Get these! 10 Best BASIC Google Chrome Extensions
I use Google Chrome as my default browser. I am a fan of the extensions they offer to increase productivity and simplify processes. There are extensions I use for WordPRess website development, which I will cover in a different post. This post focuses on my 10 favorite extensions for basic productivity.
1.
LastPass: Free Password Manager
LastPass, an award-winning password manager, saves your passwords and gives you secure access from every computer and mobile device. I would be LOST without this. I use the app on my phone, and passwords sync across devices. While it may take some getting used to (here are some tips), once you take the time to set it up, you will not be able to function without it.
2.
Be Limitless
Until recently, I used the Chrome extension called Momentum to create a cool welcome tab and image in Chrome. I loved the beautiful images that greeted me every day, and the personalized greeting. However, I just discovered Be Limitless, which also creates a nice welcome page, but includes time tracking and a record of your most visited websites. I like the incorporation of these things into this extension (I used a different, separate time tracker before I made this switch). I think Be Limitless will help me stay focused. [2018 update: extension no longer available.]
3.
Checker Plus for Google Calendar™
See your next events, get meeting desktop notifications, add or snooze events without opening the Google Calendar page!
4.
Save to Pocket
The Pocket Extension for Chrome – is great if you use Pocket, and if you don’t use Pocket, you should! Many people use Evernote – I have not adopted that tool, but Pocket seems to be a light version of Evernote in that it allows you to quickly save webpages, blog posts, articles so you can read or reference them later. You can tag them to help keep them organized. With the extension, you can also save to Pocket directly from apps like Facebook and Twitter.
5.
Better History
This extension is great if you can’t recall where you saw something online – it has a great search feature which is more advanced than the regular Chrome history. Because it is a direct link from the extension toolbar, it is also very easy to access.
6.
Grammarly Spell Checker & Grammar Checker
I am not great at typing or proofreading – this app makes finding and correcting spelling errors a single click event. It spell check sand grammar checks as you type
7.
Awesome Screenshot: Screen capture, Annotate
I have tried a lot of screenshot apps. This one is amazing because you can note and add comments to your screenshots without having to import the image into a different software program. You can save the images to your computer or get a live link to share.
If you want to easily and quickly create shortened urls, there is not easier way than to use this extension. Click on the link in the extensions toolbar and a shortened url gets saved to your clipboard, or you can share this link directly to social media.
9.
Dropbox for Gmail
This year I gave up mail apps on my desktop and laptop in favor of accessing my mail directly in my browser. All my mail accounts are with google/gmail, so this is a pretty functional process, and my computers run much faster now that they are not bogged down with a mail app. There are some great Chrome Extensions that work with Gmail if you access your mail this way like I do. I like this Dropbox extension so I can directly add links to dropbox files in my emails without leaving my Gmail window. I also use an extension which integrates ToDoIst int Gmail, and an extension that allows me to access Gmail offline.
Sometimes you want to print a page but you don’t need to waste ink and paper printing parts of a page that you don’t need, like ads and photos. This app lets you delete sections of a page before printing, and you can also save the page as a PDF.