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About the Chrome Browser
About the Chrome Browser
The Chrome browser is a minimalistic web browser created by Google that provides an integrated experience for users who are already invested in the Google environment. There are several aspects of the Chrome Browser that make it unique and a potentially powerful tool:
- Chrome syncs a user's Google account across all services so that once a user signs into the Chrome browser, they have access to all of the Google tools without having to sign into each of them
- all services integrate seamlessly with one another including Google Drive which serves as a storage for all of the Google services
- the Chrome browser stores the user's profile in the cloud making it a portable browser. A user can sign into any computer, sign into their Google account in Chrome and all of their information such as bookmarks, preferences, extensions, etc will be automatically loaded
- the Chrome browser is quick, efficient and low maintenance. It is also one of the most secure browsers.
- omnibox unifies the address bar and search field in one spot
- has built-in accessibility features such as keyboard zoom shortcuts, font and font size customization, and keyboard shortcuts.
The greatest benefit of using the Chrome browser is that it allows the use of extensions which are 3rd party add-ons that enhance the functionality of the browser or transform the browser into tools not previously possible within a browser. Extensions are added from the Chrome Web store and although most extensions do not cost money, some commercial applications are either purchased or accessed through a subscription.
An extension is a small add-on that changes a specific behaviour within the browser. Once added to an account, extensions can be enabled or disabled. An enabled extension does not necessarily mean that the behaviour of the web browser will change. Some extensions lie dormant in the background when enabled until they click on their icon at which time they perform their intended task. Extensions can happily co-exist with other extensions and there is no definitive limit on how many extensions can run at the same time although having too many extensions running simultaneously will affect the performance of your computer.
Similar to apps on an iPad, it would be impossible to list all of the available extensions. However, common extensions that are useful to assist learners are provided here.
Hint: See the tutorial section to learn how to add and manage multiple Google accounts on a computer.
How to Install, Remove & Manage Extensions
How to Install, Remove & Manage Extensions
Updated August 2018
Installing extensions is not difficult. However, there are a few prerequisites:
- It requires the use of Google Chrome. Chrome extensions are only applicable to the Chrome browser. Some browsers do not offer extensions or have only just introduced this feature. Furthermore, as Chrome was the first browser to incorporate this feature, most programmers have not released versions for other browsers.
- It requires signing up for a Google account. Since extensions are added to an account, it is not possible to load extensions without signing in. Users who browse as a guest will receive a message that the Chrome store is not available in incognito mode.
Adding extensions to an account:
- From any webpage, look to the upper right hand corner of the Chrome browser. Underneath your account name will be three vertical black dots, sometimes referred to as the vertical ellipses. Click on that icon.
2. On the menu, locate the item that says "More tools" which will open up a side bar. Select "Extensions".
3. This will open up a new tab which will list all of the extensions that have been added to your account. To add additional extensions, click on the three horizontal lines in the top left hand corner which will open up a side bar. Click on the "Open Chrome Web store" link on the bottom of the side menu.
4. The Chrome Web Store will open in a new tab. There are a few options to find extensions. If you know the name, you can type it in the search bar. Alternatively, you can get suggestions suggested through different categories or you can select by rating (1-4 stars). You can also filter your search by free, made by Google, runs offline, works with Google Drive, or available for Android.
5. When you have found an extension that you want, simply click the blue button that says, "Add to Chrome."
6. Extensions that have already been added will have a green box marked, "Rate It."
7. Once extensions have been added, they will be represented by an icon to the right of the Google omnibox (URL bar). As you can imagine, these icons can start to accumulate if too many icons are added. Additionally, you may start to experience some lag in your browser performance.
8. For this reason, you may choose to limit how many and which specific extensions are running at any given time. Follow the same procedure as you did for installing extensions (step 2 above). Within each extension, there will be a series of options underneath the extension such as details of the extension, removing the app, or a radio button that activates or deactivates the extension. Clicking Remove will generate a message box asking for confirmation of this action which cannot be undone. However, you can simply reinstall the app.
With such an overwhelming array of extensions available, this section will focus on some of the more popular or useful extensions developed to support learning and teaching.
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