# Override Text Encoding

> Manually set the charset (character encoding) for a webpage, to fix encoding errors and garbage characters on websites. A replacement for the former View → Text Encoding menu.

Canonical page: [https://chrome-stats.com/d/override-text-encoding](https://chrome-stats.com/d/override-text-encoding)

## Overview

- **ID:** `override-text-encoding`
- **Platform:** Firefox
- **Type:** Firefox add-on
- **Status:** Available
- **Publisher:** Robert Xiao
- **Category:** language-support
- **Daily users:** 2,333
- **Weekly downloads:** 54
- **Rating:** 4.06 / 5 (16 ratings)
- **Version:** 1.2
- **Last updated:** 2026-02-19
- **First published:** 2022-02-18
- **Size:** 23 KB
- **Data as of:** 2026-09-10
- **Store listing:** [Firefox Add-ons Store](https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/override-text-encoding/)
- **Website:** [https://github.com/nneonneo/firefox-charset-extension](https://github.com/nneonneo/firefox-charset-extension)

## Description

Override Text Encoding lets you manually set the charset for a webpage to fix garbled text and encoding issues. It provides a toolbar button and a popup to choose any supported encoding, with options for page-by-page or domain-wide overrides.

Overrides are applied by altering the Content-Type header, with special modes for Default (no override) and Autodetect (remove charset to allow automatic detection). You can manage overrides in the extension's preferences.

## Rankings

- #1,982 — Overall
- #84 — Language Support
- #3 — override
- #7 — coding
- #9 — overdrive
- #41 — uninstall

## Permissions and access

### Permissions

- `webRequest`
- `webRequestBlocking`
- `storage`
- `<all_urls>`

## Safety

- **Risk impact:** Moderate risk impact
- **Risk likelihood:** Moderate risk likelihood

### Analysis details

- Allows access to all websites, posing a significant security risk as it can monitor and modify data from any visited site.
- This extension has low user count. Unpopular extensions may not be stable or safe.

> Some risk analysis details are omitted from this free response. [Upgrade to view the full analysis](https://chrome-stats.com/pricing).

## Review summary

Reviews say the addon provides a needed encoding control after Mozilla removed the native option and usually works, with a pleasant UI. However, reliability is mixed: the encoding override can fail (old encoding stays), settings/menus can be hard to find, the override option may be missing, and it can break some sites (like YouTube). Overall, it's a useful workaround with a good UI, but not consistently reliable across sites or Firefox versions.

### Pros

- Replaces the native encoding option Mozilla removed.
- Works well in some Firefox versions and often does what it's supposed to.
- Nice, user-friendly UI.

### Cons

- Does not always apply the new encoding; old encoding remains.
- Not easily visible or accessible in add-on settings.
- Missing the override option in the menu.
- Can break sites (e.g., YouTube) on some pages.

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Source: [Chrome-Stats](https://chrome-stats.com/d/override-text-encoding)