This is a Google Chrome extension that prevents webpages from capturing and preventing the devtool shortcuts from working.
As an example, a website could include the following code:
window.addEventListener('keydown', event => {
event.stopImmediatePropagation();
event.preventDefault();
console.log('event prevented', event);
}, { capture: true });
Now, if that page is focused and you attempt to use any of the shortcuts for opening the devtools, they will do nothing. Very annoying.
This extension prevents that by doing something similar. It creates a keydown event listener with { capture: true } and listens for the right shortcuts. If it finds one, it will stopImmediatePropagation(), preventing other event listeners from calling preventDefault() and thereby allowing the shortcuts to work as expected.
To install the extension, open Chrome's Settings > Extensions. Then choose Load unpacked at the top left, and select this folder. If that option is not available, make sure you enable Developer mode at the top right. If you want this extension to also work in Incognito mode 👀 make sure you click Details and enable Allow in Icognito.
I considered making this an official extension on the Chrome Web Store but didn't feel like paying $5 for the privilege and dealing with their review process.
This extension will attempt to detect the platform being used and only prevent the appropriate shortcuts. If the platform cannot be detected, it will prevent all of the associated shortcuts.
| Action | Mac | Windows / Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Open whatever panel you used last | Command+Option+I | F12 or Control+Shift+I |
| Open the Console panel | Command+Option+J | Control+Shift+J |
| Open the Elements panel | Command+Shift+C or Command+Option+C | Control+Shift+C |
| View Source | Command+Option+U | Control+U |
Most of these are listed on the Chrome's keyboard shortcuts page.
No, but it's convenient. I searched around to see if there was an internal Chrome setting for this, or an existing extension that does the same thing, but I couldn't find one so I made my own. It's rather difficult to google for so I may have missed it.