Find your new favorite Chrome extension from Google's top picks of 2021

From Loom to Rakuten, there's something here for everyone

There's no shortage of incredible, useful, and fun extensions for Chrome. If you've ever browsed the Web Store, you're probably well aware of how daunting a task it can be to find new tools to try out. Unless you're looking for something specific, discovering new add-ons for your browser can be tricky. Thankfully, Google has done the work for you, highlighting its selection of the company's favorite extensions of the year.

Unsurprisingly, there's a major focus on productivity and connectedness throughout this list. With so many people still working or learning from home — either permanently or in a hybrid environment — being able to stay focused while keeping connected with friends, co-workers, and your community at large is essential.

Loom's easy video capture tools lead the pack, a no-brainer tool for anyone who wants to replace email with something a little more human. Mote and Wordtune also get mentions in the "Communicate and Collaborate" category. The former is a powerful voice messaging tool, while the latter leverages some AI power to spice up your writing.

Google's productivity suggestions don't stop at communication. Forest helps you stay focused on the project at hand while also planting trees when you hit specific rewards, while Dark Reader shifts the entire web into dark mode — even on sites that don't support it. Tab Manager Plus improves that unmanageable sea of pinned sites in your browser — looking at you, the entirety of AP's staff — while Nimbus is ideal for capturing your display, especially on a Chromebook.

And speaking of Chrome OS, there's nowhere it's more prevalent than in the classroom. Even if you're learning from home, Google has you covered with some extension recommendations. From learning new languages to syncing notes with Classroom, there are plenty of ways to improve your learning here. And hey, if you'd rather leave the productivity in the workplace, Google also suggests trying out Stylus — a customization tool for all of your favorite places on the web — and Rakuten's coupon-clipping plugin.

You can check out the complete list of extensions below:

With some time off for the holidays coming up, the next few weeks might be the perfect time to check out some of these for yourself. Who knows — maybe you'll come back to the office next year more productive than ever.

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