Must Have Google Chrome Extensions

I have been a diehard Google Chrome user since its inception. The ability to sync bookmarks, passwords, and web history across all my devices made the switch from Firefox a no-brainer, but what I find really interesting is the amount of extensions available for Chrome. Extensions are tiny programs that run inside Chrome. There are more than 50,000 extensions and you have to be careful because not all are friendly and not all play friendly with others. A 2014 study found several hundred malicious extensions.

That said, you can trust me that the following extensions are safe and useful if you’re part of the 64.9% of internet users who use Google Chrome as your browser.

Must Have Google Chrome Extensions

1. Limit Your Time on Distracting Sites

With social media, it is way too easy to waste time surfing instead of getting things done. To help save you from yourself, use the StayFocused extension, which prevents you from connecting to any time-wasting sites for a set period of time.

The list of blocked sites can be customized from the options menu if you do not like the stock blacklist. Keep in mind that once the timer is set, it cannot be stopped, so be sure that you don’t overstate just how long you need it to run.

• Install StayFocused from the Chrome Web Store

2. Reduce Chrome’s RAM Usage

Google Chrome uses lots of memory, so this extension reduces RAM usage by stopping inactive tabs from eating up even more resources, try out The Great Suspender.

This extension makes a tab inactive if you don’t interact with it for a period of time. The inactivity limit can be changed from the extension’s option menu. Once you return to an inactive tab, all you have to do is reload it to start using it again.

• Install The Great Suspender from the Chrome Web Store