Chrome extensions help users of the world’s most popular browser personalize their experience and Google has released a list of its favorites of the year – with one area conspicuously missing.
From improving the aesthetic of your browser to boosting productivity, there’s a Chrome extension for everything. One of the most popular uses is ad-blocking software, which automatically blocks pop-up and pre-roll ads.
Many sites will now require you to turn off your ad blocker to access their pages as it impacts their ad-based revenue and such extensions are also not popular with Google. It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that ad-blocking extensions do not appear anywhere on Google’s list of top extensions for 2023.
Google hasn’t been quiet about its plan to prevent ad-blocking software from working at all, as part of its long-term plan to improve its services. After all, ad block impacts its revenue made through YouTube videos and on-site ads, so it was inevitable that ad-blocking extensions aren’t top of Google’s list of favorites for 2023.
Google’s top 12 Chrome extensions of 2023
Despite skipping over what’s surely one of the most used Chrome extensions, there are still some handy examples included in their list, such as:
- Scribe, which uses AI to document workflows and create step-by-step guides to easily train colleagues
- DeepL Translate, which translates web pages without navigating away from the page
- QuillBot, which allows you to compose and respond to emails faster with its spell checker, summarizer tool, and AI writing assistant
- Sider, an in-browser sidebar that lets you use generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude and Bard without having to open another tab
- Teal, which bookmarks jobs from popular job boards and keeps job applications in one place
- Transkriptor, a tool for automatically transcribing meetings from audio to text to review later
- Bonjourr, to create a minimalist aesthetic on your Chrome homepage
- Speechify, a text-to-speech extension that reads articles, emails and PDFs using natural voices and accents for those who prefer to listen than read
- Equalizer, offering more fine-tuned audio controls for online content
- Boxel 3D, a platformer game that allows you to create your own levels
- BTRoblox, to enhance the game’s platform with a variety of new features
- Coupert, an extension designed to find the best promo codes from across the web and automatically apply them at checkout
Featured image: DALL-E
