Art by: Sabrena Khadija
Who knew that you could replace your default homepage to something beautiful? I feel like I’m late to the tech conference on this, but why didn’t anyone tell me about the Google Chrome store – and almost everything is free!!! I’m always down for free99!
I have the most gorgeous Google Chrome theme on my homepage. Don’t believe me? Look at it (pictured above)! This amazing art was created by @sabrenakhadija, but there’s more where that came from. Google commissioned a few Black designers to create themes for Google Chrome and I LOVE all of them! Here’s a sampling of my favorites!
How to Download Google Chrome Themes
So, here’s how you can get yours. Click here to link to the Google Chrome Web Store. Once on the homepage, you’ll see two tabs on the left: extensions and themes. Extensions will be highlighted in blue, but you should click on themes. Once on the themes page, go over to the right and click on view all. Once you’ve selected the theme you want, click “add to chrome” and you’ll see your Google Chrome page change immediately. Each time you add a new design to Chrome, it will replace the one you downloaded previously, but they will all remain in your library. To see the themes and extensions you have in your library, click on the gear symbol and you’ll see “installed” and “library” at the top. Dat’s it!
Google Chrome Extensions
You can also download Google Chrome Extensions. An extension is a simply a program you can add that changes how Google Chrome functions. These extensions can help with organization, give you access to photos for public use, keep you entertained, allow you to stream – the things you can do are seemingly endless. Check out my favorite Google Chrome extensions!
A Rundown of My Favorite Google Chrome Extensions!
I can’t begin to tell you about all of the extensions that are available. But, I’m always seeking out apps and platforms that will make my life easier.
My 5 Favorite Google Chrome Extensions
Unsplash – As a blogger, I am in constant need of photos I can legally use in addition to my own. Unsplash is one of my favorites and it’s my go-to spot for high resolution photos.
Giphy – Simply because it’s fun to use. The. End.
Planyway (Trello) – This is a productivity app that helps manage projects, timelines, and tasks. This one is new to me, so I’m still learning how to best use it for my purposes, but so far, so good!
Kami – This platform allows you to annotate PDFs, Word documents, Google docs, sheets, and slides, as well as images. If you have to sign documents for work or help your child with virtual assignments, this app is invaluable.
Forest – If you’re easily distracted and want to set up some boundaries for yourself, then try Forest. It makes sure that you do not visit websites that cause you to be distracted while you’re trying to have some focused time to work. You add the names of the websites or apps you can’t visit and set the timer – this is what’s called planting time. Once you’ve done this, a tree will start to grow, but if you attempt to use the apps or websites on your block list, the tree will begin to die. Oh Lawd!!! None of us want that. So, this particular app is $1.99.
I definitely recommend taking a tour of the Google Chrome Web store and looking for extensions that work for your lifestyle!
