According to W3’s stat counter, Google Chrome is the most used web browser worldwide, accounting for 61% of users. It is followed (not closely) by Apple’s Safari at 16.1% with Internet Explorer / Edge, Firefox and Opera taking up the bottom.
Chrome offers a lot of benefits, it’s smooth interface, simple syncing with your mobile device, the ability to log into your browser from anywhere and access your bookmarks & saved passwords. A lot of pluses right out of the box!
But there is always way to improve your experience and make Chrome more efficient. Add ons, plugins or extensions can boost your experience by adding in additional functionality.
You’ll always want to check that the extension you are adding comes from a reputable source, and know that some extensions can slow your browser down.
With that said, here are my favorite extensions:
Shopback
Doing a lot of online shopping lately? You can earn money back, by doing nothing using the Shopback Chrome plugin! Having partnerships with big names like Woolworths, Myer, UberEats and 100’s more, you might as well add the plugin and start earning money back.
The plugin will let you know automatically if cashback is available on a website, all you have to do is click ‘activate cashback’ when prompted.
There is a mobile app to go along with it, which can be a little clunky, but worth it if you’re spending up!
Grammarly
An old favourite, The Grammarly Chrome extension will keep you in check with your content writing efforts. Using the Chrome app, it will give you feedback as you type in any app through Chrome.
Whether it’s writing up an email in Gmail or posting a blog post like this one, Grammarly will give you pointers on everything from the tone of your writing to spelling and grammar suggestions.
Honey
Another one for the online shoppers! The Honey Chrome extension will scour the internet for discount codes for any shopping site, if there are multiple codes available it will apply them all for you to see which one gives the best discount, super handy! Just beware, if you use Shopback you can’t use Honey at the same time.
Ghostery
The Ghostery Chrome plugin will help you run a cleaner, faster and safer browsing experience. It will block adds, stop trackers and help speed up your web browsing experience. It comes recommended by some big names like Business Insider, Wired, The New York Times, definitely worth checking out!
Microsoft
Did you know you can install a Chrome plugin for Microsoft Office, giving you the ability to edit Office documents in your browser? Built especially for Chrome – Use Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Sway Online without needing Office installed.
LastPass
We have blogged about LastPass before, it’s a handy password manager to help keep your passwords secure online. If you use LastPass, be sure to install the Chrome plugin, it will autofill username and passwords for websites you have added your login details. Super handy, and saves you from remembering a million different passwords.
Tab Wrangler
Too many tabs open, across multiple instances of Chrome? I always get stuck in this trap, I have a million tabs open, the radio playing from one of them and when I have an incoming call I scramble to find where the radio is hidden in the sea of open tabs. The Tab Wrangler Chrome extension helps you take control of your tabs, it will automatically close inactive tabs but keep them in a safe place so if you need to open them again, you can find them easily.
