Chrome is the most widely used browser in the world. Which is a good thing, because not only does it absolutely rock, it’s also the very definition of everything a modern browser should be: open, extendable, mobile.
Google’s done a really amazing job of opening it up to developers to create brand new experiences on a tried and true platform — the desktop web.
The Chrome web store is full of great apps and extensions, especially from big names like Pocket, Pinterest, and Evernote. But there are also tons of other services and add-ons to choose from, making gems sometimes hard to find.
Here are 6 Chrome apps and extensions that you may not have known about. From small shifts in your workflow to major new ways of interacting with the web, these 6 tools won’t only change the way you use Chrome — they’ll change the way you use the Internet.
1. Momentum
We discovered this simple yet stunning app through a blog post that our friends at Zapier put together, interviewing the dev behind it.
Think of it as your own personal dashboard whenever you open a new tab. Momentum is like a friendly, familiar greeting — a subtle way of reminding yourself what you’re working on. As the Zapier post puts it:
“Every time you open a new tab, see an inspiring reminder of what you want to accomplish,’ reads Momentum’s description. It might just prevent you from loading Reddit or Facebook for the tenth time.”
It’s that simple: it’s got the time, a space to write what your main focus for the day is, a quote for inspiration, an optional todo list, and a non-intrusive look at the weather on the top right. Besides that, perhaps its best feature is the collection of awe-inspiring photographs. Much better than the standard Chrome blank page, and much more uplifting too.
Give yourself some momentum right when you need it most with this free app.
2. Grammarly
Typos and grammatical errors can truly hurt a brand.
Well, using Grammarly, you can say goodbye to most, if not all, typos.
Once added to Chrome, Grammarly will let you know – as you type – if and when you make spelling mistakes.
The best part is that Grammarly now supports mainstream services such as Gmail, WordPress, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or YouTube.
3. Mercury Reader
The web is a beautiful place, but far too often websites bombard you with increasing amounts of gratuitous information. This page describes the problem pretty well.
Mercury Reader will change the way you see the web. Literally. With one click it strips back all the clutter on a page, leaving you with just the main text and images.
For a better reading and aesthetic experience on the web, turn on Mercury.
4. SimilarWeb
SimilarWeb is a tool that will let you know how much traffic any website receives.
Here at Mention, we use it mostly to identify valuable businesses to partner with on co-marketing projects.
Note that SimilarWeb isn’t 100% accurate. It will, however, give you a rough estimate of a website’s traffic.
5. WhatFont
Ever visited a website and wondered what awesome font they’re using? There’s a Chrome extension for that — WhatFont.
With services like TypeKit, there’s now more beautiful type on the web than ever, and knowing a thing or two about typography never hurts. WhatFont is a powerful yet minimalist way of quickly learning exactly what font’s being used.
And it’s only possible thanks to Chrome’s robust developer tools that can pull the font names directly from a site’s HTML and CSS. If you’re interested in design or working in a team that likes iterating fast, this one’s perfect for you.
Use WhatFont to do exactly that: find out what font you’re looking at.
6. Mention
Of course, no list would be complete without our own Chrome app!
If you’re like us, you probably have a lot of tabs open right now. mention for Chrome launches a dedicated window for you to monitor, react, and analyze the web, delivering desktop alerts whenever you’ve been mentioned.
And because Chrome syncs profile data in the cloud, you can easily and immediately access mention for Chrome from any desktop, wherever you are.
Have any Chrome extensions or apps that you use every day? Did we leave a great one-off our list?
Let us know! Feel free to tweet us @mention any time!
