WIRED / Google

Chrome's web store is full of little digital gadgets to help make your web browsing simpler, more productive, and more enjoyable. Here are our top ten extensions that tick those boxes and are all downloadable for free in a matter of moments.

Speedtest by Ookla

There's little more frustrating than slow internet speeds when you're trying to get things done. The Speedtest plugin won't actually do anything to improve a poor connection but it will let you know just how bad it is. The extension will run a quick ping test and provide you with upload and download speeds. At least then you have data to complain to your service provider/IT department. Find it here.


HTTPS Everywhere

HTTPS is the encrypted web standard that allows websites to protect data you're entering from surveillance and being hijacked. The extension, created by digital rights group the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Tor Project, automatically switches websites using the insecure HTTP protocol to HTTPS. Install the extension here.

Social Blade

Compatible with YouTube, Twitch, Instagram and Twitter, Social Blade feeds you knowledge about the videos you watch. A user's followers, estimated ad earnings and views are shown in an interface next to what you are watching, letting you check how your favourite users and rivals are performing. Get the extension here.

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Cite This For Me

Anyone who needs to show the source of their information, be it for an essay or a presentation, will find this button exceedingly useful. It quickly cites the webpage you are looking at in one of four citation styles, which can then be saved for later or pasted into a document. Click here to find out more and install the extension.

LastPass

LastPass means you only have to remember one password to keep all your other login details together in one place. It will also help keep your other accounts secure by generating super secure passwords that it will fill in automatically as needed. There's space for notes for offline information that you want to be well protected too. Install it here.


Colorzilla

When you simply have to know the precise hue of something online, Colorzilla's eyedropper can check any pixel and tell you. You can then paste that colour's data into another programme or adjust the values and save it within the extension for future reference. It's an invaluable extension for digital design work. Get the extension here.

TinEye

When finding the source of a picture's proving difficult, try TinEye's reverse image search. It focuses on the closest possible matches instead of just similarity, making it useful for finding originals, higher resolution versions, or checking for online fakes. The extension itself makes searches available in only a couple of clicks. Install TinEye's Chrome extension from here.

Unpaywall

For those who want to read academic papers without stumping up for subscription fees. As you look for research, this extension searches for free (and completely legal) versions of the same articles, and pops into view if it finds a match. A potential saver of both time and money. Get it here.


Save to Pocket/Instapaper

Either of these extensions will let you to save web pages and articles for reading on your synced devices later, even without an internet connection. Both have premium versions too, if you want to support the developers and get extra features in return. Get the Pocket and Instapaper extensions here.

The Great Suspender

It's all too easy to open absurd numbers of tabs in your browser. The Great Suspender helps to manage your computer's performance by stopping abandoned tabs until you click back on them. There is a lot of room for configuration too, the extension able to keep certain sites open indefinitely, or unload others after a shorter period of time. Install it here.

Backstop

It's happened to all of us. One bad key press and you're on the previous webpage and all the info you were just typing into that form has disappeared. This simple extension stops your backspace key from taking you to the previous page, saving you from wasted time and frustration. Get it here.