No browser is perfect. After all, browsers like Firefox are tailored for everyone, so you may find it—as well as other browsers—lacking in particular, specialized areas.
The solution to this problem, however, lies in extensions, extra features users can add to their browser, either through an official storefront (such as the Chrome app store) or official websites.
Today, we want to tell you about the most popular and most useful browser extensions you can get for Firefox.
8 Firefox Addons For You
1. Adblock Plus or uBlock Origin
Ask your friends and family what they find annoying about the Internet. Most likely, they’ll mention advertisements. They look tacky, they slow down websites, and they may even contain malware. Overall, not many are capable of finding redeeming qualities in ads.
Fortunately, getting rid of ads is as easy as installing either Adblock Plus or uBlock Origin. Both are effective at removing ads from the websites you visit, though Adblock Plus has a history of controversy due to having a lax whitelist filled with advertisements the developers find acceptable.
2. Greasemonkey
Not every site looks good. There are sites that are as old as the Internet itself and haven’t been updated to look modern. Some websites are developed by inexperienced developers who may not know what makes a website look and feel good. No matter the reason, some sites just don’t look right.
Greasemonkey is an extension that allows those versed in JavaScript to manipulate some aspects of a website in order to make them look and feel better, and users can even write their own scripts if they so desire.
Despite Greasemonkey’s niche uses, it’s one of the more popular extensions on Firefox, and for a good reason.
3. LastPass
We live in an age where all our personal information is in danger, 24/7. One slip-up from a financial firm or a breach from a cybercriminal and your information is at risk, including your passwords.
Because many have begun focusing on their cybersecurity, password managers have become a common sight on both Firefox and Chrome, including LastPass. LastPass stores all of your passwords (with your permission) in a locker of sorts. The locker is then encrypted and hashed server-side, and the extension forces users to create a master password to protect the locker.
I highly recommend LastPass. If not for the passwords, download LastPass to make storing passwords convenient and easy.
4. Privacy Badger
When you visit a new website, do you go through the website’s code? Probably not. Not even developers have the time for that. Cybercriminals know this, and so sometimes, these cybercriminals will sneak trackers into their websites.
Even companies insert trackers into their websites in order to collect data on website users.
Privacy Badger ensures that you remain untracked. Unfortunately, certain functions on certain sites are unusable with Privacy Badger, but it’s a small price to pay for privacy.
5. A VPN Extension
Speaking of privacy, do you know how much data ISPs, companies, and even cybercriminals collect from you on a daily basis? For the first two, it’s quite a lot. If you use social media and connect to public networks on a near-daily basis, then your data is at risk quite often.
Because of this, I recommend downloading a Firefox VPN add-on. There are plenty of reputable VPNs out there, so the choice is yours, but I do recommend having one at all times. Why? Because VPNs anonymize your online activity and prevent others from collecting your data without you knowing. In other words, VPNs are vital to staying safe online.
6. Grammarly
Typing takes a lot less energy than writing, but it does have its downsides, including spelling errors. Unfortunately, it’s extremely easy to miss the typos you make or any grammatical errors you made.
And while most word processors (Microsoft Word, Google Docs, etc.) mark any errors made, they’re not perfect. If you want to ensure that your next article, essay, or research paper is free of any errors, take a look at Grammarly.
Grammarly monitors your typing and marks any errors, not just on word processors but also when searching for sites, typing comments on social media, and more. It’s free to use, but beware that some more advanced functions are limited to Grammarly’s Premium plan.
7. Dark Reader
Black text on white backgrounds has been the standard for decades, but if the past decade has indicated anything, it’s that Internet users much more prefer white text on dark backgrounds. Not only do dark backgrounds often look better, but they’re also easier on the eyes because the white isn’t blinding you.
The downside? Not every website has a dark mode. The demand is definitely there, but some developers view dark mode as a low-property addition. Fortunately, Dark Reader works with the majority of major websites.
Dark Reader allows users to implement a browser-side dark mode on websites built without one. It’s not perfect, but it gets the job done on various websites and is a welcome addition to any browser.
8. Read Aloud
Accessibility is an important factor in designing websites and programs that have been ignored for far too long. But with certain industries shifting their focus onto accessibility, more and more websites and programs are becoming accessible.
One area that feels largely undeveloped, however, is text-to-speech. Operating systems like Windows come with text-to-speech right out the box, but it’s finicky and isn’t compatible with certain sites.
With Firefox, you can download the Read Aloud extension, which implements a text-to-speech assistant inside the browser. This is especially useful for those hard of hearing, and I highly recommend this program.
9. TuxlerVPN
Have you ever thought about how important to change your location to protect your privacy and personal info on the Internet? If you are one of those users, you will enjoy using tuxlerVPN. Unlike ordinary VPN extensions, tuxlerVPN switches IP addresses, as well as the location of your device.
This complex technology works due to a specific process that changes residential proxy. As a result, tuxlerVPN allows users, for example, to be physically in the USA but get access to content that is restricted in this country. For now, tuxlerVPN is one of the pioneers of residential VPN solutions and keeps actively growing its presence on the global market.
Conclusion
Improving Firefox is as easy as ever, and with most extensions being free, certain improvement is only a few clicks away. Take some time to go through these extensions, decide which ones you like, and download them.