Chrome has surpassed all of the other web browsers to become the #1 browser for several reasons. One of those reasons is the extensions available to use through the browser. Extensions enable various programs to alter your web browsing experience to make it more customized and easier to use. There are a TON of extensions to choose from, and sometimes we like to just browse through the list to see if anything else helpful pops up. We have made a list of our top 7 Chrome extensions to help you have a more productive day at work.
Grammarly – Probably one of the most useful extensions in the world. Especially now that a lot of the work we do is within a web browser. We access our emails through the web, project management tools, cloud based applications and more. Grammarly always makes sure to keep your grammar in check across all of the services you access through your browser. Say goodbye to spelling and grammar mistakes!
LastPass – The other most useful extension in the world is LastPass. You never have to remember passwords again. When you install the LastPass extension and sign into your account, it will autofill every website’s login fields with the appropriate credentials. It can also help you generate secure passwords for new accounts, and keep your credit card on file for easy purchases on the web.
Strict Workflow – This extension will enforce a 25min/5min workflow: 25 minutes of distraction-free work, followed by 5 minutes of break. The idea behind this method is based on the Pomodoro technique to help with productivity. The extension will limit your ability to visit websites that typically suck time such as Facebook, YouTube and Hulu, but is customizable to limit the websites that distract you the most.
Toggl – To go along with keeping tabs on the amount of time you spend goofing off, like the extension mentioned above, Toggl will help you keep track of your working hours. This is especially helpful for those that bill clients based on time. Toggl can help you start a time for a specific task, or even tie your time to a specific email. The extension works with several productivity apps that your company probably already uses.
Save to Pocket – Often someone will keep a browser tab open simply because they want to read an article at a later time. Not only does this hog resources on the machine, but it can lead to a lot of clutter on in your browser. When you come across those articles, you can click the Save To Pocket extension and save the article to your Pocket account to read later. You can then access your Pocket account from any device and pull up the article you wanted to read at your convenience.
Mercury Reader – If you are ready to read the article, but there is just so much clutter on the page, Mercury Reader is a great option for you. It will strip the website of design and ads, and just allow you to view the article, free from all the distractions. It can be a nice break for your brain to see a clean page instead of Times Square in your browser.
OneTab – Whenever you find yourself with too many tabs, click the OneTab icon to convert all of your tabs into a list. When you need to access the tabs again, you can either restore them individually or all at once. This is a really great option when you are researching something specific, and you don’t want to save a bunch of different websites you will only need to see probably once more. This extension will also free up memory you are draining from having so many tabs open at once.
Using these extensions will not only improve your productivity but will help you throughout your working day in other aspects of your job.