When it comes to web browsers Google Chrome is one of the favourites, highly due to its customisation options, fast speeds and the extensions that can improve your overall experience on the web. There are loads of tools and extensions available that can speed up specific tasks, save you time, keep you safe or give a cosmetic makeover within your browser.
1. Dark Reader
The bright white lighting behind most websites can be overwhelming coming from your device, due to this many people opt to use the dark mode versions of applications and websites, however not all sites offer this option. With Dark Reader most websites get a darker, more subtle look which many people prefer.
2. Honey
Everybody loves to save money, but no one wants to scavenge the internet looking for codes or coupons to reduce their purchase price, Honey takes out all the hard work and will automatically search for coupons to save you money when checking out. This extension can potentially save you a decent amount of money over time and may be worthwhile installing.
3. Grammarly
A more well known tool is Grammarly, which takes out all the embarrassment of misspelling on the internet. Grammarly will automatically spell check your writing and suggest correct options for you, as well as give options for synonyms. It doesn’t work like auto correct, more just giving you a review of what you’ve typed and options on how to fix it.
4. User-Agent Switcher
This tool by Google makes it possible to change what device or application a website thinks you are accessing it from. This can be extremely useful for website developers as you can see how a site would look on a mobile device through the User-Agent Switcher. It’s important to note that this extension does not offer any additional privacy when browsing.
5. TubeBuddy
If you’re a YouTube content creator there’s a chance you may have heard of or even used TubeBuddy before. TubeBuddy is an advanced tool for YouTube that gives insightful information on videos, such as used hashtags and even allow you to copy them. For a creator the features can be incredibly helpful for optimising videos and saving time.
6. TrafficLight
The TrafficLight extension can add an extra security layer when browsing, it will scan web pages for anything potentially harmful or malicious, such as malware and trackers. Trafficlight is made by Bitdefender and can be used as an extension or addition to your internet security or antivirus protection.
7. Speedtest
If your internet doesn’t quite feel up to par a quick way to check for an issue is by running a speedtest, Ooakla provides an amazing and well known website based version. However with this extension you can perform a speed test straight from your toolbar making testing your internet seamless.
8. Extensity
An issue that you may run into if you have a lot of Chrome extensions is having the enable and disable them when the time requires, it can take some effort to disable each one manually, however with Extensity you can disable and enable each extension quicker and easier than ever before. You can customise your experience by creating groups and profiles to make switching between what extensions are active and inactive simple.
9. HTTPS Everywhere
When browsing the internet you may run into websites that feature the “http” url or the “https” url, the added “S” stands for secure and is an added level of protection to deter and prevent hackers from accessing information. Not every website has the secure layer of protection, so the HTTPS Everywhere extension adds one where it is needed.
10. Picture in Picture
If you’re a fan of multitasking like I am, then the Picture in Picture extension may be very helpful when you’re watching videos and viewing other websites simultaneously. PiP allows you to pop out the video and display it as a floating overlay while viewing other tabs, sites or applications. You can make a video extract by pressing the keyboard shortcut Alt + P on Windows, or Option + P on Mac.
11. AHA Music Identifier
Finding a song name or title is made easy with AHA Music Identifier, you can set it to listen to any audio that is playing on a page and it will try to identify the song name and artist and even provide you with any successful links it may find. This can be helpful if you’re watching a video and hear a song that you like but isn’t credited.
12. Dark Night Mode
Transform every website you visit into a darker themed mode alternative with Dark Night Mode, this is another free extension that shifts the web pages you browse into the much loved dark theme that many applications and sites offer as an alternative style. Dark Night Mode doesn’t invert the colours of websites, meaning if a page already features a dark theme the colours won’t be adjusted or made brighter.
13. Google Mail Checker
Google’s very own mail checker extension adds an icon to your toolbar which will notify you when you get a new email, this can be helpful for people that forget to check their emails or are waiting for important information. This tool is also helpful for people that run a business as you’ll easily see when a new email pops up and can increase your response time.
14. Save to Pocket
Save and store articles, pages and videos to be viewed at a later date easily with Save to Pocket, when viewing a page there are three main ways to add it to your catalogue, simply click on the Save to Pocket icon in the toolbar, right click the link and select to save it, or use the keyboard shortcut appropriate to your operating system.
15. Popup Blocker
Websites can be filled with annoying overlays and pop-ups that get in the way of you viewing a website and its content, with Popup Blocker this can be negated. The extension will provide notifications when something has been blocked and is effective on various sites, including streaming.
