With so many browser add-ons to choose from, it can be hard to separate the good from the bad (or the “meh”). So, we’ve done the job for you – six Google Chrome extensions that will make your life easier. Enjoy an ad-free browsing experience, zero annoying cookie pop-ups, and a less restricted Internet. Save some money and watch some better shows on Netflix while you’re at it!
1. Multitask Like a Pro
Have you ever had a project you were working on and you had to keep two or more tabs open to sift through information? Ever tried browsing Facebook or Twitter in one tab while another played some YouTube video for background noise?
Whatever the case may be, resizing and splitting browser tabs for your desired effect can become quite a nuisance. Well, Tab Resize is a neat Chrome extension that lets you:
- Use default templates to split your current tabs inconvenient layouts
- Create your own layouts for your specific purposes
- Undo the Tab Resize so all your tabs return to a single Chrome window once you’re finished
Pretty straightforward! And since we’re on the topic of nuisances…
Img source: eduadvisor.my
2. I Don’t Care about Cookies
Ever since the EU approved the GDPR, a bunch of websites were basically blocked in the EU as news providers and other websites felt the restrictions were too much to bother with. Access to information was restricted because of a poorly thought out regulation (or simple malice on the websites’ part in some cases).
But the worst part about this whole ordeal is those annoying GDPR cookie pop-ups. You know; the ones that start along the lines of “we care about your privacy.” Sure you do. You got the message the first time, but you still have to click accept for every single website. If you browse anonymously or clear out your cookies regularly, you have to go through the whole process again. Every. Single. Time.
Unless you install the “I don’t care about cookies” extension, that is. It does exactly what you think it does. Best of all, you won’t even notice it does anything until you realize you haven’t gotten a cookie pop-up in weeks.
3. Unblock Those Websites
Img source: shutterstock.com
As mentioned, the GDPR does no favors for freedom of information. Either websites comply with what the EU says, or they block your access if you’re from the area. TunnelBear VPN is a great choice if you need a reliable, encrypted proxy extension to bypass those restrictions without the headaches.
Since it’s encrypted, all the data you send or receive (within Chrome) won’t be readable to outsiders. It’s a great bit of extra privacy for your browsing sessions.
4. uBlock Origin
Another common nuisance nowadays is ads. Not the most shocking of revelations, but we can all admit they’re a pain. And ever since Adblock Plus started getting paid to push “acceptable ads”, everyone knew that a replacement would be needed.
Thankfully, uBlock Origin (unrelated to ublock.org) is just the replacement you need. It has no acceptable ads program (the creator doesn’t even accept donations), so you can be sure your browsing experience will be clean and fast without all that noise in the way.
It’s not a resource hog either, even with the extra filter lists they make available over the default ones. Moreover, uBlock Origin is open-source, meaning anyone can scrutinize its code and provide fixes for whatever issues arise. The filter lists are also maintained by dedicated users to ensure nothing slips through the cracks.
Finally, you can always block page elements yourself if something is bothering you. Simply right-click on the item (an auto-playing video for example) and click block element to add it to your custom filter lists.
5. Honey
Img source: allbusiness.com
Don’t worry; no bees are harmed in the making of this extension. Instead, Honey lets you save a lot of money if you often do your shopping online. When you’re browsing for shoes online, for example, you can click on the Honey icon in Chrome to find any deals and sales on that particular website.
On the checkout screen, Honey will pop up saying “Coupons found!” if any codes are found for your particular product. Once you’ve clicked to use a coupon, Honey will automatically find and apply the best deal out of all the codes it has found (if there’s more than one available, that is).
TechJunkie has a review of Honey if your first thought was “it’s too good to be true.” It mentions that “overall, the app is pretty respectful of your privacy” and that the company has done a good job of being transparent with what they collect.
6. No More Terrible Netflix Shows
Now, you must be exhausted after all that work, ad-blocking and shopping. So what better way to unwind than hop on Netflix and veg out on the couch with a cold one? How do you find a good show to watch, though? They’ve done away with the five-star system quite a while ago (it wasn’t that great anyway), and the new thumbs up/ thumbs down system can be pretty hit or miss.
Try the IMDb Ratings for Netflix extension to get the IMDb scores for the show/ movie you’re trying to watch directly on Netflix. Simply hover your cursor over the thumbnail and the score will appear in a corner. Clicking on the rating will take you to the specific IMDb page if you need more info (like if your favorite actor’s in it!)
And there you have it. With these six extensions, things should start looking less cluttered. Websites won’t hit you with cookie pop-ups or “blocked in your region” nonsense. Having some extra pocket money and a good way to gauge the quality of a show doesn’t sound like a bad deal either.
