Properly managing Google chrome extensions is useful in getting a better overall web browsing experience.

Extension panel

Extension panel icon is located on the Chrome toolbar. clicking on the icon open extensions panel.

Each of the extension that is enabled in Chrome is listed here. The extension is divided into two categories.

1. Full access : It list the extensions that has full access to the content of currently opened websites.
2. Access Requested: It a list of extensions that require user to click on the extension icons in order to give it access to the content of the currently opened website so that it is able to do certain task on it.

Chrome Extension pinned on toolbar

Chrome extension can also be pinned on the toolbar where it is easily accessible.

Using Extensions panel the user can Pin or unpin the extension by clicking on the Pin icon.

Alternatively user can Pin/UnPin the extension to the toolbar using Extension Details window.

Enable/Disable Extensions

It is recommended that the user disable the extensions that aren’t used.

Chrome Extension settings

To customize the extensions click on Details.

Details panel contain the followings:

• On/Off indicating whether the extension is enabled or disabled.
• Description of the extension.
• Version of the extension.
• File Size of the extension.
• Permissions list all of the permissions given to the extension.

Site access

This feature is useful in controlling the access of the extension to the websites that the user visits.

Site access setting has three options:

• On click: When this option is selected, the extension will be effectively disabled. The extension will be enabled for certain website only when user click on the extension icon on the toolbar or in the Extension panel and will be disabled when the exits the website in the Chrome. It is useful in controlling the access of the extension to the websites that are opened in Google chrome web browser.
  • This helps in minimizing the CPU usage by the extension by not allowing it to scan the each websites that gets loaded in the Chrome.
  • This may increase the speed of web browsing if the extension runs scripts that require high CPU usage.
  • This will increase the privacy by blocking the access of the extension to content of the websites that gets open in the Chrome. Only when the user wants the extension will have access to the website.

When On click option selected, the icon of Internet Download manager extensions will have a circle on it. User can enable the extension by right clicking on the icon of the extension on the toolbar.

Alternatively the user can enable the extension by click on that is listed in the extensions panel.

• On specific site: When this option is selected, the extension will work as it did in On click mode and adds a feature to enable the extension by default on certain specified list of websites. This is useful when the extension needs to remain enabled only on certain number of websites.

When you enable it from the Chrome extensions settings, it will ask to add the website in which the extension will remain enabled by default. User need the add the full address of the website and click Add button.

Alternatively, the user can add a website by right clicking on the extension icon on the toolbar. Select This can read and change site data > Select the name of the website from the option.

Alternatively, the user can add a website by opening the extensions panel by clicking on Extensions icon on the toolbar. Click next to the three dots next to the extension listed in the panel. Select the website listed in the option.

• On all sites: With this option selected, the extension will be enabled by default on all websites that gets loaded on the Chrome web browser. This option is useful when the extension needs to access the content of every websites that gets opened in Chrome web browser.
  • Example_1: Antivirus extension needs to have access to every website that gets opened in the Chrome. This helps in

Site settings

Site settings shows the list of various Permissions given to the extension.

Pin to toolbar

This settings allows the user to toggle On/Off the pinning of the extension to the toolbar.

Allow in incognito

This settings allows the user to Enable/Disable the use of extension in Chrome incognito mode.

Allow access to file URLs

This settings allows the user to Enable/Disable allowing the extension to access the files in the computer if the file address is entered in the address bar of Chrome web browser.

View in Chrome Web Store

Selecting this option will open the extension listed on Chrome web store.

Open extension website

Clicking on this option opens the website of the extension.

Source

It tells about the source of the extension from which it was installed.

• Installed by third party:
• Chrome web store:

Remove extension

Selecting this option will remove the extension from Chrome browser.

Extension options

Selecting this option opens the windows of settings that is specific to the extension.

Manage Chrome Extension from the toolbar

It can be access by right clicking clicking on the extension icon on the toolbar.

The options provided are:

• This can read and change site data
• Remove from chrome
• Unpin
• Manage extension
• View web permissions

Manage Chrome Extension from the list of Extension panel

User have option to manage the extension from the Extension panel.