Installing an extension is easy; the part worth attention is permissions and scope. An extension that can read page content should only run on the sites that need it.
Installation steps
Open the extension gallery from the menu, browse by category or search, open the detail page to read permissions and description, then click install — the icon appears in the toolbar.
- Menu → Extension gallery
- Browse categories or search
- Detail page shows permissions and ratings
- Icon appears in the toolbar after install
Reading permissions
The detail page lists what the extension requests. "Read data on all websites" means it can see the pages you visit — only grant that to extensions that genuinely need it.
- "Read data on all websites" is the most sensitive
- "Download management" can change download behavior
- "History" grants access to browsing history
- Permission changes need reconfirmation
Running on demand
In the extensions page set unused ones to "on click" or "only on specific sites" — this noticeably reduces memory use and startup time.
- Three modes: always / on click / on specific sites
- Rarely used ones can be disabled outright
- Resource use is shown per extension
- Disable all at once when troubleshooting
FAQ
Can I install extensions from outside the gallery?
Yes. Developer mode loads unpacked local extensions, but those do not update automatically — only use sources you trust.
An extension stopped working — what now?
Check whether it is disabled or its permissions changed, then update or reinstall. If it fails only on some sites, it may be scoped to specific sites.