The number of browser extensions available in the Chrome store is one of the best and worst features of Google Chrome. It’s the best because it gives users nearly endless ways to improve their Chrome experience, but it’s also the worst because you may not realize how many great extensions you’re missing out on if you never look for them.
Chrome extensions can do everything from completely rearrange your email inbox to filtering out websites that contain inappropriate content.
Here’s a selection of some of the most useful Chrome extensions available right now.
Save to Google Drive
This one is pretty self-explanatory and simple, but it gets the job done. Save to Google Drive adds a small icon to the top right corner of the browser that saves everything you’re viewing to your Google Drive account for viewing later. There is also a more specific option in the context menu.
You can take screenshots and save photos, audio or video. Again, there’s not much to this extension, but it’s a quick and easy solution for anyone who needs to move files between devices to send something to cloud storage.
organize
People were understandably disappointed when Google announced the closure of its Inbox by Gmail app. The productivity-focused Gmail alternative allowed users to manage their inboxes and prioritize what was important to them.
The Sortd Chrome plugin isn’t a perfect alternative, but it gets the job done. After installation, it connects with Gmail and allows users to drag and drop messages into custom columns. Sortd also has a sidebar where you can take notes and manage a to-do list.
The best thing is that you can return to the usual Gmail screen at any time with the press of a button.
Honey Chrome Plugin
Honey is one of the most popular and well-liked Chrome extensions available, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a quick and easy way to locate coupons when shopping online, either through an icon next to the URL or through a centralized website.
In many ways, the Internet has made shopping easier, but it can still be difficult to determine if you’re getting the best price on something. Honey saves you time and money by doing the work for you.
Chrono Download Manager
Even with all the developments in Chrome over the years, downloading items is still not the best part of the experience. Looking at photos, programs, or other things you’ve downloaded requires opening a different tab that isn’t very well organized. Also, the download bar at the bottom of the screen is just unattractive.
The extension market offers a wonderful option in the form of Chrono Download Manager. Click on the extension icon in the top right corner to open a window with all your downloads neatly organized. You can sort them by date or type, and you can even preview each download as soon as it’s done.
HTTPS Everywhere
Your information can be collected virtually anywhere and at any time, and it can be difficult to determine whether websites are safe.
This is where HTTPS Everywhere comes into play. The simple Chrome plugin allows you to change any website from “http” to “https”, which means it’s safer and more secure. One browser extension can’t solve all Internet problems, but HTTPS Everywhere focuses on one task and gets it done effectively.
Dalton extension for color blindness
The Dalton Extension for Colorblind is a useful tool for colorblind people.
Some people may not have excellent color vision, but the world is not designed for them. When objects or images on a website are difficult for colorblind users to tell apart, the Dalton Chrome extension is a useful tool.
Dalton, found in the upper right corner of the browser, displays a basic menu with options for three different forms of color blindness. Users can use one of two color sliders to make any page they’re viewing more readable. There is no cure for color blindness, but Dalton can help.
Speed Test
The Internet is faster than ever, but it’s far from perfect. Before streaming a movie or downloading a large attachment, sometimes you need to check your connection speed. Fortunately, Speedtest makes it quite simple.
Just click the “Go” button and Speedtest will perform a quick connection test on whatever network you’re connected to. Other than that, there’s not much to do, though if you’re in doubt about your network speed, Speedtest can help.
Strap with tongue
The main problem with tabbed browsing is that you can easily fly too close to the sun. It’s tempting to keep hundreds of tabs open, but doing so can slow down Chrome to a crawling pace. Tab Suspend is a feasible solution to this problem. To keep things running smoothly, it will automatically suspend any open tabs after a certain period of time. Just go back to the tab and click or refresh to restore it.
grammatically
Grammarly isn’t a new or esoteric Chrome plugin, but it’s really useful. Anyone who writes knows the fear of unintentional typos or spelling errors. Grammarly will find and correct them for you.
Although spell checking systems are already available, it never hurts to have a more extensive and complete one.
