The Best Chrome Extensions You’re Not Using (But Should)
🧩 Chrome’s Real Power? Extensions.
Let’s be honest: most people stick to the basics—maybe an ad blocker, maybe Grammarly.
But Chrome’s extension library is full of underrated gems that can level up how you work, research, and protect your privacy.
Here are 7 Chrome extensions I personally use (and rarely see anyone talk about). They’re light, smart, and actually useful.
1️⃣ Tab Wrangler
Why it’s great: Automatically closes unused tabs after a set time—but keeps a history so you can restore them later.
- No more 39 open tabs draining your RAM
- Set “pinned” tabs to stay open
🔗 Get it
🧠 Jake Says: Think of it as a smart cleaner for your browser.
2️⃣ Toggl Track
Why it’s great: Tracks your time on tasks directly from your browser. Perfect for freelancers, students, or deep work sprints.
- Start/stop timers from Chrome
- Syncs with Toggl’s web/mobile apps
🔗 Get it
⏱️ Warning: You might find out you only thought you were productive.
3️⃣ SingleFile
Why it’s great: Saves an entire web page as a single HTML file — all content intact. Way better than “Save as PDF.”
- Great for research
- Works offline
- No formatting glitches
🔗 Get it
📁 Perfect for students, bloggers, and anyone who hoards articles.
4️⃣ Dark Reader
Why it’s great: Applies a beautiful, customizable dark mode to every website—even the ones that don’t support it.
- Adjustable brightness and contrast
- Doesn’t break layout or images
🔗 Get it
🌙 Your eyes will thank you after 10pm.
5️⃣ Bardeen
Why it’s great: Automates browser tasks like copying data from websites, sending emails, filling forms, and more—no coding needed.
- Create playbooks (automations) with 1-click
- Integrates with Google Sheets, Notion, Slack
🔗 Get it
⚙️ Automation nerds: this is your playground.
6️⃣ Minimal Scrollbar
Why it’s great: Replaces the bulky, outdated scrollbar with a slim, modern one that looks cleaner on any site.
- Doesn’t affect usability
- Just makes everything feel sleeker
🔗 Get it
🖼️ Small tweak, surprisingly satisfying.
7️⃣ ClearURLs
Why it’s great: Automatically removes tracking elements from all URLs—no more long, messy links with hidden tracking codes.
- Lightweight and open-source
- Works in the background
- Privacy boost without breaking sites
🔗 Get it
🔐 Best paired with an ad blocker for total peace of mind.
📌 TL;DR – Jake’s Extension Picks
| Extension | What It Does | Why You’ll Love It |
|---|---|---|
| Tab Wrangler | Auto-closes unused tabs | Saves RAM and sanity |
| Toggl Track | Time tracking | Stay accountable |
| SingleFile | Save full pages offline | Research-friendly |
| Dark Reader | Dark mode for every site | Eye-saving + stylish |
| Bardeen | No-code browser automation | Task killer |
| Minimal Scrollbar | Sleek UI improvement | Visual clean-up |
| ClearURLs | Removes tracking from links | Privacy booster |
🧢 Jake’s Final Take
Chrome gets better the moment you customize it for you.
These extensions don’t just sit in your bar—they do things. They clear clutter, save time, and protect your privacy without being annoying.
Got a favorite extension I missed? Drop it in the comments—I love discovering low-key tools.
