6 Ways to Fix reCAPTCHA Not Working in Chrome, Firefox, and Other Browsers

Quick Tips

• Disable extensions on your web browser, especially the ad-blockers and pop-up blockers.
• Update your web browser to the latest version.
• Try resetting all the settings on your web browser to fix the issue.

Before you begin, ensure there are no problems with the network connection on your device.

Fix 1: Update Your Browser

There is likely a problem with the current version of the web browser or you’re likely using an outdated version. Hence, always ensure you stay on the latest version of your browser.

On Chrome

Step 1: Open Chrome, click on the three dots icon on the toolbar, and select Help.

Step 2: Now, select About Google Chrome.

Step 3: In this window, you will see the status regarding the version of Google Chrome. If it is not updated to the latest version, you will get an option to do the same.

On Firefox

Step 1: Click on the three-bar icon > select Settings.

Step 2: In the Firefox Updates section, click on Update if available. Then, restart Firefox on your device.

Fix 2: Enable JavaScript

Websites and internet services use JavaScript to display and embed interactive content. As mentioned earlier, reCAPTCHA involves you checking a box called ‘I’m not a robot’, and this uses JavaScript.

On Chrome

Step 1: Open Chrome, click on the three dots icon on the toolbar, and select Settings.

Step 2: Select Privacy and Security on the left pane and open Site Settings.

Step 3: Scroll down and click on JavaScript.

Step 4: Ensure that you select Sites can use JavaScript to enable JavaScript. Also, ensure you haven’t added any exceptions to the Customized Behaviors list.

On Firefox

Step 1: Type about:config in the URL bar and hit Enter.

Step 2: Select Accept the Risk and Continue.

Step 3: Search for JavaScript and check its status—whether it is true or false.

Step 4: If it is false, tap on the toggle status button to make it true, and therefore enable Javascript.

Fix 3: Disable Extensions

You can try disabling extensions, especially ad blockers or pop-up blockers, to see if reCAPTCHA starts working again on your browser.

On Chrome

Step 1: Open Chrome, click on the extensions icon on the toolbar, and select Manage Extensions.

Step 2: You will now see a list of installed extensions. Turn off the toggle to disable an extension and check if it solves the issue. Repeat this for all the installed extensions.

On Mozilla Firefox

Step 1: Click on the hamburger-shaped menu on the toolbar. Select Add-ons and Themes.

Step 2: In the window that opens, disable and remove extensions.

Fix 4: Reset the Browser

Resetting a web browser restores all its settings to their default values – fixing any misconfigured settings causing problems with reCAPTCHA.

On Chrome

Step 1: Open Chrome and click on the three dots icon in the toolbar. Select Settings.

Step 2: Now, select Reset and Clean up in the left pane.

Step 3: Select Restore settings to their original defaults.

Step 4: Now, click on Reset settings to reset all settings on Chrome.

On Firefox

Firefox calls it a ‘Refresh’ instead of a ‘Reset’, and while it does the same job, the option isn’t available on the Settings page. You can find the ‘Refresh Firefox’ option on the support page.

Step 1: Type about:support in the address bar, and click on the Refresh Firefox button.

Step 2: Click on Refresh Firefox to confirm the action.

Fix 5: Change DNS

If there is any issue with your current DNS protocol, it might be why reCAPTCHA isn’t working.

Step 1: Open the Control Panel and select Network and Internet.

Step 2: Open Network and Sharing Center.

Step 3: Select your network.

Step 4: Now, select Properties.

Step 5: Check the box for Internet Protocol Verison and click on Properties.

Step 6: Check the box for Use the following DNS server addresses to enter the DNS server address manually.

Step 7: Now, enter the address 8.8.8.8 in the Preferred DNS server box and 8.8.4.4 in the Alternative DNS server box. These are the addresses for the Google DNS server.

Step 8: Lastly, click on OK to apply the changes.

Fix 6: Reset IP Address

If reCAPTCHA does not work in Chrome or Firefox, try resetting your IP address using Command Prompt. If your IP address is suspicious, this might be causing the issue.

Step 1: Find Command Prompt on your PC in the start menu. Right-click and Run as Administrator.

Step 2: Once you open Command Prompt, type each of these commands one by one, and hit Enter. Once you execute the first command, move to the second one, and so on.

netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew

Step 3: Once you finish executing all of these commands, restart your PC for the changes to take effect.