How to Install Chrome Extensions (Web Store, CRX and Unpacked)

How do I install a Chrome extension?

The Chrome Web Store is the only install method most people need. Search or browse to the extension's page, click the blue Add to Chrome button, and Chrome shows a small popup listing what the extension can access. Click Add extension to confirm, and the icon appears in your toolbar, or behind the puzzle-piece icon, within seconds.

1. Go to the extension's page on the Chrome Web Store.
2. Click Add to Chrome.
3. Review the permissions listed in the popup.
4. Click Add extension to finish.

How do I know if a Chrome extension is safe before installing it?

Not every listing on the Web Store is worth installing. Before clicking Add to Chrome, spend thirty seconds checking a few signals that tell you more than the description does.

• Read the permissions in the confirmation popup — an extension that only edits text shouldn't need to Read and change all your data on all websites.
• Check who published it; an official brand account is a stronger signal than a generic-sounding developer name.
• Look at the listing's 'Updated' date; extensions untouched for a long time may not work well with current Chrome versions.
• Match the extension's actual function to what you need — see our permissions guide for what each access level really means.

How to install an extension from the Chrome Web Store, step by step

You can reach the Web Store two ways: type chrome://extensions in the address bar, then click Open Chrome Web Store in the left sidebar, or go directly to a listing's URL if you already have a link.

1. Open chrome://extensions and click Open Chrome Web Store, or navigate directly to the listing.
2. Click Add to Chrome on the listing page.
3. Confirm with Add extension.
4. Pin the icon by clicking the puzzle piece, then the pin icon next to the extension's name.

Once installed, extensions sync to your other Chrome installations automatically if you're signed in and have extension sync turned on — you won't need to reinstall the same one on every device.

How do I install an extension from a .crx file?

Chrome blocks installing .crx files by simple drag-and-drop for most users now, as a security measure against extensions from outside the Web Store.

If you have a .crx file from a developer directly (not the Web Store), open chrome://extensions, turn on Developer mode with the toggle in the top-right corner, then drag the .crx file onto the extensions page. Chrome will warn you that it can't verify the extension and ask you to confirm.

How do I load an unpacked extension for testing?

Loading an unpacked extension is for developers testing code that isn't published anywhere yet — a folder containing a manifest.json file and the extension's source, not a single file.

1. Open chrome://extensions.
2. Turn on Developer mode (top-right toggle).
3. Click Load unpacked.
4. Select the folder containing the extension's manifest.json file.

Chrome loads it immediately without a Web Store listing. Unpacked extensions show an Errors link if the manifest is invalid, which is useful for debugging but not something a typical reader will need.

Can I install Chrome extensions on Chromebook, Android or iPhone?

Extensions work fully on desktop Chrome for Windows, Mac, Linux and ChromeOS — a Chromebook installs and runs extensions exactly like a Windows PC, through the same Web Store.

Chrome on Android does not support the same desktop extension ecosystem; the mobile app has no chrome://extensions page and no Add to Chrome button for most extensions. Chrome on iPhone and iPad doesn't support extensions at all, since Apple requires all iOS browsers to use its WebKit engine, which doesn't expose the same extension APIs. If you need extension-like features on mobile, look for the equivalent built into a mobile app instead of searching for a way to sideload a desktop extension.

How do I manage extensions after installing them?

Once installed, extensions live in chrome://extensions, where you can pin, disable, remove or change their permissions without uninstalling anything first.

Pin an icon to the toolbar

Click the puzzle-piece icon, then the pin icon next to the extension's name.

Disable temporarily

Open chrome://extensions and toggle the extension off without removing its saved data.

Limit site access

Right-click the extension's icon, choose This can read and change site data, and set it to On click or specific sites instead of all sites.

Remove completely

Right-click the icon and choose Remove from Chrome, or click Remove on the chrome://extensions page.

Why won't a Chrome extension install?

'Add to Chrome' button is grayed out

The extension may already be installed, blocked in your region, or blocked by an enterprise policy on a managed device.

Listing says it was removed by an admin

A work or school Chrome profile can block specific extensions or entire categories through policy; check with IT rather than trying to reinstall.

Extension disappeared after a Chrome update

Some extensions get automatically disabled if flagged for a policy violation or if they haven't been updated for current Chrome APIs; check chrome://extensions for a warning message.

Can't drag a .crx file to install it

Confirm Developer mode is turned on first — Chrome ignores dropped .crx files when Developer mode is off.

What are good first extensions to try after installing one?

Once you know how to install one extension, installing another takes the same four clicks. Here are a few well-known ones people commonly try first, across different jobs.

Browse the full extensions directory if none of these match what you were actually trying to do, and check how to add extensions on a Chromebook if your device is ChromeOS specifically.