How To: Manage extensions in Chrome and Firefox

Extensions are amazing tools that can really enhance your browser experience. There are extensions of all kinds and for all kinds of users that will let you customize, personalize and improve your browser in any way you deem fit. The best part of all is that most extensions are absolutely free, although you should support your favourite ones through donations to the creators. This guide will show you how to add and manage extensions in Firefox and Chrome.


Firefox

Firefox’s dedicated page for add-ons is located here . There are various categories that you can browse and a search feature if you are looking for something in particular. You should also check out the most popular and top rated add-ons because you will probably find something to like there. Once you have found the add-on you want, you will see a button that says “+Add to Firefox”. Clicking on that will automatically install the extensions. They will also usually inform you if they will need to restart your browser or if they want you to do something extra but that will be rare.

To access your currently installed add-ons, click on Firefox in the top left corner and select the Add-ons option. You will be taken to the extensions page where you will be able to manage all of your extensions. The enabled ones will be colored while the disabled ones will be grayed out. Double clicking on an extension will give you more information about it, when available. You can remove and configure most of the add-ons from the extensions menu but some of them will be tied with other applications. In that case, you will have to remove them via that particular application or by removing it all together.

Chrome



The page for Chrome extensions is located here. The layout is quite similar to Firefox’s but with a few obvious differences. It still has several categories, a search future and popular apps but you can also find recommendations based on various things. Furthermore, you can now install extensions for your desktop although not all the extensions are supported in this way. Installing them on your browser is done in the exact same way as Firefox. Simply click on the extension you want and you will find an “Add to Chrome” button that will download and install the extension automatically.

To access the extensions management menu, click on the options icon at the top right corner, go to Tools and click on Extensions. Alternatively, you can enter this chrome://extensions/ in your browser. In order to see more information about the extensions, you will need to click on the “Visit Website” link. Some extensions have dedicated webpages while others will simply take you to their page in the Chrome Web Store. Furthermore, some of these extensions have additional options that you can access from the respective link. Every extension in Chrome can be deleted by the bin icon and enabling them or disabling them simply involves ticking a box. Finally, if you want to see the permissions that each extensions requires, you can click on the “Permissions” option and a small pop-up will come up that will explain them in detail.

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