Browser Extensions I Can't Live Without (opens in new tab)

(blog.maskys.com)

184 pointsmaskys5y ago183 comments

183 comments

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-dealer...

[1] https://www.ghacks.net/2013/12/26/hoverzooms-malware-controv...

Groxx5y ago

I really wish browsers would change their security model for extensions :\

"all or nothing" is ridiculous as the only option - let me revoke access or restrict it to specific sites. I may not care if X has access to site Y, but giving it access to Z means giving it the keys to my life so hell no. I don't even want to use it on Z.

vezycash5y ago

> "all or nothing" is ridiculous as the only option - let me revoke access or restrict it to specific sites.

Thank you. I've been waiting for Firefox to add this feature for almost 2 years. For a privacy focused browser, this should be a must have, top priority.

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gnicholas5y ago

Chrome lets you limit access to a list of specified websites. Right click the extension icon, click manage extension, and find the option there.

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rob-olmos5y ago

Agreed. Like with Pocket's Chrome extension permission model[1] that has a "read everything on all websites", when really it only needs brief access to the URL when I want to save something.

I tried changing the "Site access" setting to "On click" -- but then the extension started acting funny or not working in some cases.

Chrome has added a more limited "activeTab" permission[2], but even that might be too much since it grants control to the tab and continues to allow permission on the same origin.

Like the GP said, even if the extension developer isn't trying to exfiltrate data, they should do more to protect users from a compromise of their extension, and browsers should give them the models to do so.

IMO, good security models can be a foundation forward to better overall security compared to desktop apps since it seems that browsers are becoming an OS of their own.

1: https://help.getpocket.com/article/912-what-permissions-does...

2: https://developer.chrome.com/extensions/activeTab

scns5y ago

In Firefox you can choose for every extension if it is allowed to work in private mode.

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aabbcc12415y ago

You could fork the extension and modify it for your own usage

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Chirael5y 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_k5y 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.

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rndmze5y ago

I can't count the time I have heard good things about an extension, went to the chrome store page and ... "asks to read your data on all websites".

Hard pass.

I can't prevent the apps/OSes I use from gathering data about me, but that's at least one vector (although sadly a small one) I can do something about.

ahmedfromtunis5y ago

Isn't this true, to some degree, with all software distribution channels? Weren't CCleaner and FileZilla hacked to distribute malware alongside the main payload?

hackinthebochs5y ago

Unvalidated auto-update really is an anti-pattern. Giving arbitrary third parties the power to install and run software on your system in perpetuity is a massive attack vector. Most software doesn't represent a large active and ongoing attack surface that auto-updates would be a net positive.

hnick5y ago

Just yesterday I ran into an invisible layer right here on HN when replying with a comment that opened a new page when I tried to click on something.

I disabled all extensions that I don't commonly use and am watching for now, but I have no idea how to actually tell which one did it (many of them were recently updated due to a Chrome change on August 6th or something).

xahrepap5y 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-ta...

itisame5y ago

I can recommend alternatively https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/sidebery/

Much nice I think, but had some bugs with sessions sometimes.

ColanR5y ago

Second. It's the single biggest reason I'm still on firefox.

michaelbuckbee5y 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

1 - https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/vimium/dbepggeogba...

edit: fixed link (but if you enjoyed the writeup of data security requirements let me know).

sprayk5y 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.

cardamomo5y ago

I've been using Tridactyl ever since Vimperator went belly-up. It's not 100% there yet, but it's getting close!

mercer5y ago

I use cVim and turning it off for a domain is a matter of clicking on the extension icon and then 'disable for this domain'.

The reason I switched to cVim was that I preferred its approach to the 'type keys to click link on page' feature.

ryanisnan5y ago

I prefer Vimvixen for Firefox, but it's essentially the same thing. Cannot live without it.

trenchgun5y ago

There is also the Nyxt browser. Vim, emacs or CUA keybindings available.

https://github.com/atlas-engineer/nyxt

nchase5y ago

banana_giraffe's comment is pointing out that you linked to an unrelated google doc – maybe you meant to link to the vimium homepage instead?

michaelbuckbee5y ago

Fixed. Thanks for the heads up.

scns5y ago

I'm using Saka keys for this. May be availlable for Chrome too, not sure.

banana_giraffe5y ago

Vimium is a CPRA checklisk?

michaelbuckbee5y 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.

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bloopernova5y 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...

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/?...

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-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-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/

edwinyzh5y ago

Thanks! Following your tips I found the Chrome equivalent (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/sessionbox-free-mu...), but not sure how good it's compared to Firefox Container Tabs

ColanR5y ago

There's also greasemonkey [0] and violentmonkey [1].

[0] https://www.greasespot.net/

[1] https://github.com/violentmonkey/violentmonkey

bloopernova5y ago

True that. I forgot why I settled on Tampermonkey, and I think all 3 can use the same scripts.

Penguinx6285y ago

I would recommend privacy.com over Eno, though I have not used eno

bloopernova5y ago

Cool! I hadn't heard of that site before, I'll have to give it a go.

7fYZ7mJh3RNKNaG5y ago

Is there an automated way with SingleFile to save new bookmarks or you do it manually? Can't find it but it'd be super useful.

bloopernova5y ago

It should be in preferences somewhere. Let me grab a screenshot: https://imgur.com/3hM8J0y

It's under "Misc" in the options, not "Auto-save"

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bgs2645y 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.

SllX5y ago

You know, if he can't see it, maybe he forgot it was there? That would be an amusing side effect.

noah_buddy5y 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.

surround5y 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_dork15y ago

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

rosstex5y ago

>Grammarly

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

Someone12345y ago

As far as I know they still send everything you type to their cloud service, and their privacy policy gives them broad latitude to use that info to "improve the service."

Right now I use "LanguageTool" with the Java-based server running locally. After I imported the ngrams it works good enough to be a clear improvement over Firefox's bad built in spelling/grammar checker. The UI is passable. It does randomly decide I typed another language though and tell me everything I typed is misspelled in that language.

In an ideal world I'd prefer to pay LanguageTool money for their premium product, but they have the same privacy problems as Grammarly. Heck I'd pay Grammarly if they had a more private offering, it is a good idea.

supernova87a5y ago

I'm so sick of their ads on Youtube. How is their revenue if they have to show 50 ads to every person in the world per day?

system25y ago

I even pay them for premium. I can't send an email without it. It makes business emailing much more professional.

gnicholas5y ago

Can I ask how? What does it correct or suggest that makes it so useful?

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bvinc5y 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

yewenjie5y ago

DF Tube let's you do these things and some more.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/df-youtube/

TheArcane5y ago

Do you have more of this? Perhaps on a github gist?

ffpip5y ago

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

lostmsu5y ago

Worth publishing as a new block list for uBlock.

AnonHP5y 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-...

pridkett5y 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.

AnonHP5y ago

GP here. You can also try NextDNS.io, which allows you to choose blocking lists. There are apps for iOS as well as other platforms to allow it to be used on all networks (or even configure it not to be used on specific WiFi networks).

SquareWheel5y ago

If uBlock Origin doesn't update, there'll be a dozen adblockers that work with Manifest v3 on day 1.

It should be quite trivial to write an adblocker that integrates with EasyList using the new APIs.

cookiengineer5y ago

> If uBlock Origin doesn't update, there'll be a dozen adblockers that work with Manifest v3 on day 1.

You seem to not know what manifest v3 is actually doing.

Any adblocker with a static list of domains per-update of the crx file's manifest is useless. Users would have to install hundreds of extensions (each with dozens of domains that they themselves block), just to have the same functionality.

If any anti adblocking team of any ad network decides to just rename foo.tracker.net to bar.tracker.net, all adblocker extension users would have to REINSTALL the chrome extension manually because the manifest's list of domain is statically builtin.

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postalrat5y ago

If its trivial what's stopping you from doing it?

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maskysOP5y ago

oof, really hope this doesn't see the light.

paulgb5y ago

On the other hand, this might be the push some people need to start using Firefox.

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bonestamp25y 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/pccc...

jgalt2125y ago

How one simultaneously recommend both Privacy Badger and Grammarly?

5986043handy5y ago

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

mehrdadn5y 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.

notpiika5y 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.

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makeworld5y ago

HTTPS Everywhere only loads HTTPS on a predefined list of sites. I just use SmartHTTPS on Firefox now.

motorbreath5y ago

These are essential- I also add Privacy Badger and uBlock Origin. I choose Firefox over Chrome.

Maximus90005y ago

If you have the latest chrome/firefox, doesn't that default to https all the time? Thus making "HTTPS Everywhere" redundant?

Shared4045y ago

HTTPS Everywhere will block a site if it does not have HTTPS available iirc. Chrome/Firefox don't do that by default.

Markoff5y ago

you can disable scripts even with ublock, so I don't understand why people still keep noscript

ffpip5y ago

I just use uMatrix. Much easier to manage scripts, cookies and XHRs

mrweasel5y 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?

Chirael5y 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-chr...

dmd5y ago

Yes, Chrome has reader mode.

chrome://flags/#enable-reader-mode

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sprayk5y 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.

ffpip5y ago

Enable it in accessibility (on Mobile). Always show 'Simplified View'

ahmedfromtunis5y ago

I think of extensions as a way to adapt the web to my preferences. Sane defaults are not that universal and it's good to harness the power of the web to make everyone happy.

dmd5y ago

Yes, Chrome has reader mode.

chrome://flags/#enable-reader-mode

elorant5y 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.

LynxInLA5y 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-contro...

itisame5y ago

I can recommend:

- Timelense preview for 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 (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-...

- oh and mouse users should always scroll my dragging right-click IMO :) https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/scroll_anywhe...

- adblock for youtube sponsored bla bla within the video https://sponsor.ajay.app/

- backup what you typed in form fields: 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....

7fYZ7mJh3RNKNaG5y ago

Your extension's URL seems broken

itisame5y ago

oops https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/seen-it-all/

dawnerd5y 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-t...

mavhc5y ago

Disable HTML5 Autoplay https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/disable-html5-auto...

Saka (Tab search with ctrl-space) https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/saka/nbdfpcokndmap...

Session buddy (for when Chrome tab recovery fails) 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/emepkgfiam...

xtiansimon5y 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/hco...

[2]: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/multi-highlight/pf...

[3]: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/super-simple-highl...

40four5y 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 ;)

tobib5y 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.

maskysOP5y ago

uBlock is a godsend indeed. Which ones do you disagree with, and why?

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staycoolboy5y ago

Welcome to the club!

onurtag5y ago

Some other unmentioned add-ons that I use frequently:

- 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-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.

douglaswlance5y ago

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

Gerile35y ago

Does anyone happen to know something like this for kobo ? The ones I found not working properly :(

maskysOP5y ago

Sweet!

needle05y 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".

Causality15y 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.

pragnesh5y ago

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

ValueNull5y ago

Thoughts on Mailvelope? https://www.mailvelope.com

itisame5y 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-al...

feedback welcome

Gerile35y 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 ?

itisame5y 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/ )

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/

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timbit425y ago

Use RSS.

rawoke0836005y 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...? utm_source=chrome-ntp-icon

juusto5y ago

NoScript, uBlock Origin and Dark Reader.

All other ones are nice to haves but those are my building blocks.

Markoff5y ago

why noscript though? you can block scripts with ublock

juusto5y ago

I find the granularity of noscript easier to manage

baal80spam5y ago

Indeed. And not only 'can' but 'should' :-)

maskysOP5y ago

What are your nice to haves?

juusto5y 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

system25y 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...

bzb45y ago

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

ornornor5y 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.

vezycash5y ago

> Buster to solve captchas?

Had to install "privacy pass" cos of cloudflare's move to hCaptcha

allworknoplay5y ago

> Buster to solve captchas

Are you a robot?

foofoo4u5y ago

I love the [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.

melenaos5y ago

Great addons, also available at the firefox browser.

michaericalribo5y 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

buzzert5y 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.

asdff5y ago

NoScript gets old fast when websites are breaking left and right.

smilliken5y 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.

Markoff5y 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-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-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)

Stierlitz5y 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?

jiggunjer5y 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.

deadso5y ago

For 3, you can also middle click the back button to reopen the search engine tab again.

gcarvalho5y 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.

fendy30025y ago

Color picker, produce approx. hex n rgb color of page

screenshot whole page (not always produce good result)

Magnifier

vladletter5y ago

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

weisbaum5y 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.

fareesh5y ago

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

noah_buddy5y 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).

cwwc5y ago

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

hoerzu5y 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-...

Normille5y 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.

ffpip5y ago

Its much safer and secure to add list Cookie to uBlock Origin.

Or use uBo's element picker. One time job

ikt5y ago

Surprised no decentraleyes

TaurusS5y ago

My list of essential Addons:

- Dark Reader: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/darkreader/

- Feedbro: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/feedbroreader...

- uBlockO (easy/default mode): https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ublock-origin...

- uMatrix (block all/whitelist mode): 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/

- Multi-Container: 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-con...

- Decentraleyes (whitelist cdn domains in uMatrix): https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/decentraleyes...

- Clearurls: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/clearurls/

- Popup Blocker (strict): https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/popup-blocker...

- HTTPS-Everywhere: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/https-everywh...

digital_voodoo5y ago

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

francoisp5y ago

tabtab

staycoolboy5y 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.

jmnicolas5y ago

You still have to trust your browser and your OS.

staycoolboy5y 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.

2 more replies

symlinkk5y ago

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

yingbo5y 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

jraph5y ago

I agree. No need to be hyperbolic. These titles literally kill me.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

183 comments

jahlove5y 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.

[0] https://awakesecurity.com/blog/the-internets-new-arms-dealer...

[1] https://www.ghacks.net/2013/12/26/hoverzooms-malware-controv...

Groxx5y ago

I really wish browsers would change their security model for extensions :\

vezycash5y ago

> "all or nothing" is ridiculous as the only option - let me revoke access or restrict it to specific sites.

Thank you. I've been waiting for Firefox to add this feature for almost 2 years. For a privacy focused browser, this should be a must have, top priority.

1 more reply

gnicholas5y ago

Chrome lets you limit access to a list of specified websites. Right click the extension icon, click manage extension, and find the option there.

3 more replies

rob-olmos5y ago

Agreed. Like with Pocket's Chrome extension permission model[1] that has a "read everything on all websites", when really it only needs brief access to the URL when I want to save something.

I tried changing the "Site access" setting to "On click" -- but then the extension started acting funny or not working in some cases.

Chrome has added a more limited "activeTab" permission[2], but even that might be too much since it grants control to the tab and continues to allow permission on the same origin.

IMO, good security models can be a foundation forward to better overall security compared to desktop apps since it seems that browsers are becoming an OS of their own.

1: https://help.getpocket.com/article/912-what-permissions-does...

2: https://developer.chrome.com/extensions/activeTab

scns5y ago

In Firefox you can choose for every extension if it is allowed to work in private mode.

1 more reply

aabbcc12415y ago

You could fork the extension and modify it for your own usage

1 more reply

Chirael5y ago

nine_k5y 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.

3 more replies

rndmze5y ago

I can't count the time I have heard good things about an extension, went to the chrome store page and ... "asks to read your data on all websites".

Hard pass.

I can't prevent the apps/OSes I use from gathering data about me, but that's at least one vector (although sadly a small one) I can do something about.

ahmedfromtunis5y ago

Isn't this true, to some degree, with all software distribution channels? Weren't CCleaner and FileZilla hacked to distribute malware alongside the main payload?

hackinthebochs5y ago

hnick5y ago

Just yesterday I ran into an invisible layer right here on HN when replying with a comment that opened a new page when I tried to click on something.

xahrepap5y 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-ta...

itisame5y ago

I can recommend alternatively https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/sidebery/

Much nice I think, but had some bugs with sessions sometimes.

ColanR5y ago

Second. It's the single biggest reason I'm still on firefox.

michaelbuckbee5y 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]

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

1 - https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/vimium/dbepggeogba...

edit: fixed link (but if you enjoyed the writeup of data security requirements let me know).

sprayk5y ago

It's been a year probably, so I guess I'm about due for another go.

cardamomo5y ago

I've been using Tridactyl ever since Vimperator went belly-up. It's not 100% there yet, but it's getting close!

mercer5y ago

I use cVim and turning it off for a domain is a matter of clicking on the extension icon and then 'disable for this domain'.

The reason I switched to cVim was that I preferred its approach to the 'type keys to click link on page' feature.

ryanisnan5y ago

I prefer Vimvixen for Firefox, but it's essentially the same thing. Cannot live without it.

trenchgun5y ago

There is also the Nyxt browser. Vim, emacs or CUA keybindings available.

https://github.com/atlas-engineer/nyxt

nchase5y ago

banana_giraffe's comment is pointing out that you linked to an unrelated google doc – maybe you meant to link to the vimium homepage instead?

michaelbuckbee5y ago

Fixed. Thanks for the heads up.

scns5y ago

I'm using Saka keys for this. May be availlable for Chrome too, not sure.

banana_giraffe5y ago

Vimium is a CPRA checklisk?

michaelbuckbee5y ago

Not something I had intended to do, but I hope the checklist was useful.

1 more reply

bloopernova5y ago

On the off-chance that someone reads this and may find it useful, here are my most useful Firefox extensions:

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/

edwinyzh5y ago

Thanks! Following your tips I found the Chrome equivalent (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/sessionbox-free-mu...), but not sure how good it's compared to Firefox Container Tabs

ColanR5y ago

There's also greasemonkey [0] and violentmonkey [1].

[0] https://www.greasespot.net/

[1] https://github.com/violentmonkey/violentmonkey

bloopernova5y ago

True that. I forgot why I settled on Tampermonkey, and I think all 3 can use the same scripts.

Penguinx6285y ago

I would recommend privacy.com over Eno, though I have not used eno

bloopernova5y ago

Cool! I hadn't heard of that site before, I'll have to give it a go.

7fYZ7mJh3RNKNaG5y ago

Is there an automated way with SingleFile to save new bookmarks or you do it manually? Can't find it but it'd be super useful.

bloopernova5y ago

It should be in preferences somewhere. Let me grab a screenshot: https://imgur.com/3hM8J0y

It's under "Misc" in the options, not "Auto-save"

1 more reply

bgs2645y ago

At the end of the post: A comments section with spam in it.

SllX5y ago

You know, if he can't see it, maybe he forgot it was there? That would be an amusing side effect.

noah_buddy5y ago

surround5y 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_dork15y ago

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

rosstex5y ago

>Grammarly

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

Someone12345y ago

As far as I know they still send everything you type to their cloud service, and their privacy policy gives them broad latitude to use that info to "improve the service."

supernova87a5y ago

I'm so sick of their ads on Youtube. How is their revenue if they have to show 50 ads to every person in the world per day?

system25y ago

I even pay them for premium. I can't send an email without it. It makes business emailing much more professional.

gnicholas5y ago

Can I ask how? What does it correct or suggest that makes it so useful?

2 more replies

bvinc5y ago

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

yewenjie5y ago

DF Tube let's you do these things and some more.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/df-youtube/

TheArcane5y ago

Do you have more of this? Perhaps on a github gist?

ffpip5y ago

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

lostmsu5y ago

Worth publishing as a new block list for uBlock.

AnonHP5y 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-...

pridkett5y ago

AnonHP5y ago

SquareWheel5y ago

If uBlock Origin doesn't update, there'll be a dozen adblockers that work with Manifest v3 on day 1.

It should be quite trivial to write an adblocker that integrates with EasyList using the new APIs.

cookiengineer5y ago

> If uBlock Origin doesn't update, there'll be a dozen adblockers that work with Manifest v3 on day 1.

You seem to not know what manifest v3 is actually doing.

1 more reply

postalrat5y ago

If its trivial what's stopping you from doing it?

2 more replies

maskysOP5y ago

oof, really hope this doesn't see the light.

paulgb5y ago

On the other hand, this might be the push some people need to start using Firefox.

1 more reply

bonestamp25y ago

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/hover-zoom%20/pccc...

jgalt2125y ago

How one simultaneously recommend both Privacy Badger and Grammarly?

5986043handy5y ago

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

mehrdadn5y 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.

notpiika5y 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.

1 more reply

makeworld5y ago

HTTPS Everywhere only loads HTTPS on a predefined list of sites. I just use SmartHTTPS on Firefox now.

motorbreath5y ago

These are essential- I also add Privacy Badger and uBlock Origin. I choose Firefox over Chrome.

Maximus90005y ago

If you have the latest chrome/firefox, doesn't that default to https all the time? Thus making "HTTPS Everywhere" redundant?

Shared4045y ago

HTTPS Everywhere will block a site if it does not have HTTPS available iirc. Chrome/Firefox don't do that by default.

Markoff5y ago

you can disable scripts even with ublock, so I don't understand why people still keep noscript

ffpip5y ago

I just use uMatrix. Much easier to manage scripts, cookies and XHRs

mrweasel5y 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?

Chirael5y ago

[1] https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-enable-reader-mode-in-chr...

dmd5y ago

Yes, Chrome has reader mode.

chrome://flags/#enable-reader-mode

1 more reply

sprayk5y 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.

ffpip5y ago

Enable it in accessibility (on Mobile). Always show 'Simplified View'

ahmedfromtunis5y ago

I think of extensions as a way to adapt the web to my preferences. Sane defaults are not that universal and it's good to harness the power of the web to make everyone happy.

dmd5y ago

Yes, Chrome has reader mode.

chrome://flags/#enable-reader-mode

elorant5y 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.

LynxInLA5y ago

[1] https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/video-speed-contro...

itisame5y ago

I can recommend:

- Timelense preview for youtube: https://timelens.io/youtube/ (needs greasemonkey or something)

- (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-...

- oh and mouse users should always scroll my dragging right-click IMO :) https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/scroll_anywhe...

- adblock for youtube sponsored bla bla within the video https://sponsor.ajay.app/

- backup what you typed in form fields: 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....

7fYZ7mJh3RNKNaG5y ago

Your extension's URL seems broken

itisame5y ago

oops https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/seen-it-all/

dawnerd5y ago

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/fullscreen-video-t...

mavhc5y ago

Disable HTML5 Autoplay https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/disable-html5-auto...

Saka (Tab search with ctrl-space) https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/saka/nbdfpcokndmap...

Session buddy (for when Chrome tab recovery fails) 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/emepkgfiam...

xtiansimon5y 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/hco...

[2]: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/multi-highlight/pf...

[3]: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/super-simple-highl...

40four5y 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 ;)

tobib5y 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.

maskysOP5y ago

uBlock is a godsend indeed. Which ones do you disagree with, and why?

1 more reply

staycoolboy5y ago

Welcome to the club!

onurtag5y ago

Some other unmentioned add-ons that I use frequently:

- 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-m...

douglaswlance5y ago

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

Gerile35y ago

Does anyone happen to know something like this for kobo ? The ones I found not working properly :(

maskysOP5y ago

Sweet!

needle05y ago

Causality15y ago

pragnesh5y ago

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

ValueNull5y ago

Thoughts on Mailvelope? https://www.mailvelope.com

itisame5y 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-al...

feedback welcome

Gerile35y ago

itisame5y 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/ )

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/

1 more reply

timbit425y ago

Use RSS.

rawoke0836005y ago

Can I add my own ?"BlinkFind"[0]

[0]https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/blink-find-finding...? utm_source=chrome-ntp-icon

juusto5y ago

NoScript, uBlock Origin and Dark Reader.

All other ones are nice to haves but those are my building blocks.

Markoff5y ago

why noscript though? you can block scripts with ublock

juusto5y ago

I find the granularity of noscript easier to manage

baal80spam5y ago

Indeed. And not only 'can' but 'should' :-)

maskysOP5y ago

What are your nice to haves?

juusto5y ago

system25y 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...

bzb45y ago

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

ornornor5y ago

I hate captchas and love how buster is feeding them their own dog food by using speech to text to defeat captchas!

vezycash5y ago

> Buster to solve captchas?

Had to install "privacy pass" cos of cloudflare's move to hCaptcha

allworknoplay5y ago

> Buster to solve captchas

Are you a robot?

foofoo4u5y ago

I love the [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.

melenaos5y ago

Great addons, also available at the firefox browser.

michaericalribo5y 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.

buzzert5y 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.

asdff5y ago

NoScript gets old fast when websites are breaking left and right.

smilliken5y ago

Markoff5y 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-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-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)

Stierlitz5y ago

jiggunjer5y 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.

deadso5y ago

For 3, you can also middle click the back button to reopen the search engine tab again.

gcarvalho5y 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.

fendy30025y ago

Color picker, produce approx. hex n rgb color of page

screenshot whole page (not always produce good result)

Magnifier

vladletter5y ago

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

weisbaum5y 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.

fareesh5y ago

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

noah_buddy5y ago

cwwc5y ago

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

hoerzu5y ago

Normille5y 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.

ffpip5y ago

Its much safer and secure to add list Cookie to uBlock Origin.

Or use uBo's element picker. One time job

ikt5y ago

Surprised no decentraleyes

TaurusS5y ago

My list of essential Addons:

- Dark Reader: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/darkreader/

- Feedbro: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/feedbroreader...

- uBlockO (easy/default mode): https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ublock-origin...

- uMatrix (block all/whitelist mode): 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/

- Multi-Container: 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-con...

- Decentraleyes (whitelist cdn domains in uMatrix): https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/decentraleyes...

- Clearurls: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/clearurls/

- Popup Blocker (strict): https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/popup-blocker...

- HTTPS-Everywhere: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/https-everywh...

digital_voodoo5y ago

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

francoisp5y ago

tabtab

staycoolboy5y ago

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.

jmnicolas5y ago

You still have to trust your browser and your OS.

staycoolboy5y 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.

2 more replies

symlinkk5y ago

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

yingbo5y ago

jraph5y ago

I agree. No need to be hyperbolic. These titles literally kill me.

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