15 ms·

Browser Extensions I Can't Live Without

184 points by maskys 6y ago

xahrepap 6y ago
I can't live without Tree Style Tabs[0] in Firefox. It's The Thing that finally got me to switch back to FF and I will never look back. 0: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/tree-style-tab/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/tree-style-ta...
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- itisame 6y ago
  I can recommend alternatively https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/sidebery/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/sidebery/ Much nice I think, but had some bugs with sessions sometimes.
- ColanR 6y ago
  Second. It's the single biggest reason I'm still on firefox.
5986043handy 6y ago
Would add HTTPS Everywhere https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere and NoScript https://noscript.net/ https://noscript.net/ to that list
- motorbreath 6y ago
  These are essential- I also add Privacy Badger and uBlock Origin. I choose Firefox over Chrome.
- Maximus9000 6y ago
  If you have the latest chrome/firefox, doesn't that default to https all the time? Thus making "HTTPS Everywhere" redundant?
  - Shared404 6y ago
    HTTPS Everywhere will block a site if it does not have HTTPS available iirc. Chrome/Firefox don't do that by default.
- Markoff 6y ago
  you can disable scripts even with ublock, so I don't understand why people still keep noscript
  - ffpip 6y ago
    I just use uMatrix. Much easier to manage scripts, cookies and XHRs
- mehrdadn 6y ago
  Does HTTPS Everywhere actually work for you? It's utterly useless for me as far as I can tell. Try going to some site (say, example.net) in Chrome and watch it just load HTTP.
  - makeworld 6y ago
    HTTPS Everywhere only loads HTTPS on a predefined list of sites. I just use SmartHTTPS on Firefox now.
  - notpiika 6y ago
    IIRC, you have to enable the "strict" mode, or something along those lines, in the settings before it rejects HTTP connections from being made. I had the same issue.
    - mehrdadn 6y ago
      Thanks, but then what do I do about HTTP-only sites? Why can't it default to HTTPS and then auto-fallback to HTTP when HTTPS connections fail for sites that aren't in the known-HTTPS list? It seems like a logical thing to do instead of just going straight to HTTP.
      - tialaramex 6y ago
        This only helps you at all against passive adversaries. An active adversary will just cheerfully block that HTTPS connection because you'll fall back to insecure silently.
        mehrdadn 6y ago
        I fully understand that and that's still clearly still better than going straight to HTTP, which it's already doing.
melenaos 6y ago
Great addons, also available at the firefox browser.
bzb4 6y ago
Imagus to zoom into images maybe? Buster to solve captchas?
- allworknoplay 6y ago
  > Buster to solve captchas Are you a robot?
- ornornor 6y ago
  I hate captchas and love how buster is feeding them their own dog food by using speech to text to defeat captchas! Seriously though, it almost makes me look forward to sites that have captchas to feel like I’m sticking it to google instead of working for free to help them make their computer vision models better.
- vezycash 6y ago
  > Buster to solve captchas? Had to install "privacy pass" cos of cloudflare's move to hCaptcha
fendy3002 6y ago
Color picker, produce approx. hex n rgb color of page screenshot whole page (not always produce good result) Magnifier
alsdkfjkqjwer 6y ago
one thing I only started doing recently was to (in firefox, not sure chrome even gives you that control) disable the option to use fonts. I set my serif/san-serif fonts (ubuntu, ubuntu mono) and disable "allow website to choose their own font" It's incredible how having a standard font all over makes reading easier. Only downside is a handful of sites that uses the neo-windings (fontawesome et al) for icons. But it's not hard to click the button with an "S" instead of the one with a magnifying glass.
yingbo 6y ago
If you can live without Chrome, you can live without all Chrome extensions in the article; If you can live without a desktop/laptop, you can live without all Chrome extensions. I just don't like this kind of eyeball-attracting title: Too much exaggeration
- jraph 6y ago
  I agree. No need to be hyperbolic. These titles literally kill me.
mrweasel 6y ago
That’s an insane amount of extensions, most of which seems to deal with fixing “broken” website or at least make them tolerable. Reader mode is a little surprising, doesn’t Chrome have that built in?
- sprayk 6y ago
  I have seen it a few times, but only on mobile IIRC and it wasn't consistently shown across all pages where I wanted the functionality. I definitely can't seem to find it anywhere on desktop Chrome.
  - ffpip 6y ago
    Enable it in accessibility (on Mobile). Always show 'Simplified View'
- Chirael 6y ago
  Google makes money from websites showing ads, so making a reader mode readily available would be counter to that. There used to be a hacky way to approximate reader mode in Chrome [1] but not sure if that still works. Just another reason to favor Firefox over Chrome IMO. Google will always give only enough privacy options to give the veneer of supporting privacy, but never enough to truly allow it (e.g., anti-fingerprinting measures). You can't blame them really, it's just not their business model, but if you disagree with that model and its effects on you, you can choose a different browser. [1] https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-enable-reader-mode-in-chrome/ https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-enable-reader-mode-in-chr...
  - dmd 6y ago
    Yes, Chrome has reader mode. chrome://flags/#enable-reader-mode
    - ffpip 6y ago
      Didn't they remove it? Didn't find it in chromium. Might look again.
rosstex 6y ago
>Grammarly Are we cool with them now or are they still stealing your data? I'm not up to date
- system2 6y ago
  I even pay them for premium. I can't send an email without it. It makes business emailing much more professional.
  - gnicholas 6y ago
    Can I ask how? What does it correct or suggest that makes it so useful?
    - jpistell 6y ago
      I'm curious about this as well. Seems just like a normal spell checker to me
      - asdff 6y ago
        Well, it would highlight your second sentence and offer something like, "To me, it seems just like a normal spell checker."
    - system2 6y ago
      In a 300 word email I make at least 3-4 spelling errors either because I don't know the words spelling properly (yes there are many words) or because I type fast make mistakes. Grammarly checks their database and compare my sentences and suggest different ones. Try it, it really does help.
      - gnicholas 6y ago
        Out of curiosity, is English your first language? I can see that it would be helpful for fixing the types of errors you mention, and the kinds that appear in your comment. Does it give suggestions for text boxes like in HN comments as well? I have tried it and found nothing useful for me, but am interested to know why/how people use it.
40four 6y ago
Hmm, that's a long list. I use zero extensions, and I've never really had the urge to go looking for them. Now I feel like a weirdo ;)
- tobib 6y ago
  That is quite a list. Some of the choices I don't agree with. For me the first thing I install though is Ublock Origin. Can't use the web without it.
  - maskys 6y ago
    uBlock is a godsend indeed. Which ones do you disagree with, and why?
    - Shared404 6y ago
      Not commenter you were replying to, but... Honestly, most of them. Grammarly in particular because of privacy concerns, but I avoid using any that are not both open source and high payoff. I use Privacy Badger and NoScript. I may add Ublock Origin to cover the edge cases where I need to enable JS. Anything else is adding bloat, not cutting back on it. NoScript in particular covers: UBlock Origin, Nano Defender, Hover+Unpaywall, and ShutUp Most of the others, I already use something outside of a browser or don't need.
- staycoolboy 6y ago
  Welcome to the club!
michaelbuckbee 6y ago
There's an incredibly useful extension that's not on that list that I bet a good number of HN folks would like: Vimium [1] It lets you use keyboard shortcuts to navigate through webpages, click buttons, jump to text boxes, etc. it's been huge for me both as a productivity tool (it's significantly faster than using a mouse for navigation) and also for reducing RSI/strain on my hands. Here's a video of it in action as you really need to see it being used to understand the different interaction model it provides. https://youtu.be/t67Sn0RGK54?t=21 https://youtu.be/t67Sn0RGK54?t=21 1 - https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/vimium/dbepggeogbaibhgnhhndojpepiihcmeb?hl=en https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/vimium/dbepggeogba... edit: fixed link (but if you enjoyed the writeup of data security requirements let me know).
- banana_giraffe 6y ago
  Vimium is a CPRA checklisk?
  - michaelbuckbee 6y ago
    Ironically Vimium (and most extensions) are disabled on the Chrome Extensions domains. So when I hit 'yy' to copy the URL of the existing page it didn't copy it, so I instead pasted the last URL I had, which was the CPRA checklist. Not something I had intended to do, but I hope the checklist was useful.
    - banana_giraffe 6y ago
      Ahh, makes sense. Thanks for the reference though. So far I like it.
- sprayk 6y ago
  I used to use vimperator and/or pentadactyl back before the big firefox change that redid how the browser buttons/menus/etc were rendered and it was pretty ideal. The bar at the bottom, the ability to do bind any menu action, the quick addon management interface, the beautiful completion when opening a link. Since eventually switching to Chrome, I've tried vimium every now and then and always found it lacking. It usually got in the way when I didn't want it to and I'd get sick of trying to figure out how to turn it off for a particular site/just for this one interaction and just uninstall it. It's been a year probably, so I guess I'm about due for another go.
jahlove 6y ago
I am too wary of malware extensions to install that many. It is clearly trivial [0] for malware to get into the Chrome store, and Google is not doing enough to make me feel comfortable with it. Additionally, I know that even as non-malware extensions grow in popularity they are solicited by malware companies to integrate their software in an update. I experienced this first hand with the HoverZoom extension. [1] [0] https://awakesecurity.com/blog/the-internets-new-arms-dealers-malicious-domain-registrars/ https://awakesecurity.com/blog/the-internets-new-arms-dealer... [1] https://www.ghacks.net/2013/12/26/hoverzooms-malware-controversy-imagus-alternative https://www.ghacks.net/2013/12/26/hoverzooms-malware-controv...
- Chirael 6y ago
  Yes, this - absolutely. Every extension you install is another potential risk/attack vector. Consider the sources carefully and run the least number of extensions possible. Each one potentially has control of your browser, so choose accordingly.
  - nine_k 6y ago
    Lately I ended up running much fewer extensions than I used to, and actually looking at their source first. I think the only closed-source extension I run is lastpass, and I'm evaluating open-source alternatives. How do people who cannot read code even cope, I don't know.
    - squidofbits 6y ago
      +1 for bitwarden. Of all the things not to trust closed source software with, passwords are the main one
      - KeepassXC 6y ago
        KeepassXC is fortunately the only sane password-manager; so; bite your heads off with all the other crap. Bitwarden is a POS over-commercialized POS; use KeepassXC instead. Obvisously not afflitiated with KXC; and certainly not Shitwarden. Good for you that KeepassXC is free; unlike Shitwarden! Have your choices.
elorant 6y ago
For me it's uBlock Origin and uMatrix. The web is unbearable without those two. Pages load at least 50% faster. Makes you realize the amount of crap modern sites load.
juusto 6y ago
NoScript, uBlock Origin and Dark Reader. All other ones are nice to haves but those are my building blocks.
- maskys 6y ago
  What are your nice to haves?
  - juusto 6y ago
    Panorama view (think spaces for tabs) Multi-account container (keeps facebook properties and google properties on their own world) User-agent switcher (I switch to mobile on heavy websites) Evernote clipper FoxyProxy Auto-tab discarder HTTPS Everywhere S3 translator
- Markoff 6y ago
  why noscript though? you can block scripts with ublock
  - baal80spam 6y ago
    Indeed. And not only 'can' but 'should' :-)
  - juusto 6y ago
    I find the granularity of noscript easier to manage
surround 6y ago
Nano Defender hasn’t been necessary in my experience. uBlock Origin can circumvent anti-adblock measures by itself. I’m skeptical of Grammarly from a privacy standpoint. It seems to be an internet-enabled keylogger.
- random_dork1 6y ago
  Grammarly has been in the news for some privacy and security issues (around 2018). It was leaking everything that you typed.
LynxInLA 6y ago
It is mentioned in the link, but I just want to emphasize that Video Speed Controller [1] has been amazing for me. Unfortunately, it didn't work as well on Firefox (stuttering on higher speeds above 2X) when I tried it a year ago. Which means I'm stuck with chrome for at least a decent amount of my activity. [1] https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/video-speed-controller/nffaoalbilbmmfgbnbgppjihopabppdk?hl=en https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/video-speed-contro...
douglaswlance 6y ago
The Send to Kindle extension (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/send-to-kindle-for-google/cgdjpilhipecahhcilnafpblkieebhea?hl=en https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/send-to-kindle-for...) will automatically convert to MOBI for Kindle, so you can skip the EPUB step.
- maskys 6y ago
  Sweet!
- Gerile3 6y ago
  Does anyone happen to know something like this for kobo ? The ones I found not working properly :(
Markoff 6y ago
in my firefox (not that it would really matter) I have only four: Download notifications - since FF has crappy notifications about finished downloads unlike Chrome, so this way I can't overlook finished download https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/gnome-download-notifications/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/gnome-downloa... HTTPS Everywhere and uBlock origin - no need explanation To Google Translate - since FF doesn't have built in translation service, so this way I can easily translate page through right click menu https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/to-google-translate/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/to-google-tra... but if I would be using Chrome I would need just ublock and https everywhere (although not sure if is is not redundant nowadays in both browsers)
bvinc 6y ago
I just use uBlock Origin to clean up websites I visit of their trending sections, recommendation sections, comment sections. Sometimes I get rid of links that I might mindlessly click, like the whole top bar of reddit.com. For example, these filters work really well on youtube.com youtube.com##.ytp-pause-overlay youtube.com##.ytp-suggestion-set youtube.com##.ytp-endscreen-content youtube.com###related
- TheArcane 6y ago
  Do you have more of this? Perhaps on a github gist?
  - lostmsu 6y ago
    Worth publishing as a new block list for uBlock.
  - ffpip 6y ago
    https://pastebin.com/2HTBfGRF https://pastebin.com/2HTBfGRF My Youtube list. No recommened videos on the side, unless playing a music or video playlist. No other crap, signin prompts, etc
- yewenjie 6y ago
  DF Tube let's you do these things and some more. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/df-youtube/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/df-youtube/
francoisp 6y ago
tabtab
bonestamp2 6y ago
The one extension I cannot live without is hover zoom+. Hover over any thumbnail (for a customizable amount of time) and it loads the full size image on top. When people see me using it with google images, they always ask how I did that. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/hover-zoom%20/pccckmaobkjjboncdfnnofkonhgpceea https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/hover-zoom%20/pccc...
staycoolboy 6y ago
I recently deleted all of my extension off all three browsers (Chrome, Firefox, and Safari). The ad blocking on Firefox is almost as good as Ublock Origin. I found privacy badger to be largely useless. The only thing I miss is lastpass, but I've gotten used to having it run as a desktop app. Containers in Firefox were nice, but I've also gotten used to switching accounts. The fact that extensions get 100% access to everything on your page (including password forms) is just a no-go for me. I have to draw the line somewhere.
- jmnicolas 6y ago
  You still have to trust your browser and your OS.
  - staycoolboy 6y ago
    Obviously. That's why I said "I have to draw the line somewhere". I trust my browser and OS more than extensions. Your security posture is probably different than mine.
    - umpatonalagoa 6y ago
      Well if you're worried about chain of trust, you could only use recommended extensions on Firefox. They're manually reviewed so you're still only really trusting the organization that runs your browser. Bonus point if you download the extensions and manually review it yourself.
    - jmnicolas 6y ago
      My comment wasn't clear sorry. I was thinking about privacy, not security. What I meant is that if you use a commercial OS and browser (and your ISP too) they're still going to exfiltrate your web activity to their servers.
dawnerd 6y ago
I actually use this one a lot, lets you take a video and make it the full size of the browser. I find that theater mode youtube isn't quite big enough on a 4k screen, but I don't want to pop into fullscreen mode. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/fullscreen-video-to-windo/mkdkhflndckmdlpiaddfmpppmodplheo https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/fullscreen-video-t...
AnonHP 6y ago
> Privacy Badger + UBlock Origin The days of uBlock Origin on Google Chrome are numbered. It may not work for Google Chrome when Manifest V3 is implemented (and no recourse provided for uBlock Origin). [1] P.S: I haven't kept up with the latest developments on this since last year. [1]: https://www.ghacks.net/2019/01/22/chrome-extension-manifest-v3-could-end-ublock-origin-for-chrome/ https://www.ghacks.net/2019/01/22/chrome-extension-manifest-...
- maskys 6y ago
  oof, really hope this doesn't see the light.
  - paulgb 6y ago
    On the other hand, this might be the push some people need to start using Firefox.
    - fooey 6y ago
      Or, ironically, MS's chromium fork powering Edge
      - vezycash 6y ago
        > MS's chromium fork powering Edge Microsoft will simply follow Google's lead.
- pridkett 6y ago
  Although it’s not quite as good as uBlock Origin, moving to a network based setup, like PiHole or AdGuard Home, can make great strides across all your devices with minimal headache or worrying as much about Google making it harder to control your web content. It makes it very apparent when I’m browsing on my phone or iPad and they switch over to LTE because all the sudden there are ads everywhere. At some point I’m sure they’ll start trying to bypass local DNS by forcing DNS over HTTPS to only their approved servers, at which point someone will build a MITM HTTPS proxy for home users that you can seamlessly install onto a Raspberry Pi until we see the next escalation in the never ending battle for our eyeballs.
bgs264 6y ago
In the post: "Shut Up disables comments everywhere. When I trust a platform's audience enough to read the unfiltered outputs from their brains, I enable comments for just that site. Sometimes I turn it back off immediately" At the end of the post: A comments section with spam in it.
- SllX 6y ago
  You know, if he can't see it, maybe he forgot it was there? That would be an amusing side effect.
  - noah_buddy 6y ago
    Honestly, I can imagine that content creators would love the option of not seeing their comment sections, at least after they take off. If I were, say, Dan Harmon, I'd be really happy to have the option of filtering every post anywhere with a reference to his work.
hoerzu 6y ago
Since GDPR websites come with the worst UX for cookie consent. If you feel adventerous and want to ignore cookie popups. I can recommend: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/i-dont-care-about-cookies/fihnjjcciajhdojfnbdddfaoknhalnja?hl=en https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/i-dont-care-about-...
- ffpip 6y ago
  Its much safer and secure to add list Cookie to uBlock Origin. Or use uBo's element picker. One time job
- Normille 6y ago
  "I Don't Care About Cookies" slowed my browser down so much on so many sites, it was more annoying than the cookie messages themselves. I got rid of it.
jgalt212 6y ago
How one simultaneously recommend both Privacy Badger and Grammarly?
vladletter 6y ago
FYI, most of those extensions read your browsing history without any reason...
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
symlinkk 6y ago
The only thing you really need is uBlock Origin and a password manager. Everything else is fluff.
Causality1 6y ago
Nice list. There are still extensions I wish someone would come up with. Like an extension to make Google Image Search only return images, not videos. I've basically given up on embedding gifs into HTML because it's impossible to find an actual gif with Google. All you get is videos pretending to be gifs.
pragnesh 6y ago
I will also add flowcrypt in this list to send gpg encrypted mail. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/flowcrypt-encrypt-gmail-w/bnjglocicdkmhmoohhfkfkbbkejdhdgc https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/flowcrypt-encrypt-...
- ValueNull 6y ago
  Thoughts on Mailvelope? https://www.mailvelope.com https://www.mailvelope.com
system2 6y ago
Probably generation difference. The author is depending on google products and social platforms way more than I'd ever do. Facebook, youtube, gmail, chrome...
itisame 6y ago
I just wrote one to show which links are fresh on news sites (e.g. on HN). FF only for now though: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/developers/addon/seen-it-all/versions https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/developers/addon/seen-it-al... feedback welcome
- Gerile3 6y ago
  Oh god, I really need something like this in my life. I end up losing myself on reddit, hacker news, lobsters like websites. This might ease my burden a bit. Do you happen to have a GitHub link or something, so I can follow the progress ?
  - itisame 6y ago
    Oh I haven't set up git yet. Will let you know. Are you subscribed to HN comments? (e.g. via http://www.hnreplies.com/ http://www.hnreplies.com/ ) You'd be waiting for chrome? I also pasted the wrong link I figured. FF is here: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/seen-it-all/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/seen-it-all/
    - Gerile3 6y ago
      Just learned hnreplies.com (thanks for that) I am subscribed now. Also, Firefox user here so thanks for the link :). Saved add-on page for now. Good luck on the project!
  - timbit42 6y ago
    Use RSS.
itisame 6y ago
I can recommend: - Timelense preview for youtube: https://timelens.io/youtube/ https://timelens.io/youtube/ (needs greasemonkey or something) - Opens pdfs in my pdf reader right away: https://add0n.com/open-in.html?from=pdf https://add0n.com/open-in.html?from=pdf (invert sumatra pdf on windows and you even have a dark mode: "...\SumatraPDF.exe" -bg-color #000000 -set-color-range #FFFFFF #000000 ) - (there is also one to open in chrome, really good if you are using FF but need to use google products like meet or jamboard) - TTS with amazon polly support (if you have an AWS account): https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/read-aloud-a-text-to-spee/hdhinadidafjejdhmfkjgnolgimiaplp https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/read-aloud-a-text-... - oh and mouse users should always scroll my dragging right-click IMO :) https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/scroll_anywhere/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/scroll_anywhe... - adblock for youtube sponsored bla bla within the video https://sponsor.ajay.app/ https://sponsor.ajay.app/ - backup what you typed in form fields: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/textarea-cache/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/textarea-cach... - stylish if you know CSS. I made wikipedia look more like the mobile version, make visited links visible globally, hide jira crap for sprint plannings etc. - for good keyboard hint navigation: trydactyl (but saka keys is probably more beginner friendly) - Show which links are fresh on news sites (e.g. on HN). FF only for now though. Just published it myself: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/developers/addon/seen-it-al.. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/developers/addon/seen-it-al....
- 7fYZ7mJh3RNKNaG 6y ago
  Your extension's URL seems broken
  - itisame 6y ago
    oops https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/seen-it-all/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/seen-it-all/
buzzert 6y ago
A majority of these extensions just seem to be ways to deal with shitty JavaScript. IMO, NoScript is really the only one you need.
- asdff 6y ago
  NoScript gets old fast when websites are breaking left and right.
  - smilliken 6y ago
    One websites I use often, it's no hassle because the appropriate scripts are already enabled by domain. On websites I haven't been to before, it's less hassle to take the whitelist approach with than deal with random parasites.
bloopernova 6y ago
On the off-chance that someone reads this and may find it useful, here are my most useful Firefox extensions: Firefox Container Tabs. Allows me to have multiple office or gmail logins, amazon AWS console sessions, etc etc. And one to keep Facebook walled off in its own little prison. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/multi-account-containers/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/multi-account... SingleFile. Allows me to save a snapshot of a page when I bookmark it (or at any other time). This means that when I encounter a page, I can automatically archive a copy to read later without worrying if the author will delete it, or the site will be unavailable. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/single-file/?src=search https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/single-file/?... Default Bookmark Folder. Always save new bookmarks to the same place, which is useful for keeping stuff together. I tag my bookmarks when I make them too, to make finding them again much easier. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/default-bookmark-folder/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/default-bookm... Eno from Capital One. Lets me make a unique credit card for each site I buy from, so I can instantly tell if something is wrong if I see a bad charge. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/capital-one-eno/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/capital-one-e... Tampermonkey. This lets me have a dark mode for Google search, and a bunch of other useful scripts. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/tampermonkey/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/tampermonkey/
- ColanR 6y ago
  There's also greasemonkey [0] and violentmonkey [1]. [0] https://www.greasespot.net/ https://www.greasespot.net/ [1] https://github.com/violentmonkey/violentmonkey https://github.com/violentmonkey/violentmonkey
  - bloopernova 6y ago
    True that. I forgot why I settled on Tampermonkey, and I think all 3 can use the same scripts.
- Penguinx628 6y ago
  I would recommend privacy.com over Eno, though I have not used eno
fareesh 6y ago
I find that comments are the most entertaining parts of pretty much everything online, especially YouTube.
- noah_buddy 6y ago
  There is a certain sort of phenomena I've noticed recently where the act and skill of posting are becoming a focus in itself. The podcast Report this Post kind of gets at the essence of it and the joy of delightfully bad posts, specifically. That said, I think that the subtle art of trolling is really understated on the modern web, too (at least to the mainstream, because they're usually the butt of the jokes).
michaericalribo 6y ago
I try to keep things light—less time and energy thinking about things that only squeeze out that extra sliver of speed in obscure (for me) use-cases. I use AdBlock and LastPass, and maybe a clipper—Notion, Instapaper. But other than that, I’ve found more extensions make me less able to focus on getting stuff done, and much more focused on whether I’m using the ‘right’ tool
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
ikt 6y ago
Surprised no decentraleyes
weisbaum 6y ago
Page Monitor is pretty great for getting notified when the code on a specific page changes so you can be first to grab something that pops back in stock.
jiggunjer 6y ago
Mine: 1. Dictionary by Google. I like double-clicking unknown words for an instant definition or translation. 2. Regex search. When ctrl+F just isn't enough. 3. Duplicate Tab Shortcut Key. For those times when I click on a search engine result before pressing ctrl.
- deadso 6y ago
  For 3, you can also middle click the back button to reopen the search engine tab again.
  - gcarvalho 6y ago
    Here are all the ways I know how to duplicate a tab: - ctrl drag the tab to the side until a downwards arrow appear and then release - ctrl click the refresh button (any of the navigation buttons really, although they will clone the previous or the next in the history) - middle click the refresh button And my favorite: “yt” key combo when using Vimium-ff. Additionally, it’s useful because I like to keep related tabs next to each other, so I often used these methods to duplicate a tab (or ctrl/middle click on the new tab button to open a blank one next to the current tab), but now I only need to press “t” to open a new blank tab right next to my current one.
rawoke083600 6y ago
Can I add my own ?"BlinkFind"[0] Yes it's exactly as the name implies ! It will BLINK the text you are trying to find on a page via "Ctrl+F" or "Cmd+F". I honestly can't believe I'm the only user of this extension. I can not for the live of me find half the text I'm looking for on a webpage without it blinking. [0]https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/blink-find-finding-text-o/kdebbcdhlebhajljmhpodplnlcjhifae https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/blink-find-finding...? utm_source=chrome-ntp-icon
needle0 6y ago
Slightly irksome when by "Browser Extensions" the author only means "Chrome Extensions" and provides no links to equivalents for other browsers. That in itself is fine, but they could've titled it with "Chrome" in the headline, not a general term like "Browser".
mavhc 6y ago
Disable HTML5 Autoplay https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/disable-html5-autoplay-re/cafckninonjkogajnihihlnnimmkndgf https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/disable-html5-auto... Saka (Tab search with ctrl-space) https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/saka/nbdfpcokndmapcollfpjdpjlabnibjdi https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/saka/nbdfpcokndmap... Session buddy (for when Chrome tab recovery fails) https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/session-buddy/edacconmaakjimmfgnblocblbcdcpbko https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/session-buddy/edac... urlNeXT (c-s-right arrow to go to the next page, increments numbers in url, works well on forums) https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/urlnext/emepkgfiamgdjilgkacpciojagbolepb https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/urlnext/emepkgfiam...
TaurusS 6y ago
My list of essential Addons: - Dark Reader: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/darkreader/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/darkreader/ - Feedbro: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/feedbroreader/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/feedbroreader... - uBlockO (easy/default mode): https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ublock-origin/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ublock-origin... - uMatrix (block all/whitelist mode): https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/umatrix/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/umatrix/ - NoScript (global off; use only for XSS, ABE and CJ protection): https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/noscript/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/noscript/ - Multi-Container: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/multi-account-containers/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/multi-account... - Temp-Container (delete all data after tab closed): https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/temporary-containers/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/temporary-con... - Decentraleyes (whitelist cdn domains in uMatrix): https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/decentraleyes/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/decentraleyes... - Clearurls: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/clearurls/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/clearurls/ - Popup Blocker (strict): https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/popup-blocker/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/popup-blocker... - HTTPS-Everywhere: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/https-everywhere/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/https-everywh...
- digital_voodoo 6y ago
  I've seen a lot of people recommend LocalCDN over Decentraleyes: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/localcdn-fork-of-decentraleyes/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/localcdn-fork...
xtiansimon 6y ago
When I was doing some research, I found these Chrome extensions very useful: - Export History - Offered by: Christian Genco. Export your browser history as JSON or CSV - Multi-highlight - Offered by: Alexius Lee. Create a list of words to highlight on the page. - Super Simple Highlighter - Offered by: dexterouslogic.com. Configure a set of persistent webpage highlighters and tags. -- [1]: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/export-history/hcohnnbbiggngobheobhdipbgmcbelhh?hl=en https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/export-history/hco... [2]: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/multi-highlight/pfgfgjlejbbpfmcfjhdmikihihddeeji?hl=en https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/multi-highlight/pf... [3]: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/super-simple-highlighter/hhlhjgianpocpoppaiihmlpgcoehlhio?hl=en https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/super-simple-highl...
JFKKFJ 6y ago
I replaced some extensions with nextdns(.io).
Stierlitz 6y ago
All very well, but each new extension adds to "waiting on extension". I tried moving the cache and chrome profile to tmpfs to speed things up. Could some developer embed such functionality into the executables?
cwwc 6y ago
Brilliant way to gain access to The Economist. Kudos, maestro.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
onurtag 6y ago
Some other unmentioned add-ons that I use frequently: - Contextlets: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/contextlets/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/contextlets/ Adds context menu items that execute custom JavaScript. Think of it as an advanced version of bookmarklets that can use webextension APIs. Example use case: Search for the selected text in multiple search engines in a new window with discarded tabs. - Distill Web Monitor: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/distill-web-monitor-ff/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/distill-web-m... Monitor website changes and get notification popups, email, SMS or push notifications on change. There are other alternatives that have the same basic functionality but I stayed with Distill as it is more customizable.
foofoo4u 6y ago
I love the [Vimium-FF](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/vimium-ff/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/vimium-ff/) plugin, which allows me to traverse the web with vim-like bindings. Great for traversing mouse free.

184 points by maskys 6y ago

I can't live without Tree Style Tabs[0] in Firefox. It's The Thing that finally got me to switch back to FF and I will never look back. 0: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/tree-style-tab/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/tree-style-ta...

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
itisame 6y ago
I can recommend alternatively https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/sidebery/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/sidebery/ Much nice I think, but had some bugs with sessions sometimes.
ColanR 6y ago
Second. It's the single biggest reason I'm still on firefox.

5986043handy 6y ago

Would add HTTPS Everywhere https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere and NoScript https://noscript.net/ https://noscript.net/ to that list

motorbreath 6y ago
These are essential- I also add Privacy Badger and uBlock Origin. I choose Firefox over Chrome.
Maximus9000 6y ago
If you have the latest chrome/firefox, doesn't that default to https all the time? Thus making "HTTPS Everywhere" redundant?
- Shared404 6y ago
  HTTPS Everywhere will block a site if it does not have HTTPS available iirc. Chrome/Firefox don't do that by default.
Markoff 6y ago
you can disable scripts even with ublock, so I don't understand why people still keep noscript
- ffpip 6y ago
  I just use uMatrix. Much easier to manage scripts, cookies and XHRs
mehrdadn 6y ago
Does HTTPS Everywhere actually work for you? It's utterly useless for me as far as I can tell. Try going to some site (say, example.net) in Chrome and watch it just load HTTP.
- makeworld 6y ago
  HTTPS Everywhere only loads HTTPS on a predefined list of sites. I just use SmartHTTPS on Firefox now.
- notpiika 6y ago
  IIRC, you have to enable the "strict" mode, or something along those lines, in the settings before it rejects HTTP connections from being made. I had the same issue.
  - mehrdadn 6y ago
    Thanks, but then what do I do about HTTP-only sites? Why can't it default to HTTPS and then auto-fallback to HTTP when HTTPS connections fail for sites that aren't in the known-HTTPS list? It seems like a logical thing to do instead of just going straight to HTTP.
    - tialaramex 6y ago
      This only helps you at all against passive adversaries. An active adversary will just cheerfully block that HTTPS connection because you'll fall back to insecure silently.
      - mehrdadn 6y ago
        I fully understand that and that's still clearly still better than going straight to HTTP, which it's already doing.

melenaos 6y ago

Great addons, also available at the firefox browser.

bzb4 6y ago

Imagus to zoom into images maybe? Buster to solve captchas?

allworknoplay 6y ago
> Buster to solve captchas Are you a robot?
ornornor 6y ago
I hate captchas and love how buster is feeding them their own dog food by using speech to text to defeat captchas! Seriously though, it almost makes me look forward to sites that have captchas to feel like I’m sticking it to google instead of working for free to help them make their computer vision models better.
vezycash 6y ago
> Buster to solve captchas? Had to install "privacy pass" cos of cloudflare's move to hCaptcha

fendy3002 6y ago

Color picker, produce approx. hex n rgb color of page screenshot whole page (not always produce good result) Magnifier

alsdkfjkqjwer 6y ago

one thing I only started doing recently was to (in firefox, not sure chrome even gives you that control) disable the option to use fonts. I set my serif/san-serif fonts (ubuntu, ubuntu mono) and disable "allow website to choose their own font" It's incredible how having a standard font all over makes reading easier. Only downside is a handful of sites that uses the neo-windings (fontawesome et al) for icons. But it's not hard to click the button with an "S" instead of the one with a magnifying glass.

yingbo 6y ago

If you can live without Chrome, you can live without all Chrome extensions in the article; If you can live without a desktop/laptop, you can live without all Chrome extensions. I just don't like this kind of eyeball-attracting title: Too much exaggeration

jraph 6y ago
I agree. No need to be hyperbolic. These titles literally kill me.

mrweasel 6y ago

That’s an insane amount of extensions, most of which seems to deal with fixing “broken” website or at least make them tolerable. Reader mode is a little surprising, doesn’t Chrome have that built in?

sprayk 6y ago
I have seen it a few times, but only on mobile IIRC and it wasn't consistently shown across all pages where I wanted the functionality. I definitely can't seem to find it anywhere on desktop Chrome.
- ffpip 6y ago
  Enable it in accessibility (on Mobile). Always show 'Simplified View'
Chirael 6y ago
Google makes money from websites showing ads, so making a reader mode readily available would be counter to that. There used to be a hacky way to approximate reader mode in Chrome [1] but not sure if that still works. Just another reason to favor Firefox over Chrome IMO. Google will always give only enough privacy options to give the veneer of supporting privacy, but never enough to truly allow it (e.g., anti-fingerprinting measures). You can't blame them really, it's just not their business model, but if you disagree with that model and its effects on you, you can choose a different browser. [1] https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-enable-reader-mode-in-chrome/ https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-enable-reader-mode-in-chr...
- dmd 6y ago
  Yes, Chrome has reader mode. chrome://flags/#enable-reader-mode
  - ffpip 6y ago
    Didn't they remove it? Didn't find it in chromium. Might look again.

rosstex 6y ago

>Grammarly Are we cool with them now or are they still stealing your data? I'm not up to date

system2 6y ago
I even pay them for premium. I can't send an email without it. It makes business emailing much more professional.
- gnicholas 6y ago
  Can I ask how? What does it correct or suggest that makes it so useful?
  - jpistell 6y ago
    I'm curious about this as well. Seems just like a normal spell checker to me
    - asdff 6y ago
      Well, it would highlight your second sentence and offer something like, "To me, it seems just like a normal spell checker."
  - system2 6y ago
    In a 300 word email I make at least 3-4 spelling errors either because I don't know the words spelling properly (yes there are many words) or because I type fast make mistakes. Grammarly checks their database and compare my sentences and suggest different ones. Try it, it really does help.
    - gnicholas 6y ago
      Out of curiosity, is English your first language? I can see that it would be helpful for fixing the types of errors you mention, and the kinds that appear in your comment. Does it give suggestions for text boxes like in HN comments as well? I have tried it and found nothing useful for me, but am interested to know why/how people use it.

40four 6y ago

Hmm, that's a long list. I use zero extensions, and I've never really had the urge to go looking for them. Now I feel like a weirdo ;)

tobib 6y ago
That is quite a list. Some of the choices I don't agree with. For me the first thing I install though is Ublock Origin. Can't use the web without it.
- maskys 6y ago
  uBlock is a godsend indeed. Which ones do you disagree with, and why?
  - Shared404 6y ago
    Not commenter you were replying to, but... Honestly, most of them. Grammarly in particular because of privacy concerns, but I avoid using any that are not both open source and high payoff. I use Privacy Badger and NoScript. I may add Ublock Origin to cover the edge cases where I need to enable JS. Anything else is adding bloat, not cutting back on it. NoScript in particular covers: UBlock Origin, Nano Defender, Hover+Unpaywall, and ShutUp Most of the others, I already use something outside of a browser or don't need.
staycoolboy 6y ago
Welcome to the club!

michaelbuckbee 6y ago

There's an incredibly useful extension that's not on that list that I bet a good number of HN folks would like: Vimium [1] It lets you use keyboard shortcuts to navigate through webpages, click buttons, jump to text boxes, etc. it's been huge for me both as a productivity tool (it's significantly faster than using a mouse for navigation) and also for reducing RSI/strain on my hands. Here's a video of it in action as you really need to see it being used to understand the different interaction model it provides. https://youtu.be/t67Sn0RGK54?t=21 https://youtu.be/t67Sn0RGK54?t=21 1 - https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/vimium/dbepggeogbaibhgnhhndojpepiihcmeb?hl=en https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/vimium/dbepggeogba... edit: fixed link (but if you enjoyed the writeup of data security requirements let me know).

banana_giraffe 6y ago
Vimium is a CPRA checklisk?
- michaelbuckbee 6y ago
  Ironically Vimium (and most extensions) are disabled on the Chrome Extensions domains. So when I hit 'yy' to copy the URL of the existing page it didn't copy it, so I instead pasted the last URL I had, which was the CPRA checklist. Not something I had intended to do, but I hope the checklist was useful.
  - banana_giraffe 6y ago
    Ahh, makes sense. Thanks for the reference though. So far I like it.
sprayk 6y ago
I used to use vimperator and/or pentadactyl back before the big firefox change that redid how the browser buttons/menus/etc were rendered and it was pretty ideal. The bar at the bottom, the ability to do bind any menu action, the quick addon management interface, the beautiful completion when opening a link. Since eventually switching to Chrome, I've tried vimium every now and then and always found it lacking. It usually got in the way when I didn't want it to and I'd get sick of trying to figure out how to turn it off for a particular site/just for this one interaction and just uninstall it. It's been a year probably, so I guess I'm about due for another go.

jahlove 6y ago

I am too wary of malware extensions to install that many. It is clearly trivial [0] for malware to get into the Chrome store, and Google is not doing enough to make me feel comfortable with it. Additionally, I know that even as non-malware extensions grow in popularity they are solicited by malware companies to integrate their software in an update. I experienced this first hand with the HoverZoom extension. [1] [0] https://awakesecurity.com/blog/the-internets-new-arms-dealers-malicious-domain-registrars/ https://awakesecurity.com/blog/the-internets-new-arms-dealer... [1] https://www.ghacks.net/2013/12/26/hoverzooms-malware-controversy-imagus-alternative https://www.ghacks.net/2013/12/26/hoverzooms-malware-controv...

Chirael 6y ago
Yes, this - absolutely. Every extension you install is another potential risk/attack vector. Consider the sources carefully and run the least number of extensions possible. Each one potentially has control of your browser, so choose accordingly.
- nine_k 6y ago
  Lately I ended up running much fewer extensions than I used to, and actually looking at their source first. I think the only closed-source extension I run is lastpass, and I'm evaluating open-source alternatives. How do people who cannot read code even cope, I don't know.
  - squidofbits 6y ago
    +1 for bitwarden. Of all the things not to trust closed source software with, passwords are the main one
    - KeepassXC 6y ago
      KeepassXC is fortunately the only sane password-manager; so; bite your heads off with all the other crap. Bitwarden is a POS over-commercialized POS; use KeepassXC instead. Obvisously not afflitiated with KXC; and certainly not Shitwarden. Good for you that KeepassXC is free; unlike Shitwarden! Have your choices.

elorant 6y ago

For me it's uBlock Origin and uMatrix. The web is unbearable without those two. Pages load at least 50% faster. Makes you realize the amount of crap modern sites load.

juusto 6y ago

NoScript, uBlock Origin and Dark Reader. All other ones are nice to haves but those are my building blocks.

maskys 6y ago
What are your nice to haves?
- juusto 6y ago
  Panorama view (think spaces for tabs) Multi-account container (keeps facebook properties and google properties on their own world) User-agent switcher (I switch to mobile on heavy websites) Evernote clipper FoxyProxy Auto-tab discarder HTTPS Everywhere S3 translator
Markoff 6y ago
why noscript though? you can block scripts with ublock
- baal80spam 6y ago
  Indeed. And not only 'can' but 'should' :-)
- juusto 6y ago
  I find the granularity of noscript easier to manage

surround 6y ago

Nano Defender hasn’t been necessary in my experience. uBlock Origin can circumvent anti-adblock measures by itself. I’m skeptical of Grammarly from a privacy standpoint. It seems to be an internet-enabled keylogger.

random_dork1 6y ago
Grammarly has been in the news for some privacy and security issues (around 2018). It was leaking everything that you typed.

LynxInLA 6y ago

It is mentioned in the link, but I just want to emphasize that Video Speed Controller [1] has been amazing for me. Unfortunately, it didn't work as well on Firefox (stuttering on higher speeds above 2X) when I tried it a year ago. Which means I'm stuck with chrome for at least a decent amount of my activity. [1] https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/video-speed-controller/nffaoalbilbmmfgbnbgppjihopabppdk?hl=en https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/video-speed-contro...

douglaswlance 6y ago

The Send to Kindle extension (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/send-to-kindle-for-google/cgdjpilhipecahhcilnafpblkieebhea?hl=en https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/send-to-kindle-for...) will automatically convert to MOBI for Kindle, so you can skip the EPUB step.

maskys 6y ago
Sweet!
Gerile3 6y ago
Does anyone happen to know something like this for kobo ? The ones I found not working properly :(

Markoff 6y ago

in my firefox (not that it would really matter) I have only four: Download notifications - since FF has crappy notifications about finished downloads unlike Chrome, so this way I can't overlook finished download https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/gnome-download-notifications/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/gnome-downloa... HTTPS Everywhere and uBlock origin - no need explanation To Google Translate - since FF doesn't have built in translation service, so this way I can easily translate page through right click menu https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/to-google-translate/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/to-google-tra... but if I would be using Chrome I would need just ublock and https everywhere (although not sure if is is not redundant nowadays in both browsers)

bvinc 6y ago

I just use uBlock Origin to clean up websites I visit of their trending sections, recommendation sections, comment sections. Sometimes I get rid of links that I might mindlessly click, like the whole top bar of reddit.com. For example, these filters work really well on youtube.com youtube.com##.ytp-pause-overlay youtube.com##.ytp-suggestion-set youtube.com##.ytp-endscreen-content youtube.com###related

TheArcane 6y ago
Do you have more of this? Perhaps on a github gist?
- lostmsu 6y ago
  Worth publishing as a new block list for uBlock.
- ffpip 6y ago
  https://pastebin.com/2HTBfGRF https://pastebin.com/2HTBfGRF My Youtube list. No recommened videos on the side, unless playing a music or video playlist. No other crap, signin prompts, etc
yewenjie 6y ago
DF Tube let's you do these things and some more. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/df-youtube/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/df-youtube/

francoisp 6y ago

tabtab

bonestamp2 6y ago

The one extension I cannot live without is hover zoom+. Hover over any thumbnail (for a customizable amount of time) and it loads the full size image on top. When people see me using it with google images, they always ask how I did that. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/hover-zoom%20/pccckmaobkjjboncdfnnofkonhgpceea https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/hover-zoom%20/pccc...

staycoolboy 6y ago

I recently deleted all of my extension off all three browsers (Chrome, Firefox, and Safari). The ad blocking on Firefox is almost as good as Ublock Origin. I found privacy badger to be largely useless. The only thing I miss is lastpass, but I've gotten used to having it run as a desktop app. Containers in Firefox were nice, but I've also gotten used to switching accounts. The fact that extensions get 100% access to everything on your page (including password forms) is just a no-go for me. I have to draw the line somewhere.

jmnicolas 6y ago
You still have to trust your browser and your OS.
- staycoolboy 6y ago
  Obviously. That's why I said "I have to draw the line somewhere". I trust my browser and OS more than extensions. Your security posture is probably different than mine.
  - umpatonalagoa 6y ago
    Well if you're worried about chain of trust, you could only use recommended extensions on Firefox. They're manually reviewed so you're still only really trusting the organization that runs your browser. Bonus point if you download the extensions and manually review it yourself.
  - jmnicolas 6y ago
    My comment wasn't clear sorry. I was thinking about privacy, not security. What I meant is that if you use a commercial OS and browser (and your ISP too) they're still going to exfiltrate your web activity to their servers.

dawnerd 6y ago

I actually use this one a lot, lets you take a video and make it the full size of the browser. I find that theater mode youtube isn't quite big enough on a 4k screen, but I don't want to pop into fullscreen mode. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/fullscreen-video-to-windo/mkdkhflndckmdlpiaddfmpppmodplheo https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/fullscreen-video-t...

AnonHP 6y ago

> Privacy Badger + UBlock Origin The days of uBlock Origin on Google Chrome are numbered. It may not work for Google Chrome when Manifest V3 is implemented (and no recourse provided for uBlock Origin). [1] P.S: I haven't kept up with the latest developments on this since last year. [1]: https://www.ghacks.net/2019/01/22/chrome-extension-manifest-v3-could-end-ublock-origin-for-chrome/ https://www.ghacks.net/2019/01/22/chrome-extension-manifest-...

maskys 6y ago
oof, really hope this doesn't see the light.
- paulgb 6y ago
  On the other hand, this might be the push some people need to start using Firefox.
  - fooey 6y ago
    Or, ironically, MS's chromium fork powering Edge
    - vezycash 6y ago
      > MS's chromium fork powering Edge Microsoft will simply follow Google's lead.
pridkett 6y ago
Although it’s not quite as good as uBlock Origin, moving to a network based setup, like PiHole or AdGuard Home, can make great strides across all your devices with minimal headache or worrying as much about Google making it harder to control your web content. It makes it very apparent when I’m browsing on my phone or iPad and they switch over to LTE because all the sudden there are ads everywhere. At some point I’m sure they’ll start trying to bypass local DNS by forcing DNS over HTTPS to only their approved servers, at which point someone will build a MITM HTTPS proxy for home users that you can seamlessly install onto a Raspberry Pi until we see the next escalation in the never ending battle for our eyeballs.

bgs264 6y ago

In the post: "Shut Up disables comments everywhere. When I trust a platform's audience enough to read the unfiltered outputs from their brains, I enable comments for just that site. Sometimes I turn it back off immediately" At the end of the post: A comments section with spam in it.

SllX 6y ago
You know, if he can't see it, maybe he forgot it was there? That would be an amusing side effect.
- noah_buddy 6y ago
  Honestly, I can imagine that content creators would love the option of not seeing their comment sections, at least after they take off. If I were, say, Dan Harmon, I'd be really happy to have the option of filtering every post anywhere with a reference to his work.

hoerzu 6y ago

Since GDPR websites come with the worst UX for cookie consent. If you feel adventerous and want to ignore cookie popups. I can recommend: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/i-dont-care-about-cookies/fihnjjcciajhdojfnbdddfaoknhalnja?hl=en https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/i-dont-care-about-...

ffpip 6y ago
Its much safer and secure to add list Cookie to uBlock Origin. Or use uBo's element picker. One time job
Normille 6y ago
"I Don't Care About Cookies" slowed my browser down so much on so many sites, it was more annoying than the cookie messages themselves. I got rid of it.

jgalt212 6y ago

How one simultaneously recommend both Privacy Badger and Grammarly?

vladletter 6y ago

FYI, most of those extensions read your browsing history without any reason...

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

symlinkk 6y ago

The only thing you really need is uBlock Origin and a password manager. Everything else is fluff.

Causality1 6y ago

Nice list. There are still extensions I wish someone would come up with. Like an extension to make Google Image Search only return images, not videos. I've basically given up on embedding gifs into HTML because it's impossible to find an actual gif with Google. All you get is videos pretending to be gifs.

pragnesh 6y ago

I will also add flowcrypt in this list to send gpg encrypted mail. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/flowcrypt-encrypt-gmail-w/bnjglocicdkmhmoohhfkfkbbkejdhdgc https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/flowcrypt-encrypt-...

ValueNull 6y ago
Thoughts on Mailvelope? https://www.mailvelope.com https://www.mailvelope.com

system2 6y ago

Probably generation difference. The author is depending on google products and social platforms way more than I'd ever do. Facebook, youtube, gmail, chrome...

itisame 6y ago

I just wrote one to show which links are fresh on news sites (e.g. on HN). FF only for now though: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/developers/addon/seen-it-all/versions https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/developers/addon/seen-it-al... feedback welcome

Gerile3 6y ago
Oh god, I really need something like this in my life. I end up losing myself on reddit, hacker news, lobsters like websites. This might ease my burden a bit. Do you happen to have a GitHub link or something, so I can follow the progress ?
- itisame 6y ago
  Oh I haven't set up git yet. Will let you know. Are you subscribed to HN comments? (e.g. via http://www.hnreplies.com/ http://www.hnreplies.com/ ) You'd be waiting for chrome? I also pasted the wrong link I figured. FF is here: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/seen-it-all/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/seen-it-all/
  - Gerile3 6y ago
    Just learned hnreplies.com (thanks for that) I am subscribed now. Also, Firefox user here so thanks for the link :). Saved add-on page for now. Good luck on the project!
- timbit42 6y ago
  Use RSS.

itisame 6y ago

I can recommend: - Timelense preview for youtube: https://timelens.io/youtube/ https://timelens.io/youtube/ (needs greasemonkey or something) - Opens pdfs in my pdf reader right away: https://add0n.com/open-in.html?from=pdf https://add0n.com/open-in.html?from=pdf (invert sumatra pdf on windows and you even have a dark mode: "...\SumatraPDF.exe" -bg-color #000000 -set-color-range #FFFFFF #000000 ) - (there is also one to open in chrome, really good if you are using FF but need to use google products like meet or jamboard) - TTS with amazon polly support (if you have an AWS account): https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/read-aloud-a-text-to-spee/hdhinadidafjejdhmfkjgnolgimiaplp https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/read-aloud-a-text-... - oh and mouse users should always scroll my dragging right-click IMO :) https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/scroll_anywhere/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/scroll_anywhe... - adblock for youtube sponsored bla bla within the video https://sponsor.ajay.app/ https://sponsor.ajay.app/ - backup what you typed in form fields: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/textarea-cache/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/textarea-cach... - stylish if you know CSS. I made wikipedia look more like the mobile version, make visited links visible globally, hide jira crap for sprint plannings etc. - for good keyboard hint navigation: trydactyl (but saka keys is probably more beginner friendly) - Show which links are fresh on news sites (e.g. on HN). FF only for now though. Just published it myself: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/developers/addon/seen-it-al.. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/developers/addon/seen-it-al....

7fYZ7mJh3RNKNaG 6y ago
Your extension's URL seems broken
- itisame 6y ago
  oops https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/seen-it-all/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/seen-it-all/

buzzert 6y ago

A majority of these extensions just seem to be ways to deal with shitty JavaScript. IMO, NoScript is really the only one you need.

asdff 6y ago
NoScript gets old fast when websites are breaking left and right.
- smilliken 6y ago
  One websites I use often, it's no hassle because the appropriate scripts are already enabled by domain. On websites I haven't been to before, it's less hassle to take the whitelist approach with than deal with random parasites.

bloopernova 6y ago

On the off-chance that someone reads this and may find it useful, here are my most useful Firefox extensions: Firefox Container Tabs. Allows me to have multiple office or gmail logins, amazon AWS console sessions, etc etc. And one to keep Facebook walled off in its own little prison. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/multi-account-containers/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/multi-account... SingleFile. Allows me to save a snapshot of a page when I bookmark it (or at any other time). This means that when I encounter a page, I can automatically archive a copy to read later without worrying if the author will delete it, or the site will be unavailable. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/single-file/?src=search https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/single-file/?... Default Bookmark Folder. Always save new bookmarks to the same place, which is useful for keeping stuff together. I tag my bookmarks when I make them too, to make finding them again much easier. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/default-bookmark-folder/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/default-bookm... Eno from Capital One. Lets me make a unique credit card for each site I buy from, so I can instantly tell if something is wrong if I see a bad charge. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/capital-one-eno/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/capital-one-e... Tampermonkey. This lets me have a dark mode for Google search, and a bunch of other useful scripts. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/tampermonkey/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/tampermonkey/

ColanR 6y ago
There's also greasemonkey [0] and violentmonkey [1]. [0] https://www.greasespot.net/ https://www.greasespot.net/ [1] https://github.com/violentmonkey/violentmonkey https://github.com/violentmonkey/violentmonkey
- bloopernova 6y ago
  True that. I forgot why I settled on Tampermonkey, and I think all 3 can use the same scripts.
Penguinx628 6y ago
I would recommend privacy.com over Eno, though I have not used eno

fareesh 6y ago

I find that comments are the most entertaining parts of pretty much everything online, especially YouTube.

noah_buddy 6y ago
There is a certain sort of phenomena I've noticed recently where the act and skill of posting are becoming a focus in itself. The podcast Report this Post kind of gets at the essence of it and the joy of delightfully bad posts, specifically. That said, I think that the subtle art of trolling is really understated on the modern web, too (at least to the mainstream, because they're usually the butt of the jokes).

michaericalribo 6y ago

I try to keep things light—less time and energy thinking about things that only squeeze out that extra sliver of speed in obscure (for me) use-cases. I use AdBlock and LastPass, and maybe a clipper—Notion, Instapaper. But other than that, I’ve found more extensions make me less able to focus on getting stuff done, and much more focused on whether I’m using the ‘right’ tool

deleted 6y ago

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ikt 6y ago

Surprised no decentraleyes

weisbaum 6y ago

Page Monitor is pretty great for getting notified when the code on a specific page changes so you can be first to grab something that pops back in stock.

jiggunjer 6y ago

Mine: 1. Dictionary by Google. I like double-clicking unknown words for an instant definition or translation. 2. Regex search. When ctrl+F just isn't enough. 3. Duplicate Tab Shortcut Key. For those times when I click on a search engine result before pressing ctrl.

deadso 6y ago
For 3, you can also middle click the back button to reopen the search engine tab again.
- gcarvalho 6y ago
  Here are all the ways I know how to duplicate a tab: - ctrl drag the tab to the side until a downwards arrow appear and then release - ctrl click the refresh button (any of the navigation buttons really, although they will clone the previous or the next in the history) - middle click the refresh button And my favorite: “yt” key combo when using Vimium-ff. Additionally, it’s useful because I like to keep related tabs next to each other, so I often used these methods to duplicate a tab (or ctrl/middle click on the new tab button to open a blank one next to the current tab), but now I only need to press “t” to open a new blank tab right next to my current one.

rawoke083600 6y ago

Can I add my own ?"BlinkFind"[0] Yes it's exactly as the name implies ! It will BLINK the text you are trying to find on a page via "Ctrl+F" or "Cmd+F". I honestly can't believe I'm the only user of this extension. I can not for the live of me find half the text I'm looking for on a webpage without it blinking. [0]https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/blink-find-finding-text-o/kdebbcdhlebhajljmhpodplnlcjhifae https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/blink-find-finding...? utm_source=chrome-ntp-icon

needle0 6y ago

Slightly irksome when by "Browser Extensions" the author only means "Chrome Extensions" and provides no links to equivalents for other browsers. That in itself is fine, but they could've titled it with "Chrome" in the headline, not a general term like "Browser".

mavhc 6y ago

Disable HTML5 Autoplay https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/disable-html5-autoplay-re/cafckninonjkogajnihihlnnimmkndgf https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/disable-html5-auto... Saka (Tab search with ctrl-space) https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/saka/nbdfpcokndmapcollfpjdpjlabnibjdi https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/saka/nbdfpcokndmap... Session buddy (for when Chrome tab recovery fails) https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/session-buddy/edacconmaakjimmfgnblocblbcdcpbko https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/session-buddy/edac... urlNeXT (c-s-right arrow to go to the next page, increments numbers in url, works well on forums) https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/urlnext/emepkgfiamgdjilgkacpciojagbolepb https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/urlnext/emepkgfiam...

TaurusS 6y ago

My list of essential Addons: - Dark Reader: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/darkreader/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/darkreader/ - Feedbro: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/feedbroreader/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/feedbroreader... - uBlockO (easy/default mode): https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ublock-origin/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ublock-origin... - uMatrix (block all/whitelist mode): https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/umatrix/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/umatrix/ - NoScript (global off; use only for XSS, ABE and CJ protection): https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/noscript/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/noscript/ - Multi-Container: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/multi-account-containers/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/multi-account... - Temp-Container (delete all data after tab closed): https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/temporary-containers/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/temporary-con... - Decentraleyes (whitelist cdn domains in uMatrix): https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/decentraleyes/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/decentraleyes... - Clearurls: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/clearurls/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/clearurls/ - Popup Blocker (strict): https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/popup-blocker/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/popup-blocker... - HTTPS-Everywhere: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/https-everywhere/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/https-everywh...

digital_voodoo 6y ago
I've seen a lot of people recommend LocalCDN over Decentraleyes: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/localcdn-fork-of-decentraleyes/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/localcdn-fork...

xtiansimon 6y ago

When I was doing some research, I found these Chrome extensions very useful: - Export History - Offered by: Christian Genco. Export your browser history as JSON or CSV - Multi-highlight - Offered by: Alexius Lee. Create a list of words to highlight on the page. - Super Simple Highlighter - Offered by: dexterouslogic.com. Configure a set of persistent webpage highlighters and tags. -- [1]: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/export-history/hcohnnbbiggngobheobhdipbgmcbelhh?hl=en https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/export-history/hco... [2]: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/multi-highlight/pfgfgjlejbbpfmcfjhdmikihihddeeji?hl=en https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/multi-highlight/pf... [3]: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/super-simple-highlighter/hhlhjgianpocpoppaiihmlpgcoehlhio?hl=en https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/super-simple-highl...

JFKKFJ 6y ago

I replaced some extensions with nextdns(.io).

Stierlitz 6y ago

All very well, but each new extension adds to "waiting on extension". I tried moving the cache and chrome profile to tmpfs to speed things up. Could some developer embed such functionality into the executables?

cwwc 6y ago

Brilliant way to gain access to The Economist. Kudos, maestro.

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

onurtag 6y ago

Some other unmentioned add-ons that I use frequently: - Contextlets: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/contextlets/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/contextlets/ Adds context menu items that execute custom JavaScript. Think of it as an advanced version of bookmarklets that can use webextension APIs. Example use case: Search for the selected text in multiple search engines in a new window with discarded tabs. - Distill Web Monitor: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/distill-web-monitor-ff/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/distill-web-m... Monitor website changes and get notification popups, email, SMS or push notifications on change. There are other alternatives that have the same basic functionality but I stayed with Distill as it is more customizable.

foofoo4u 6y ago

I love the [Vimium-FF](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/vimium-ff/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/vimium-ff/) plugin, which allows me to traverse the web with vim-like bindings. Great for traversing mouse free.