[Solved] Mobileread doesn't open on Chrome

Waylander · 05-11-2026, 09:58 AM

When I try to open Mobileread on Google Chrome I get this message:

This site can’t be reached
The web page at https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=368413 might be temporarily down or it may have moved permanently to a new web address.
ERR_HTTP2_PROTOCOL_ERROR

Is there something I can do to restore access via Chrome, and if so, what? I'm using Safari to access and make this post, but it's not my main browser.

Moderator Notice
This was caused by an anti-DDOS rule that was too broad. The rule has been deleted, and so MobileRead should be accessible from Chrome on MacOS X now.

pdurrant · 05-11-2026, 10:21 AM

I've seen this too. Since I don't usually use Chrome I assumed it was just me. I'll ask Alex.

DiapDealer · 05-11-2026, 10:36 AM

I'm not experiencing any issues. And I use Chrome exclusively on many different platforms and machines.

issybird · 05-11-2026, 10:40 AM

No issue here and Chrome is my go-to browser.

Perhaps it's a UK issue?

DiapDealer · 05-11-2026, 10:58 AM

It could be. Some sort of combination of IP address and user agent string might be something Alex would use to combat DOS attacks when they occur.

Strether · 05-11-2026, 03:02 PM

It's not a UK issue. I have the same problem and I, too, have to use Safari to access this site.

I happened after the last Chrome update. Because Chrome updates often, when I sign on in the morning, I always check for new updates. After the latest update, I could no longer access Mobileread using my main browser. Very annoying.

Jim

DiapDealer · 05-11-2026, 03:12 PM

I just now updated to the very latest Chrome on Windows. Still no issue there for me with Mobileread. There are no newer versions of Chrome available on my Android devices. I'll check on Linux when I get home from work.

JSWolf · 05-11-2026, 03:42 PM

The one bit of information not given is what OS Waylander is using.

JSWolf · 05-11-2026, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waylander

When I try to open Mobileread on Google Chrome I get this message:

This site can’t be reached
The web page at https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=368413 might be temporarily down or it may have moved permanently to a new web address.
ERR_HTTP2_PROTOCOL_ERROR

Is there something I can do to restore access via Chrome, and if so, what? I'm using Safari to access and make this post, but it's not my main browser.

What OS are you using?

aholmes5 · 05-11-2026, 05:40 PM

I have the same issue. MacOS 15.7.5. MacOS Chrome (both Intel and Apple Silicon) gives the error message in the first post. MacOS Safari and Firefox work fine. Chrome in a Windows VM works fine.

pdurrant · 05-12-2026, 02:42 AM

I'm on Mac OS Version 15.7.5 (24G624) and Chrome Version 148.0.7778.97

I have the same problem on another Mac, Mac OS Version 26.3.1 (a) (25D771280a) and Chrome Version 148.0.7778.97

Sirtel · 05-12-2026, 03:14 AM

I don't use Chrome, but when I tried with a freshly updated Chrome just now, it opened MR just fine. Windows 11.

Sirtel · 05-12-2026, 03:18 AM

So it appears to be a MacOS issue.

Waylander · 05-12-2026, 07:39 AM

I'm using a Mac as well. It's very annoying, as it started literally a couple of days ago.

DiapDealer · 05-12-2026, 09:26 AM

My guess is that it's a combination of the user-agent-reduction initiative (Chrome is reporting less and less detailed browser info on macOS) and Alex's automated measures against DDOS attacks. Perhaps the new version or its agent-string mimic what bad actors were using in the past. You can safely override what Chrome uses as its user agent string using Chrome's devtools (if we can find what a previous acceptable string on macOS looked like).

Mine on Windows is:

Code:

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/148.0.0.0 Safari/537.36

Found using https://www.whatismybrowser.com/dete...my-user-agent/

Instructions on overriding your user agent string can be found at:

https://developer.chrome.com/docs/de...ide-user-agent

Hope something there can provide some sort of workaround until Alex can take a look at things.

For the record, previous agent strings for Chrome on macOS looked like the following:

Code:

Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 15_7_5) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/147.0.0.0 Safari/537.36

If nothing has changed other than some version numbers, then this is probably not the issue. Note that Chrome has capped the macOS version number at 15.7.5 for a while now, and Chrome's minor version numbers are typically 0.0.0 (probably 148.0.0.0 by now).

05-11-2026, 09:58 AM	#1
Waylander Guru Posts: 715 Karma: 2905052 Join Date: Oct 2013 Device: Kindle Paperwhite 6	[Solved] Mobileread doesn't open on Chrome When I try to open Mobileread on Google Chrome I get this message: This site can’t be reached The web page at https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=368413 might be temporarily down or it may have moved permanently to a new web address. ERR_HTTP2_PROTOCOL_ERROR Is there something I can do to restore access via Chrome, and if so, what? I'm using Safari to access and make this post, but it's not my main browser. Moderator Notice This was caused by an anti-DDOS rule that was too broad. The rule has been deleted, and so MobileRead should be accessible from Chrome on MacOS X now. Last edited by pdurrant; 05-12-2026 at 04:08 PM.

05-12-2026, 09:26 AM	#15
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 29,426 Karma: 211545324 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	My guess is that it's a combination of the user-agent-reduction initiative (Chrome is reporting less and less detailed browser info on macOS) and Alex's automated measures against DDOS attacks. Perhaps the new version or its agent-string mimic what bad actors were using in the past. You can safely override what Chrome uses as its user agent string using Chrome's devtools (if we can find what a previous acceptable string on macOS looked like). Mine on Windows is: Code: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/148.0.0.0 Safari/537.36 Found using https://www.whatismybrowser.com/dete...my-user-agent/ Instructions on overriding your user agent string can be found at: https://developer.chrome.com/docs/de...ide-user-agent Hope something there can provide some sort of workaround until Alex can take a look at things. For the record, previous agent strings for Chrome on macOS looked like the following: Code: Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 15_7_5) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/147.0.0.0 Safari/537.36 If nothing has changed other than some version numbers, then this is probably not the issue. Note that Chrome has capped the macOS version number at 15.7.5 for a while now, and Chrome's minor version numbers are typically 0.0.0 (probably 148.0.0.0 by now). Last edited by DiapDealer; 05-12-2026 at 09:59 AM.

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05-11-2026, 10:21 AM	#2
pdurrant The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠 Posts: 75,497 Karma: 320197842 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Oasis	I've seen this too. Since I don't usually use Chrome I assumed it was just me. I'll ask Alex.

05-11-2026, 10:36 AM	#3
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 29,426 Karma: 211545324 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	I'm not experiencing any issues. And I use Chrome exclusively on many different platforms and machines.

05-11-2026, 10:40 AM	#4
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 21,909 Karma: 239737945 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: Mini, H2O, Glo HD, Aura One, PW4, PW5	No issue here and Chrome is my go-to browser. Perhaps it's a UK issue?

05-11-2026, 10:58 AM	#5
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 29,426 Karma: 211545324 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	It could be. Some sort of combination of IP address and user agent string might be something Alex would use to combat DOS attacks when they occur.

05-11-2026, 03:02 PM	#6
Strether Guru Posts: 767 Karma: 2825929 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Fresno Device: Kindle 1; iPad Air; iPhone 7; Kobo Libra; Kindle Oasis 3	It's not a UK issue. I have the same problem and I, too, have to use Safari to access this site. I happened after the last Chrome update. Because Chrome updates often, when I sign on in the morning, I always check for new updates. After the latest update, I could no longer access Mobileread using my main browser. Very annoying. Jim

05-11-2026, 03:12 PM	#7
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 29,426 Karma: 211545324 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	I just now updated to the very latest Chrome on Windows. Still no issue there for me with Mobileread. There are no newer versions of Chrome available on my Android devices. I'll check on Linux when I get home from work.

05-11-2026, 03:42 PM	#8
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 83,294 Karma: 153646249 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	The one bit of information not given is what OS Waylander is using.

05-11-2026, 05:40 PM	#10
aholmes5 Member Posts: 23 Karma: 498 Join Date: Nov 2013 Device: PW3, PW4, Libra 2, Clara BW	I have the same issue. MacOS 15.7.5. MacOS Chrome (both Intel and Apple Silicon) gives the error message in the first post. MacOS Safari and Firefox work fine. Chrome in a Windows VM works fine.

05-12-2026, 02:42 AM	#11
pdurrant The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠 Posts: 75,497 Karma: 320197842 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Oasis	I'm on Mac OS Version 15.7.5 (24G624) and Chrome Version 148.0.7778.97 I have the same problem on another Mac, Mac OS Version 26.3.1 (a) (25D771280a) and Chrome Version 148.0.7778.97

05-12-2026, 03:14 AM	#12
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 15,102 Karma: 247565725 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	I don't use Chrome, but when I tried with a freshly updated Chrome just now, it opened MR just fine. Windows 11.

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05-12-2026, 03:18 AM	#13
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 15,102 Karma: 247565725 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	So it appears to be a MacOS issue.

05-12-2026, 07:39 AM	#14
Waylander Guru Posts: 715 Karma: 2905052 Join Date: Oct 2013 Device: Kindle Paperwhite 6	I'm using a Mac as well. It's very annoying, as it started literally a couple of days ago.