Microsoft Edge has supported add-ons and extensions for several months. Today, we’re reached a point where Edge’s extensions nearly compete with browsers like Chrome and Firefox.
Which extensions should you download for Microsoft Edge? Keep reading to find out.
Enhancer for YouTube
If you spend a decent amount of time on YouTube, then Enhancer for YouTube is worth a download. The add-on actually removes advertisements and annotations from videos (although you can whitelist certain channels if you want to allow advertising).
Other nifty features include defaulting to your favorite quality format, disabling autoplay, and preloading videos entirely (just like the good old days of YouTube). You can even add a mouse wheel-controlled volume changer to YouTube.
Ultimately, YouTube has lost a lot of its customization options and usability features over the years. Enhancer for YouTube is surprisingly good at bringing those functions back.
AdBlock Plus
Pretty much all modern browsers now use AdBlock, or some type of effective advertising software. AdBlock Plus is available for Microsoft Edge – although it’s technically still in beta (and you’ll receive appropriate beta warnings on sign-up). If you’re willing to take the risk to see fewer advertisements, then AdBlock Plus is certainly worth a download.
Interestingly, AdBlock Plus is not the premium version of another ad-blocking extension called AdBlock. In fact, the two extensions aren’t related whatsoever. Figure that one out.
In any case, you can download either AdBlock Plus (ABP) or AdBlock for free from the Microsoft Edge store.
Ghostery
Don’t like websites tracking you? Ghostery is a Microsoft Edge extension that’s surprisingly effective at preventing website tracking activity. Ghostery finds and blocks all tracking technology in the pages you visit.
This doesn’t just enhance your privacy: it also vastly speeds up Edge performance. Studies have shown that approximately 60% of loading times on the internet today are related to trackers and tracking software. By blocking trackers from loading, Ghostery can make Edge perform beautifully.
LastPass
LastPass is a popular extension for Chrome and Firefox. Today, it’s also available for Microsoft Edge. And yes, all your passwords can transfer over. You can use the same account on Edge’s LastPass as you use on Chrome or Firefox. So if all your hundreds of passwords are stored with LastPass, you can continue using those passwords when you’re on Edge.
Yes, there are other password manager options out there. However, LastPass tends to be the most popular.
Microsoft Translator
If you use Chrome, then you automatically have Google Translate. When you visit a foreign language website, that website can automatically be translated into English.
Microsoft Edge doesn’t have that feature by default. However, you can add it in the form of Microsoft Translator, which currently supports 50+ languages.
To translate a webpage, just click the Translator icon when you’re on a site in a different language. It will instantly change it to your preferred language – like English. You can also highlight the text you want to translate.
