When you’re looking to extend the core capabilities of your Google Chrome browser, nothing comes more in handy than a browser extension. Some extensions will help to download videos when there’s no download button to be seen. Others are perfect for taking screenshots without needing to have a dedicated graphics manipulation program. They can make for a night and day’s worth of difference in the browsing experience. But before you can begin using them, there’s no way around it – you’ll have to install them first.
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Universal Google Chrome Extension Installation Guide
If you want to install a Google Chrome extension, great news! Given how easy the process is, there’s no need to be tech-savvy to complete it.
Step 1. Open up the official Chrome Web store.
Step 2. Type in what you’re looking for. It could either be the name of the extension or anything that matches its description. For example, screenshot or video downloader.
Step 3. Press Add To Chrome.
Step 4. At this point, you may have to do an extra step that involves confirming the permissions of the desired extension or restarting the browser. After that, you’re good to go.
What Are The Most Useful Extensions to Install?
Here are a couple of ideas on what extensions will serve you best.
- A screen capture extension. Don’t you find it tedious always to be having to hit the screenshot button, open up a separate graphics editor, paste it in, then save it? It sure does work, but it’s a repetitive time-waster, especially if you have a lot of screenshots to take. There are plenty of screen capture extensions that reduce the complete process to a single click of a button.
- An ad block extension. Did you know that some ads distribute malware? You might catch something nasty by clicking on an ad. By accident. If you use a for work-related purposes, protecting it is one of the highest priorities. Plus, if you’re using an older machine, some modern ads can slow it down. So even harmless ads can be a waste of your valuable system resources. To stay protected and hassle-free, install an extension like Adblock Plus.
- A productivity extension. There are many productivity extensions available, so to give you an idea, let’s focus on one: Tab Wrangler. This extension automatically closes your tabs after a certain period of time if you’re not using them. Thanks to its help, you can focus on work that matters and get rid of the distractions. Plus, you get to save the memory of your system, so that’s another plus.
- A password manager. Don’t you hate how every site nowadays wants you to register an account? It creates a mess of passwords and account data that is next to impossible to manage. And no, re-using the same password everywhere is not the answer either. It introduces a weakness to your entire digital security. So password manager extensions are the solution. They let you create strong and unique individual passwords for each of your accounts and store them on your behalf.
- A proxy switcher. Many companies rely on proxies when scraping data or testing websites. Not only proxy extensions let you manage your proxies, but also switch between them on demand. Of course, such an extension may be redundant if your company uses a VPN solution like NordVPN Teams. Although these don’t come in the form of an extension, they’re a much more stable alternative and better in the long term.
Uninstalling an Extension is Easy as Pie
After you’ve grown tired of a specific extension, found a better alternative, or no longer need it, uninstalling it is as easy as installing one.
Step 1. Navigate to the toolbar of your browser in the top right and open up the section with extensions (More -> More Tools -> Extensions).
Step 2. Find the one you wish to get rid of and click Remove. Done!
What Kind of Extensions Should You Consider Removing?
- Clutter. Did you notice you’re no longer using a particular extension? Even more so if it’s taking up much space? Then it might be worth thinking about whether it’s time to part ways with it.
- Performance hogs. Do you suspect an extension to be slowing things down? Chances are there’s a better alternative out there, so don’t think twice and give it a pass.
- Old extensions. Some extensions still manage to get the job done. But many old extensions are no longer supported by the developers. They can create security vulnerabilities, so it’s better to remove them.
- Those that ask for suspicious permissions. Most Chrome extensions are developed by third-party developers and not the official team that coded the browser. It may be worth noting that the former may not always have your best intentions at heart. If they ask for more than they should need functionality-wise, you should trust your gut instinct and get rid of them.
Conclusion
Some Google Chrome extensions are worth having, while others are not. In the end, you are the only one who can be the judge. With the help of the tips laid out above, this should be an easy task.