Fixed: Google Chrome ReCAPTCHA is not working

• What is reCAPTCHA?

reCAPTCHA is a free service from Google that helps protect websites from spam and abuse. A CAPTCHA is a Turing test to tell humans and bots apart. It is easy for humans to solve, but hard for “bots” and other malicious software to figure out. By adding reCAPTCHA to a site, you can block automated software while helping your welcome users to enter with ease.

• Symptom

So many users reported that they encountered a reCAPTCHA not working issue in Google Chrome recently. You can find complaints from many users on the Google Forum.

Google Forum
"Cannot contact reCAPTCHA. Check your connection and try again."

• How to identify the root cause

You can test the reCAPTCHA at this URL:
https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/demo

• Solutions

▶ Solution 1: Disable the Chrome Extensions

Google will stop with CAPTCHA messages when there are unusual traffic activities detected.

The first thing to try is to disable all extensions in Chrome. Instead of disabling each extension, attempt reCAPTCHA by accessing the problematic site in Incognito mode in Chrome and Private Browsing in other browsers.

If it works in this mode, then one of the extensions is the problem. In my case, 'Urban Free VPN proxy Unblocker - Best VPN' was the problem.

<Resolved Chrome's reCAPTCHA issue (it was caused by Urban VPN extension)>

▶ Solution 2: Disable the VPN or Proxy service

As I mentioned the Urban VPN, reCAPTCHA functionality may also be hindered by VPN connections. Therefore, if you are using a VPN application, temporarily disable it and see if the reCAPTCHA issue is resolved.

Similarly, if you are using a proxy service, disabling it may help eliminate the issue of reCaptcha not working. You can try it and see if this helps.

▶ Solution 3: Try different Web Browsers

I quickly found the problem with the Urban VPN extension because I tested it in a different web browser. If you are using Chrome, try accessing the site with another browser, such as Firefox or Microsoft Edge.

▶ Solution 4: Update Chrome to the latest version

Outdated Chrome versions may also cause reCAPTCHA issues. Of course, conversely, there is a possibility that the problem will occur after a Chrome update.

Anyway, I recommend that you solve the problem with the latest version of Chrome because updates are necessary for other reasons like security patches, etc.

▶ Solution 5: Check your IP address

Google blocks search results based on the originated IP address. There are many databases maintained either publicly or by private companies to track suspicious IP addresses. If suspicious activity with the IP address is marked as spam, Google will display a reCAPTCHA message and stop for verification.

Typically, Internet service providers (ISPs) use a wide range of dynamic IP addresses. So, disconnect your internet connection and reconnect to get a new IP address. If you want to know your public IP address, use 'What is My IP Address?' tool at this link.

After you identify your public IP address, you can reset your IP address. To do this, reset your modem or router connection. To manually reset your IP address, follow these steps:


✓ Reset IP Address on Windows O/S:

Type cmd in the Windows 10 search box, right-click the best match Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.

In the elevated Command Prompt window, type the following commands one by one and hit Enter after each one to reset your IP address.

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


✓ Reset IP Address on macOS:

Press “Command + Spacer bar” to open Spotlight search and go to “System Preferences”.
Go to “Network” options and choose your active Wi-Fi connection.
Click “Click the lock to make changes” and enable the edit mode by providing your administrator password.
Go to “Advanced…” option and then “TCP/IP” tab.
Click on the “Renew DCHP Lease” to release and renew your IP address.


* Reference links:
Fix: Recaptcha not Working in Google Chrome (Appuals)
Fixed: Google Chrome ReCAPTCHA Not Working (2021 Update) [Partition Magic] (MiniTool)