Chrome extensions/addons, much like ones for other browsers, add functionality or customization to your web browser. Chrome doesn't have the best framework for extensions, but it is the most popular web browser. The effect has been that most competing browsers have adopted the Chrome framework for extensions, and thus it has the largest extension library.

If you prefer the motto “if it works, don't fix it”, then it's best not to update. Not the web browser, or the addons/extensions. Almost all sources will tell you not to do this, that it is super-crucial to always have the latest version of Chrome. Perhaps I am lucky in the last 20 or so years of using outdated software (reference being worked on), that I haven't been affected by a security vulnerability. Things may be different now, but I'll take my chances.

However, in order to maintain compatibility with the increasingly changing web standards, communication protocols, and server libraries, you do eventually have to update any web browser. It's just preferable to do it on your schedule, rather than having things change unexpectedly, behind your back.

Sometimes Chrome is updated in a way that will make it incompatible with the extensions/addons you have.

Sometimes extensions change in a way that you do not like.

Sometimes, Chrome updates your addons, and disables them because they require new permissions. Usually, this is because the addon has become adware. A lot of useful chrome extensions turn to adware, because people try to monetize on the growing user base. You can re-enable these extensions individually, but then you may be stuck with the injected advertising that was introduced as part of the extension update. For example, a new permission might be “Read and change all your data, on the websites you visit”. This is likely only to deliver advertising, but you never know.

There is an extension called FEBE, at least for Firefox or Pale Moon, to backup the current versions of your extensions, so that if you were to update, you can still revert.

Some souls are trying to help with the problem, by creating archives of old versions of Chrome extensions. I found two sites by searching and finding a thread on StackOverFlow.com:

https://crx.dam.io
http://www.crx4chrome.com

There is no Google Chrome setting available, at least within the browser GUI (user interface), that can disable auto-update of addons. You have to go under the hood, and edit some text files to change the setting manually.

“ Disabling concrete extension update. That's what I wanted! You can do this by editing the extensions manifest json-file

on Windows: C:\Users\<USERNAME>\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\<EXTENSION-ID>\<VERSION>\manifest.json (find out the extensions ID by enabling developer mode in the extension settings page) on Ubuntu for Chromium: ${HOME}/.config/chromium/Default/Preferences

In this file set “update_url” property to something invalid like “https://localhost” for example. For now according to given url updating of that extension is simply impossible. ” source

You can also rename the “update” folder located at “program files…\google\update”, or “%AppData%\google\update\”, to stop all updates.

On MacOS: Open Finder and browse to Applications. Right click on Google Chrome and select “Show Package Contents”. Open info.plist in Xcode. If you don't have Xcode, TextEdit will work. Find KSUpdateURL and change the following URL from https://tools.google.com/service/update2 to something else like https://localhost.