Best Google Chrome Extensions For All Walks of Life {2019 Edition}
There’s something for everyone
One of the biggest advantages of using chrome is an ultra wide range of extensions on the Chrome Web Store. Since there are a ton of google chrome extensions, it is very difficult to choose the best ones. That’s why I have curated a list of Best Chrome Extensions for all walks of life. Doesn’t matter if you are a student, a business owner or just a newbie to the webverse, this post will be of great help.
Without further ado, I’ll begin the list right away.
Google Chrome is already a decade years old, this September the browser will be 11 years old. The browser did not take long to reach the top and since then it has retained the top position. Google Chrome has over 2 billion users worldwide & Google Chrome has a market share of around 55% across the globe.
Here’s the list for you,
1. Google Chrome Extensions for Privacy & Security
HTTPS Everywhere
At times, you land on websites that do not have https protocol installed. A non-https website is not secure for your data transmission, at least Google believes this and that’s why the company shows “not secure” label in the URL bar. To know if the webpage you are visiting is safe to browse, this extension will do the needful.
We owe thanks to the Tor project and EFF team for creating HTTPS Everywhere. This extension automatically converts thousands of non-http websites to https. Hence, enhancing your security/privacy and eliminating the chances related to surveillance, account hijack, data hack & compromising the private data.
Privacy Badger
Programming is great, the internet is even better. But some bad guys take advantage of this and spy on users by installing hidden code in the browsers. Privacy Badger blocks such code and programmes from stealing your data. This might include some personal stuff too.
Almost all web-based businesses track your activity to deliver targeted ads. Privacy Badger will stop all such attempts and enable you to experience the less creepy internet experience.
ScriptSafe
You must already know, a webpage that loads on your browser is bunch code & scripts. ScriptSafe blocks unwanted scripts from loading your browser and make your browsing experience faster. You can whitelist/blacklist websites, Protection against WebRTC leaks, unwanted blocking, Malware Domain Blocklist, and more such cool features.
Web of Trust
While you are ready to install a bunch of more Google Chrome Extensions than you already have, it is important to check if the extension is safe. I may recommend it, but how about checking it by yourself? WOT helps you judge whether or not an extension is safe to install. WOT is a community of millions of users across the globe. People vote extensions who report the extensions based on security and usability.
WOT will show a green label for the extensions that are safe to use, yellow for an okayish and red label for extensions that you should stay away from.
uBlock Origin
There’s a saying in marketing space “If you don’t pay for a product, you are the product”. While the information on the web is absolutely free, but some business owners track your activity and target ads. Privacy Badger ensures that such scripts & trackers are blocked. uBlock Origin blocks targetted ads on the websites you are browsing. You also control the whitelisting websites so that don’t miss ads from your preferred content creators.
Ghostery
Yet another tracker blocking extension, but this Google Chrome Extension takes this a step ahead. The extension not only blocks such trackers but also gives a way to watch what type of trackers are running on the websites you’re visiting.
Ghostery enables you to view & block extensions, anonymize your personal data that is backed by anti-blocking technology. To take this even higher, Ghostery even blocks annoying ads. Of all three extensions, I’d recommend using Ghostery, considering a wide range of features it serves.
TunnelBear VPN
Even if you install extensions to block trackers, there are people who keep an eye on your IP address. A VPN can get rid of this issue. VPN technically keeps you invisible & yet browse the web. Furthermore, VPN has added benefit to unblocking region-based content.
Some certain websites are blocked in certain regions, TunnelBear VPN can help you get rid of this. TunnelBear is a paid service which is billed at $9.99/mo or $4.99 if billed annually. If you think your privacy more worth than the money you’re paying.
2. Google Chrome Extensions For Better Reading & Video Experience
Invideo for YouTube
Remember those times when you are rewatching your favorite videos, and don’t know the part you want to watch. That’s where Invideo for YouTube will come handy. You can search for a specific portion of the video using Invideo for YouTube.
This extension lets you search inside the YouTube video using the subtitles. The downside of the extension is that this extension works only for the video with subtitles only.
Dark Reader
Using the Dark Reader you can turn on the dark theme once you install the extension and have an immersive experience while you’re reading content online. Dark Reader extension ensures you have better control over settings like brightness, contrast, sepia filters, font settings, and more such awesome controls.
InstaPaper
If you are a person who’s always out of time, you’re going to love this piece of code. InstaPaper lets you save webpages to read later at ease. Sure, there’s Pocket doing the same job. But when it comes to UI, InstaPaper does a way better job. Furthermore, the control this extension provides is way better than Pocket.
I’d bet my last dime on this extension over others. It’s that shway!
HoverZoom
As the name suggests, HoverZoom lets you preview videos, images, and thumbnails on the webpages you browse. With this chrome extension in action, you can save a lot of time by simply hovering over an object of the webpage and have a preview of those objects.
Magic Actions for YouTube
If you are YouTuber, or simply a person who loves watching videos on YouTube, you’re going to love this chrome extension. Magic Actions for YouTube is a cute little extension that lets you better control your video watching experience on YouTube.
This extension has features like Auto HD (that plays videos in HD by default), volume control by mouse scrolling., Cinema mode, single click snapshot, day/night theme switch, history management and more such cool stuff under one hood.
3. Google Chrome Extensions for Students & Working Class Users
Google Scholar Button
This is directly from the search giant, the big G. Google Scholar is Google’s own search engine arm that serves only scholarly articles to the end user. This is especially for the students who want to find the source of the article they are citing.
If you are a student who has a lot of dissertation to do, Google Scholar Button is going to help you big time. This extension simply adds a search bar where you can simply manage the author of articles in one place.
Highlights by Learning Path
Being a blogger means referring to a lot of content and researching from a lot of sources. This means dealing with a lot of tabs. Furthermore, noting points from each source will be cumbersome work. Hence, Highlights by Learning Path will take care of your browsing experience.
You can highlight points you care about and the extensions will save it for you along with the URL of that webpage. You can even share all the highlights you have saved (on Twitter for now), all at once. If you are a blogger too, this extension will help you to increase your followers. Personally, this has saved a lot of my time.
StayFocusd
If you can see yourself wasting a ton of time on the internet instead of doing what you’re supposed to do, stop everything and install StayFocusd right away. This extension helps you stay focused while you’re doing work that’s more important than ranting about irrelevant issues on Twitter or commenting on memes on Facebook. Simply specify a time for which you want to allow yourself to use time-wasting websites. Once you end up using the permissible quota, those websites are blocked for the rest of the day.
Noisli
If your workplace is too noisy to be focused, Noisli is the go-to extension for you. Put on your headphones and get back to work and be productive. You can create & listen to your favorite sounds from a variety of choices to make. Noisli is the best Google Chrome Extension you will ever need to stay focused while you running through webpages on the web.
Marinara
Are you aware of the Pomodoro technique? It involves working in cycles of 30 minutes, which further breaks down to 25 minutes of work and 5 minutes of rest. Marinara brings the Pomodoro clock to your chrome browser. Apart from being a clock for your work hours, it also records the time so that you can track your productivity throughout the day.
Grammarly
Probably you already know about Grammarly. It is a grammar checking tool that began with being a web-based tool that enabled users to check the grammar of textual content. Then the tool launched a Google Chrome Extension. Grammarly is a paid tool that also has a free version that checks basic spelling mistakes & basic level of Grammar. With the help of Grammarly, you can simply focus on writing and nothing else.
LastPass
Having a password manager these days is of great use. There are a ton of websites we’ve logged in and remembering passwords of all those websites is possible only if you have the same password for all. This is not safe and not at all recommended for obvious security reasons.
However, LastPass can manage all your passwords like a pro. Even if you signup on a new website, it generates a random & strong password. Furthermore, you can even enjoy the auto-login feature that can save a ton of your time.
PushBullet
If your mobile phone is a bigger source of distraction than your PC is, you better keep your phone out of reach while. While the mobile phone is away, you can still keep in touch with apps & services that are important. PushBullet is one such application that brings android experience to Google Chrome.
Simply install the extension & reply to SMS, WhatsApp messages, share files with friends and more such cool features. The setup is bit lengthy & clumsy, but it’s all worth it. You’ll need to install the app for the android device and the extension installed in chrome “keep talking”. Don’t worry, once you install the extension in your browser, it will walk you through the complete setup.
Honey
Are you a shopping bug? If yes, this chrome extension is for you. Honey automatically applies the available coupon(s)for the purchase you are making and saves your money, and more importantly, your time, that you’d otherwise spend on searching for discount coupons.
I have no idea of the philosophy behind naming this extension, but it’s as sweet as honey for the shopper in you.
(Now gift me something. Nah! Just kidding)
4. Google Chrome Extensions for Gmail Productivity
MailTrack
Don’t we love that ‘read’ (blue tick) feature in WhatsApp? MailTrack brings a similar feature to Gmail and helps you plan your follow-ups. The best part is, this is a free extension and doesn’t cost a dime. Thanks to MailTrack.io team, for developing such an important extension, that too for free.
Sortd for Gmail
This one is for business owners. Sortd for Gmail lets you create a sales channel within Gmail, that too just by clicking a button. You can easily drag & drop emails to a specific area, which is customizable. You can organize your inbox by potential customers and decide what you have to say to which customer.
This way, you’ll know which customer needs what kind of attention. Even students can use this extension to sort according to educational needs.
MailButler for Gmail
You’ll thank me for this. MailButler offers a buffet of hot features like send later, mail tracker, reminders, signature, notes, email templates and more. One of the best feature this extension offers is the opt-out button. This extension adds an opt-out button at the top of every email you receive. This way you can directly unsubscribe to newsletters without hunting for the unsubscribe link in the email.
No more Spamming!
5. Google Chrome Extensions for Tab Management
Panda 5
Right now, I have 2 windows of Google Chrome with 22 tabs, 2 windows of Firefox with 30 tabs and opera with 12 tabs. That’s huge for me to manage. What if I told you Panda 5 can change the way you browse through & manage the tabs?
The basic feature of this chrome extension is that it enables you to browse multiple websites in the same tab. All you social media stuff can get in one tab, all your research work will go in one & all your personal stuff go in one. That’s my say, you can customize your experience any way you want. Fewer tabs, less memory consumption, less fuss, and more work.
Thank me later!
The Great Suspender
Panda 5 saved some memory from being consumed, but still, the memory consumption is still high. What you’d do? Install The Great Suspender & sit behind. This extension will suspend unattended tabs from the background. You can include websites in the whitelist which you never want to suspend automatically.
Here’s the best part. The suspended tabs are retained by the extension even after closing the browser. This will prevent all tabs from reloading at the same time.
Isn’t that cool?
Best Google Chrome Extensions for You
Which one are you going to install right now? Let me know in the comment section below. Share this with your friends to make their life easier. Furthermore, I’m coming with more detailed & highly specific chrome extension list for the specific purpose.
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See you in the next one!
Originally published at www.smarterworld.in on March 18, 2019.
