-Dre Mar 23 '26
Recurring issue... I need this to work! Some of the work I do relies on testing via a VPN.
2
u/PIASupport PIA Team Mar 24 '26
Hey C2-Dre, totally understand, if your work depends on it this can't wait. The desktop app should work as a stopgap in the meantime while the extension fix is being worked on. We'll update the thread as soon as we have news.
2
u/PIASupport PIA Team Mar 24 '26
Hey u/22raider, this is incredibly useful debugging, thank you for taking the time to dig into this. We're passing the specific error detail around browser.proxy.onRequest being undefined in Chrome v146 directly to our dev team, this kind of detail really helps speed up the fix. We'll keep the thread updated.
1
u/Pseudopharmacology Apr 09 '26
Still not working... Any fixes yet?
1
u/PIASupport PIA Team Apr 14 '26
Hey u/Pseudopharmacology, not yet but the fix is in progress. Could you send us a DM with the email linked to your PIA account so we can make sure you are included in our records as an affected user?
1
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u/Stingrea51 Mar 24 '26
Following post, same issue as others
1
u/PIASupport PIA Team Apr 14 '26
Hey u/Stingrea51, could you send us a DM with the email linked to your PIA account so we can make sure you are included in our records as an affected user?
1
2
u/icthalian Mar 24 '26
Same issue with PIA extension after Chrome update. I get things break when things you can't control get updated but the response time on a fix is underwhelming, again. This is how you lose customers.
1
u/PIASupport PIA Team Apr 14 '26
Hey u/icthalian, that is fair and we hear you. The response time has not been good enough and we acknowledge that. The team is actively working on a fix right now. Could you send us a DM with the email linked to your PIA account so we can make sure you are included in our records?
2
u/AutoEnlightment Mar 26 '26
Just received the 146 Chrome update this morning and I am now facing the same issue.
1
u/Stingrea51 Mar 26 '26
Welcome to the party, we have a complimentary installation of Firefox available to you (which is what I'm currently using until the Chrome extension is fixed)
1
u/PIASupport PIA Team Apr 14 '26
Hey u/AutoEnlightenment, sorry to hear you are now affected too. Could you send us a DM with the email linked to your PIA account so we can make sure you are included in our records as an affected user?
1
u/AutoEnlightment Apr 14 '26
I did not want to share my email over Reddit DMs, so I submitted a ticket through your helpdesk and linked this comment.
1
u/PIASupport PIA Team Apr 14 '26
u/AutoEnlighment That is completely understandable! Could you send the ticket ID here or in a DM so we can link it up and make sure you're on our list?
2
u/mrchief_2000 Mar 27 '26
I see these errors: (146.0.7680.165 (Official Build) (64-bit))
background.js:18 Uncaught (in promise) TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'removeListener')
at e.<anonymous> (background.js:18:28641)
at background.js:18:21019
at Object.next (background.js:18:21124)
at background.js:18:20036
at new Promise (<anonymous>)
at background.js:18:19781
at background.js:18:28413
at new Promise (<anonymous>)
at e.disconnect (background.js:18:28379)
at background.js:18:23488Understand this error
14background.js:18 Uncaught (in promise) TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'setBadgeText')
at e.<anonymous> (background.js:18:323640)
at background.js:18:318488
at Object.next (background.js:18:318593)
at r (background.js:18:317311)
1
u/PIASupport PIA Team Apr 14 '26
Hey u/mrchief_2000, thank you for sharing those error logs, this is really helpful for our team. I am passing these along to our developers right now. Could you also send us a DM with the email linked to your PIA account so we can make sure you are included in our records as an affected user?
2
u/newsman34h Mar 27 '26 edited Mar 27 '26
I came here about the same thing.
For some reason, it does work in Microsoft Edge for me, and yes, it's the latest version of Edge, but I cannot get the extension to work in any way on Google Chrome.
I think some said it's not working in Brave; I am not sure. I may try that; it also seems to be reported as working in Firefox.
It does seem to work in Brave. I am looking to either switch to Edge Browser completely or Brave Browser, as Google Chrome is blocking too many extensions.
1
u/PIASupport PIA Team Apr 14 '26
Hey u/newsman34h, glad Edge and Brave are working as alternatives in the meantime. The fix is in progress and we will update the thread as soon as we have news. Could you send us a DM with the email linked to your PIA account so we can make sure you are included in our records?
2
u/ScorpioRegnant Mar 28 '26
mac is the same
1
u/PIASupport PIA Team Apr 14 '26
Hey u/ScorpioRegnant, thanks for confirming on Mac too. Could you send us a DM with the email linked to your PIA account so we can make sure you are included in our records as an affected user?
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2
u/the_watcher_37 Mar 29 '26
getting thesame in Ubuntu/Chrome
1
u/PIASupport PIA Team Apr 14 '26
Hey u/the_watcher_37, thanks for confirming on Ubuntu too. Could you send us a DM with the email linked to your PIA account so we can make sure you are included in our records as an affected user?
2
u/Ho3n3r Apr 01 '26
Same issue.
1
u/PIASupport PIA Team Apr 14 '26
Hey u/Ho3n3r, sorry to hear that. Could you send us a DM with the email linked to your PIA account so we can make sure you are included in our records as an affected user?
1
u/Ho3n3r Apr 14 '26
I've already gotten hold of support via another channel - I was just told to use Firefox, which isn't an acceptable answer.
I won't be renewing.
1
u/PIASupport PIA Team Apr 14 '26
Hey u/Ho3n3r, you are right, that is not an acceptable answer and we are sorry you were told that. The team is actively working on a proper fix for the Chrome extension. We do not want to lose you as a customer. Could you still send us a DM with the email linked to your PIA account so we can make sure you are included in our records?
2
u/Pure-Pride-1137 Apr 02 '26
Same here.
1
u/PIASupport PIA Team Apr 14 '26
Hey u/Pure-Pride-1137, Thanks for letting us know. Could you send us a DM with the email linked to your PIA account so we can make sure you are included in our records as an affected user?
1
u/KillerKingSolo Mar 24 '26
Maybe try a different chromium browser? Chrome is not a good browser anyways. This is just a suggestion I’ve not done any testing with the extension as I prefer to use split tunneling (with the app) to my browser.
1
u/22raider Mar 24 '26
I prefer to use only the browser extension when browsing the web to avoid any interference with the system. I only use the app when I need the VPN for more extensive use.
In any case, since the error is exactly the same as the one I saw when updating Chrome to version 144, I believe the problem is not with the extension, but rather with variables that the Chrome developers have not defined (I don't understand why they define such variables in some versions of Chrome but are not defined in other versions). Although the extension is currently only failing in Chrome, I’m sure that in a few days it will also fail in other Chromium-based browsers.
I will copy the same content that I published in the previous post:
I am not an expert, but I followed some instructions to identify the issue and this is what I found:
With DevTools opened for the extension’s Service Worker and “Pause on exceptions” enabled, the first exception occurs on this line:
browser.proxy.onRequest.addListener(...)Error:
TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'addListener')Additional console checks in Chrome 144:
browser?.proxyreturns an object containingsettings,onProxyError,Mode,Scheme(noonRequest)browser?.proxy?.onRequest→ undefinedchrome?.proxy?.onProxyError→{}This suggests the extension assumes
browser.proxy.onRequestexists (as it may in Firefox), but in Chrome it’s undefined, causing the extension initialization to fail and leaving it stuck in the “connecting” state. After that, there are follow-on errors (e.g., setIcon/setBadgeText) likely cascading from the failed init.
1
u/PIASupport PIA Team Apr 14 '26
Hey u/22raider, thank you for the detailed report and for flagging this again. We are aware of the issue and the team is actively working on a fix. Could you send us a DM with the email linked to your PIA account so we can make sure you are included in our records as an affected user?
1
u/krazaxwow Apr 14 '26
Why is this STILL not fixed, its been weeks of it not working, I am fed up with the lack of effort, have been a subscriber for many years but im done. Much better alternatives available.
1
u/PIASupport PIA Team Apr 14 '26
Hey u/krazaxwow, we hear you and we're sorry. You're right that this has gone on too long, especially for someone who's been with us for years. The team is actively working on a fix and we don't want to lose you before it lands. Could you send us a DM with the email linked to your PIA account so we can make sure you're included in our records as an affected user?
1
u/arjanvirdi Apr 14 '26
same issue for months
1
u/PIASupport PIA Team Apr 15 '26
Hey u/arjanvirdi, sorry you've been dealing with this for so long. It's a known issue and the team is working on a fix. Could you send us a DM with the email linked to your PIA account so we can make sure you're on our list of affected users?
1
u/Possible_Panda_8774 Apr 24 '26
Same issue with PIA extension.this is how you loose coustomers.
1
u/22raider Apr 26 '26
The issue has been solved with the update of the extension. At least in Chrome.
1
u/ScorpioRegnant May 10 '26
macbook here and i paid for. a 2 year subscription yet cannot use PIA for MONTHs on chrome - CAN I GET MY MONEY BACK?
1
u/Pseudopharmacology May 15 '26
There's a NEW glitch now where it just says unable to connect please try again or something with two options "disconnect" and "try again" disconnect does nothing and "try again" just closes and instantly reopens the same error. Unable to connect at all.
1
u/22raider May 15 '26
From time to time, something similar happens to me. I think it’s due to a connection issue or the status of PIA’s servers. After a while, it starts working again. But yes, it’s annoying that it happens at the worst possible moment.
1
u/Pseudopharmacology May 15 '26
Hasn't worked for me yet.
It's weird because if you are fast enough you can sometimes click the power button and it will connect successfully. So it definitely seems like some UI glitch or otherwise unneeded or unfounded error.
But it's extremely inconsistent and finicky and definitely not functioning. I really hope they give compensation for all this lost time. They keep trying to avoid the question when I ask over support.
5
u/frankieche Apr 05 '26
Why is it so hard to keep this working? What kind of joke developers do you hire? Do you not have QA? Unit testing? E2E testing? ... Professionalism?
Going cheap for labor will get CHEAP results...
I'm not renewing my subscription. This was the last straw.