To install Chrome extensions on your device with Android as its operating system you need to know the right procedure: here's how to do it.
Google Chrome is a very convenient and innovative browser. However, you can optimize its functions on your smartphone by installing Chrome extensions for Android. How to do that? With a PCÂ the operation can be done manually, through the Chrome Web Store, which is the official store of the browser in question. But for Android smartphones, the situation is a bit different. If in fact Chrome has among its main merits the ability to increase its own functions thanks to the many extensions available, the Android version has the defect of not supporting extensions.
It is actually a very specific choice, made by Google, so that the Chrome browser would not be weighed down, thus becoming slow on less performing smartphones. This is a limitation that those in the industry hope will be overcome in the coming years, as Chrome Android extensions have the ability to not only improve functionality, but also implement it.
How to Install Chrome Android Extensions
If you are going to install extensions to Chrome for Android you should therefore keep in mind that although Chrome is available for Android, often as a pre-installed app, you cannot add real extensions to it. However, you can take advantage of the sharing menu present in Google Chrome, where all the links to the apps installed on your device are kept, as well as certain functions that can be performed on the website displayed by the browser. A few examples? Social networking apps allow you to share the link to the Chrome page. And you can take a screeenshot of the page displayed in the browser.
If you want to retrieve Chrome's sharing menu, you'll just need to go to the page of interest, then click on the three dots that appear in the top right corner and select "Share". At this point you'll just have to select the icon of the application you want to work with.
Other ways to add extensions to Chrome for Android
Where you need to use extensions on Android that are designed for Chrome and are normally used on the PC, you can install an alternative browser on your smartphone, which is still based on Chrome but allows you to add extensions: we're talking about Yandex Browser. How to do in this case to add extensions to Chrome for Android? First of all, you should remember that Yandex is practically identical to Chrome, as it is made using the same open source project, namely Chromium.
This browser has additional features that make it an excellent alternative to Chrome. It is therefore useful to have it installed on your smartphone, to be used in case of eventuality. In addition to being able to install extensions, in fact, it also boasts the Opera Turbo technology, which allows you to browse faster and speed up the download as well.
How to install Chrome extension for Android using Yandex Browser
To install Chrome extension for Android, you'll have to connect to chrome.google.com/webstore, from which you'll access the page that contains Chrome extensions, so you'll have to search for the one you need for your Android smartphone. Then just click on the button at the top right, to search for Chrome Android extensions to add to Yandex.
At this point, to use the extension you will need to access Yandex in a new tab and click on the three dots that appear next to the address bar. At this point the extensions menu will appear, giving you the option to go and select on those that are installed from the Chrome Web Store.
Installing Chrome Android extensions using Kiwi Browser
An interesting alternative for installing Chrome Android extensions is the use of Kiwi Browser: it is also based on Google Chrome and has the advantage of being a modern and very fast browser, as well as easily expandable. To use it first you have to download Kiwi Browser on your smartphone, then in the address bar you must enter the words "chrome://extensions", and get to developer mode. At this point you can open the Chrome Web Store in desktop mode (link) to install the extensions.
One of Kiwi's features is that it offers complete support for Chrome Android extensions. It allows you to use some of the best extensions, such as Tampermonkey, Adblock Plus, uBlock Origin, Keepa. Another advantage of this browser is the possibility of customization: you can, for example, display the address bar at the bottom instead of at the top, which makes it more easily accessible. Kiwi also has a dark mode that lets you browse in the evening without the screen being too bright. Finally, it has the merit of browsing speed, which is a bit faster than Google Chrome.
Installing Chrome Android extensions with Firefox
Many on their smartphones use the Firefox browser, to install Chrome Android extensions. It will be enough to use the Chrome Store, from which you can install the Chrome Store Foxified extension. Once this is done, from the Chrome Web Store you can easily add all Chrome extensions to Firefox.