How to Install Chrome Extensions in Microsoft Edge

Microsoft’s latest attempt at a return to browser supremacy is finally here. The new Chromium version of Edge (Microsoft’s default web browser for Windows computers) is now available for Windows and MacOS. Chromium was developed by Google and is used as the foundation for the Chrome web browser. However, because it is an open source project, other developers are free to adopt it for their own uses. Opera, Vivaldi, and Brave are just a few of the third-party browsers that currently use Chromium to power their products, and now Microsoft have joined their ranks. This means you can now install Chrome extensions in Edge. Here’s what you need to know.

Extensions for Microsoft Edge

Perhaps the biggest advantage of using Chromium is the ability to install Chrome extensions from the Chrome Web Store. Yes, it’s fast, and yes, it’s secure, but there’s no getting around the fact that people love their browser extensions, and no one has more to choose from than Google.

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Before you install Chrome extensions on Edge, you need to make sure that you have the the right version installed on your computer. You can download the latest build of Microsoft Edge for Windows or Mac OS by visiting microsoft.com/edge. To install extensions from the Chrome Web Store, you will need version 79 or later.

Enable the Chrome Web Store in Edge

By default, the Chrome Web Store is not enabled in Microsoft Edge. This means you can’t install Chrome extensions until you make a quick tweak to the settings. However, that’s easy to remedy if you follow the directions below.

1. Launch Microsoft Edge
2. Click the three dots in the top-right hand corner
3. Click Extensions
4. In the bottom left-hand corner, turn on the switch that says, Allow extensions from other stores
5. Click Allow to confirm

Alternatively, you can navigate directly to the Chrome Web Store, and click Allow extensions from other stores from the blue banner that appears at the top of the screen, and then click Allow to confirm.

Install Chrome Extensions in Edge

Once you have enabled extensions from other stores, you can install Chrome extensions to Edge in the same way that you install extensions in Google Chrome.

1. Navigate to chrome.google.com/webstore
2. Search for the extension you want install
3. Click Add to Chrome
4. Review the data agreement and then click Add Extension

Manage Chrome Extensions in Edge

To review the extensions that you installed, you can click the three dots in the top right-hand corner of the browser and select Extensions. Here you will see a list of all the extensions that you have installed. Click Remove to get rid of extensions that you no longer need.

Alternatively, you can turn extensions on or off by toggling the button to the right of each extension. You can also use Extensity for this purpose. This handy extension was purpose built for enabling and disabling extensions. It’s one of the first extensions I recommend to people because installing too many extensions will quickly slow down your browser. This handy little tool lets you turn things on and off as you need them and keeps your browser working just the way it should by preventing unneeded extensions from running in the background.

Using Keyboard Shortcuts With Extensions

A useful addition to the new Edge browser is the ability to assign a keyboard shortcut to an extension that you have installed. This means you can activate it with a custom keyboard shortcut, instead of moving your cursor to the the top right-hand corner of your screen to click the extension icon. Here’s how it works.

1. Launch Microsoft Edge
2. Click the three dots in the top-right hand corner
3. Click Extensions
4. In the top left-hand corner, select Keyboard Shortcuts
5. Click in the box next to an extension to enter your custom keyboard shortcut

Even More Extensions for Edge

Of course, Microsoft also has a library of extensions that you can install in the new Edge browser. Their selection is not as diverse as what you will find in the Chrome Web Store, but there are a lot more here than there used to be. Here’s how you install Edge extensions from the Microsoft Store.

1. Open Edge on your computer
2. Click the three dots in the top right-hand corner of your screen
3. Click Extensions
4. Click the link that says, Get extensions from the Microsoft Store
5. Once you find the one you want, click the blue Get button, review the data agreement, and then click Add Extension

A New Dawn for Microsoft Edge

Ten years ago, few people would have expected Microsoft to adopt Chromium as the foundation for Edge. However, this just speaks to underline how much Microsoft has changed over the years, and this new version of Edge may finally help them challenge Google for a larger share of the browser market.

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