What is an extension? 9 useful Chrome extensions

Not everyone knows how to use a web browser efficiently, and smartly, with handy Extensions. This article will help you understand what an Extension is and which extensions are worth adding to your browser for the best possible internet experience.

What is an Extension?

Extension in Vietnamese means "phần mở rộng" hay or "tiện ích mở rộng". It is a program that adds functions a basic web browser does not provide. Extensions make browsing more convenient and smarter for users.

The business's browser extensions are built mainly with web technologies such as HTML, CSS and JavaScript. There are countless extensions today, each with its own features and purpose, all aimed at meeting user needs. Users can customize features and choose how an Extension works to fit what they need.

Extensions do not depend on a web page's content. They add functions to the browser and are installed separately by users as a file ending in .crx. Extensions work differently from a web browser but cannot run on their own like an ordinary application.

See more: A complete guide to the Cốc Cốc web browser from A to Z

Why Extensions matter

Adds useful services the browser lacks

A regular web browser only provides basic features. To get more for work or study, users need Extensions. For example, Grammarly is an Extension that checks grammar and spelling as you write in the browser.

Adds many useful features to the browser

Each Extension is a feature the browser doesn't have built in, so it rounds out and improves the browsing experience. For example, Chrome has an Extension that merges all open tabs into a single window.

Add, remove or change website content

Businesses and sellers often use this ability of Extensions. For example, the Invisible Hand Extension lets users add personal information to e-commerce sites and get automatic alerts when a competitor's site sells at a lower price.

With these roles, Extensions are an essential part of browsing. They meet users' needs and give them a smart, modern tool that saves a lot of time when browsing with a specific goal.

How to add an extension to Chrome

Chrome has a large, varied store of extensions you can use. Chrome is also flexible enough to let you install extensions from outside its store. Here is how to install both types.

How to install Extensions from the Chrome store

To install one, go to the Chrome Web Store and find the extension you need. Then download it and follow these steps:

• Step 1: Open Chrome Web Store.
• Step 2: Find the extension you want (for example Grammarly). Select the Add to Chrome button Chrome (Add to Chrome), then in the pop-up window select Add extension (Add Extension).
• Step 3: The extension installs and shows a confirmation, and you can use it right away. The Extension's logo appears at the left of the browser's address bar.

How to install Extensions from outside the Chrome store

Installing an Extension from outside the Chrome Web Store is also simple. Follow these steps:

• Step 1: Download the extension as a .crx file. If it comes as a Zip file, extract it to a folder.
• Step 2: Open Chrome's extension management page: open the Menu, choose More tools, then Extensions.
• Step 3: Turn on Developer mode.
• Step 4: Finally, drag and drop the extension file onto the Extensions management page and you're done (for .crx files). For a zip extension, choose Load unpacked and browse to the folder where you extracted it.

9 Extensions worth adding to Chrome

There are many, many Chrome extensions. Here are 9 of the best, picked by Mona Media for you to consider:

#1. Save to Pocket

Save to Pocket lets you save good articles you want to read again while browsing. This extension is better optimized than earlier versions and similar tools such as Evernote.

Save to Pocket lets you save web pages, links, files, images and more to your account. It then syncs automatically across all your devices, such as phone, tablet and computer, so you can get to your saved items quickly and easily.

#2. Honey

This extension is made for online shoppers and supports transactions as well as possible. When you visit shopping sites, Honey automatically finds and saves discount codes for your purchase. It helps you save on shopping and saves the time of hunting for codes.

#3. Focus To-Do

If you browse for study and work, you probably know the Pomodoro method for staying focused. Instead of opening a website that plays music for this "tomato" method, the Focus To-Do extension does it for you, alerting you when each work session ends and a break begins, using the standard Pomodoro timing.

#4. Adblock Plus

One extension that has to be mentioned is Adblock Plus, the best-known ad-blocking extension for Chrome. On any website, Adblock Plus shows how many ads it has blocked, and those ads no longer clutter the page. You will also notice pages load much faster.

#5. Grammarly

This extension checks spelling and grammar in context as you type. It is a genuinely useful tool for writers. Premium versions also suggest more advanced vocabulary and include a plagiarism check.

#6. Google Dictionary

As the name says, this extension gives you a dictionary while you browse. You don't need to copy and paste into another dictionary site. Just highlight any word in the text you're reading to see its meaning, hear its pronunciation and more. It is extremely popular.

#7. Enable Copy

Enable Copy lets users copy text and data from web pages that are copyright-protected and block copying. It is handy when you want to save information quickly without retyping every word.

#8. LastPass

Remembering passwords is hard for many people. Rather than using one password for every account, which is easy to leak, the LastPass extension remembers a separate password for each site and is almost impossible to crack.

#9. Great Suspender

This extension is a great fit for computers with low RAM when you want to use several browser tabs at once. It suspends inactive tabs to save RAM, so the browser loads noticeably faster.

Besides existing extensions, Mona Media offers custom Extension design and development for a business's own needs.

Contact HOTLINE 1900 636 648 for fast, friendly support from our team of specialists:

EXTENSION DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AT MONA MEDIA

That was the information about what an extension is and the top 9 Extensions to add to Chrome to get the most from the internet and meet a range of needs. We hope the information MONA Media provides above helps you get more from Chrome for your work and study.