Websites and web services try to capture the user's attention in many ways, but one of the most irritating is the combination of pop-ups and overlays that block content. That's why Nicu Namolovan created the extension Behind the Overlay. All it does is add an extra button to your browser that lets you remove the overlay from many transparent layers and pop-ups.
A classic way to eliminate distractions on a web page is to use a “reading mode”. Firefox includes this tool in the address bar (you can also press F9), while in the case of Chrome/Chromium you need to enable the corresponding function in chrome://flags. However, sometimes all we want is to remove an overlay or a transparent layer that hides the information we seek. That's where Behind the Overlay comes in, compatible with Firefox and Chrome.
How to remove overlays and pop-ups with Behind the Overlay
The extension doesn't have any advanced configuration. All you need to do to activate it is click on the icon, and results will appear immediately. Now, it's important to acknowledge that its effectiveness is not 100 percent. Websites change constantly, and in isolated cases Behind the Overlay may not detect additional layers. At the same time, this extension is not suitable for bypassing paywalls. We have a guide about that if you want to know more.
In short, Behind the Overlay's ability to remove layers will depend a lot on the site we are visiting, but it is very easy to use, and it doesn't consume any extra resources thanks to its manual activation. Ideally, sites should opt for solutions that don't block their own content, but until that happens… here you go. Finally, the extension is open source, and you can access its code on GitHub.
Behind the Overlay - Firefox: Click here
Behind the Overlay - Chrome: Click here
