Google Chrome is the most-used web browser in the world for good reason, even with its well-documented history of being a resource hog on all platforms. Besides its seamless synchronization with all of its users’ Google accounts, it’s got another trick up its sleeve in the way of the Chrome Web Store. Take a trip here, and you might find your shopping bags are full of things you really didn’t need to enhance your web-browsing experience. Chrome extensions can legitimately change the way you surf the web, for better or for worse. Back in November, the company awarded thebest Google Play apps and games of 2023. Google has now named its favorite Chrome extensions for 2023.
Google is big on productivity in its list oftop Web Store extensions in 2023, and it starts out with ways to get tasks done quicker with AI-powered add-ons.Scribe,DeepL Translate, andQuillBotfit the bill to help you document your workflows, translate web pages, and respond to emails, respectively.Siderenables you to use ChatGPT and other AI-generative tools without opening up another tab, andTealcan help keep track of your job applications. For the minimalists out there, you can stylize your Chrome browser with a clean look that’s free of distractions withBonjourr.
There may also be times you want to quickly transcribe recordings or interviews, especially if you work in a journalistic field.Transkriptorhelps you do just that. If you need the opposite done for accessibility purposes, you can getSpeechify. It’s a text-to-speech extension that reads pages to you in multiple voices. You can go further and fine tune the sound quality of things you listen to online withEqualizer.
Google also gives some love to gaming (for no reason whatsoever, here’s thebest Google Stadia alternatives) in its year-end list.Boxel 3Dis a browser-based platformer game where you’re able to create your own levels, andBTRobloxgives a variety of new features to the site. Finally, for gaming purchases or any other form of online shopping, you can save a few bucks withCoupert, a promo code finder.
These are solid picks, but things are about to change across all extensions in June 2024. That’s whenGoogle will replace its current extension manifest, Manifest V2, with Manifest V3. Any extensions that don’t get on board will be deactivated remotely, and they will not be installable until they update to the new backend. This has led to mostly positive reactions, but concern from ad-blocking organizations has arisen.
We love extensions at Android Police, so we took a look atour own favorite Chrome Web Store add onsback in April. It’s pretty easy to access the Web Store, but if you aren’t sure how,we’ve got you covered. For users that want to enhance their online security and browse more securely on Chrome and don’t want their information logged, check out ourlist of top VPN extensions of 2023and always aim for paid, reputable options. Finally, Google’s most famous end-of-year list is consistently its “Year in Search,” which provides insights into global trends over the course of the last 365 days. You should get ready to hum Imagine Dragons and Seven Nation Army, but you may have already been doing thataccording to Google’s findings.
