Google has released a list of hand-picked Chrome extensions of 2021 that it says helps people continue to virtually stay connected, get things done, and have some fun along the way. There are 12 Chrome extensions in total that are divided into different categories — on the basis of the features they offer. These browser add-ons are aimed at letting you do more with Chrome by bringing enhanced productivity and personalised experiences. They are also available for free download.

The list of Google’s favourite Chrome extensions of 2021 has four distinct categories, namely ‘Communicate and collaborate’, ‘Stay productive’, ‘Learn virtually’, and ‘Make (and save) some change’. All these categories include the extensions that are designed to help you stay connected virtually using Chrome.

Communicate and collaborate

One of the top Chrome extensions of 2021 picked by Google is Loom. It lets you record your screen, voice, and face in videos that you can share with your new employees or customers to help them understand your work. It helps reduce the effort it would take to type and explain different tasks.

The next extension in this category is Mote that helps you add voice comments and audio content to shared documents, assignments, emails, and forms. You can also create voice notes from any websites or app and share your voice notes as a QR code.

Google has also chosen Wordtune as one of its favourite picks of 2021. The browser extension uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help you write more meaningful emails and documents and avoid errors.

Stay productive

As staying productive while working and studying from home these days is equally important alongside having clear communication and virtual collaboration, Google has listed some solutions for that part as well. One of the top picks in this category is Forest that self-motivates users and is aimed at enhancing your productivity using virtual tree planting and rewards.

Google has also named Dark Reader as one of its favourite Chrome extensions of the year. It helps you protect your eyes by applying a dark theme to the websites you visit on the browser. You can also adjust brightness, contrast, sepia filter, dark mode, and font settings. Further, it lets you select certain sites from not getting dark using an ignore-list.

If you want to get rid of multiple tabs on your browser, Google has highlighted Tab Manager Plus that lets you see all your active tabs in one view. You can also find duplicate tabs and limit tabs per window using the extension.

For all those who are looking for an enhanced screenshot and screen-video recorder, Google has named Nimbus Screenshot and Screen Video Recorder. It lets users capture screenshots and record on-screen content that they can share across platforms.

Learn virtually

Google’s top Chrome extensions list includes add-ons that can ease virtual learning. One of them is Kami that lets you create an interactive online learning space using PDFs, images, and documents under one roof. Teachers and students can also collaborate in real-time using live annotations, video and audio recordings, and drawings. Further, you can bring student work from your preferred learning management system, such as Google Classroom, Canvas, Schoology, and Microsoft Teams.

The next pick in this series is InsertLearning that helps teachers insert questions, discussions, and insights directly into any website. Students can go to that website and respond to the questions and participate in discussions. They can also take their notes while looking at the content given by teachers.

If you want to learn a new language, Google has highlighted Toucan in its list of favourite extensions this year. The extension translates certain words and phrases on the webpages you visit in the language you are trying to learn. It works with a collection of languages that includes English, Spanish, French, Japanese, German, Korean, and Hindi among others.

Google’s favourites in the virtual learning category also include Rememberry that organises vocabulary words into flashcard decks for quick studying.

Make (and save) some change

To add some personal touch to your browsing experience, Google has picked Stylus as one of the extensions to personalise Chrome. It allows you to build and install custom themes and skins for the websites you love visiting the most. The next in Google’s favourite extensions list is Rakuten that helps you find coupons and desks across the Web and serves as an assistant at the time of online shopping.

Google has notably not provided any details on what criteria it used to pick the favourite Chrome extensions of the year. It has, however, created a dedicated page on the Chrome Web Store to list all its favourite extensions in one place.