Five Browser Extensions Worth Keeping

Browser extensions can make everyday browsing safer, cleaner, and more convenient, but every extension also receives some level of access to your browser. A small, deliberate collection is better than installing every useful-looking tool you encounter.

These five cover distinct jobs that are useful to a broad range of people: reducing unwanted page content, managing credentials, making bright sites easier to read, controlling tab volume, and adding context to YouTube ratings. The links below point to their official Chrome Web Store listings and also work for many Chromium-based browsers. Review the permissions before approving them.

1. uBlock Origin Lite: Control What Pages Load

uBlock Origin Lite (opens in a new tab) is an efficient content blocker designed for Chrome’s current extension platform. Its default ruleset blocks many ads, trackers, miners, and other unwanted resources immediately after installation.

Its default configuration works well for most people, with additional rulesets and filtering modes available in its settings. It is lightweight and compatible with Manifest V3, but it has fewer advanced capabilities than the full uBlock Origin. Avoid running multiple content blockers at once, and disable filtering temporarily on a trusted site if it breaks.

2. Bitwarden: Give Every Account a Unique Password

Bitwarden (opens in a new tab) stores logins in an encrypted vault and makes them available through browser, desktop, and mobile clients. It can generate strong passwords, suggest matching logins, and fill credentials so every account can use a unique password.

Protect the vault with a strong, unique master password and two-step login, then replace reused passwords over time. A password manager does not make phishing impossible, so verify the website address before submitting credentials.

3. Dark Reader: Make Bright Websites Easier to Read

Dark Reader (opens in a new tab) creates dark themes for websites that do not provide one. You can adjust brightness, contrast, sepia, and grayscale globally or per site, then disable it on pages whose existing design works better.

Because it transforms existing pages, charts, editors, embedded documents, and native dark themes may occasionally look wrong. Disable it on those sites instead of forcing one setting everywhere.

4. Volume Master: Control the Volume of Each Tab

Volume Master (opens in a new tab) gives individual browser tabs their own volume control. You can lower a loud tab, boost a quiet video, and jump directly to tabs that are currently playing audio.

Its slider ranges from 0% to 600%, but maximum amplification is rarely necessary. Raising poorly mastered audio too far can introduce clipping or distortion, so increase it gradually and keep your device’s physical volume at a safe listening level.

Chrome may limit complete full-screen mode while an extension is manipulating tab audio, so a browser indicator can remain visible.

5. Return YouTube Dislike: Add Context, Not Certainty

Return YouTube Dislike (opens in a new tab) adds an estimated dislike count or rating information to YouTube. This can provide another signal when comparing tutorials, product demonstrations, and other videos where quality is difficult to judge from a title and thumbnail.

The count is an estimate based on archived data and behavior from participating users because YouTube no longer exposes public dislike counts through its API. Use it as one clue alongside comments, sources, creator history, and information you can verify elsewhere—not as a verdict on accuracy.

Install Less and Review More

Before adding any extension, check:

• Who publishes and maintains it.
• Whether the listing links to the expected official project.
• Which sites and browser data it can access.
• Whether its permissions make sense for its function.
• Whether you already have another tool doing the same job.

Review installed extensions occasionally and remove the ones you no longer use. Keep the remaining extensions and your browser updated. For especially sensitive browsing, consider a separate browser profile with few or no optional extensions.

The strongest setup is not the longest toolbar. It is a small set of maintained tools whose access you understand and whose value you notice every day.