Browser Extensions Guide
The Problem with Default Settings
Web browsers are the primary gateway to the internet; an essential software for modern life. Many users’ experiences and expectations are determined by what the browser offers by default. For example, they normalize web page advertisements as an intrinsic quality of the browsing experience.
Enter extensions, a feature of modern web browsers that enables additional functionality through code written for the particular browser. Such functionality includes removing all advertisements from the web pages you visit, thereby enhancing personal privacy and page performance, and reducing annoyance.
This article discusses the top browser extensions you may want to take advantage of to uplift your web browsing experience.
#1 - uBlock Origin
An excellent wide-spectrum blocker that filters ads, trackers, pop-ups, malware, coin miners, and more.
Content blockers are some of the most popular browser extensions because they help keep you safe online.
- The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recommends ad blockers.
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#2 - SponsorBlock
Automatically skips segments in YouTube videos you don’t want to watch, such as self-promotion and in-video advertisements. It’s literally a time saver.
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#3 - Firefox Translations
Client-side in-page text translations for Firefox-based browsers.
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#4 - Read Aloud: A Text to Speech Voice Reader
Extracts text from web pages and uses text-to-speech to read it aloud.
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#5 - Dark Reader
Adaptivly themes web pages into a “dark mode” theme, even for websites without a dark mode feature.
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#6 - Consent-O-Matic
Automatically completes GDPR consent popups based on your preferences.
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#7 - ClearURLs
Helps prevent tracking by clearing tracking parameters in opened URLs. Do note that it can break some browser features such as passing a web signin to a local application.
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#8 - Decentraleyes
Serves local files for hosted libraries and such to limit requests used for tracking.