If you are like me, I’m sure you must be bored of looking at the same new tab each time you open Google Chrome. I filled up some colors in my new tab extension and if you wish to spice up your new tab as well, Chrome extensions are to your rescue. There are tons of extensions that allow you to add shortcuts, make a to-do list and even transform your new tab into a note-making tool. So without wasting time, here are some of the best Chrome new tab extensions you must try.
Must-Try Chrome New Tab Extensions
1. Momentum
If you often find yourself losing focus, Momentum will give you headspace when you open a new tab by helping you concentrate on one primary goal for the day. You can choose your daily dose of inspiration in the form of photos, quotes, and life mantras. In addition, you can write down your daily tasks, create a to-do list (integrate with 3rd party apps), and also highlight your most visited websites for quick access.
The extension also has other add-ons such as Pomodoro timer, countdown timer, and world clock widgets, which come in handy to increase your productivity. However, these are only accessible for Plus members at a cost of $3.33/month.
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2. Google Earth View
Google Earth is like a window to beautiful landscapes around the world. If you are someone who loves to look at scenic wallpapers, there is nothing better than this extension. The extension displays new landscapes from Google Earth every time you open a new tab. Google Earth View’s new tab also has a 3D globe on the bottom right which pins the picture’s location.
Clicking on it will open the image in Google Earth. Apart from that, you can download the picture and view past wallpapers from the history tab as well. So if you love to see some surreal landscapes every time you open a tab, try this out for sure.
3. Markdown New Tab
Momentum is a good Chrome new tab extension in case you are looking to be motivated and focused. Markdown, on the other hand, is a pure workhorse, especially if you are looking to jot down your ideas and notes. You can write notes or use it as a clipboard by using the markdown syntax. This way, once you get a hang of the syntax, you can quickly create a heading, subheadings, lists, etc.
There is an auto-save feature so you don’t have to worry about losing the chain of thoughts.
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4. Initab
If you are a programmer, Initab will make your life easier. Initab new tab Chrome extension displays all your GitHub Issue/Pull Requests straightaway from the history. Moreover, if you use GitLab instead, you can easily toggle between them both. This extension also allows you to choose a preferred subreddit from the settings panel. Once you do that, it keeps updating the new tab with any new post in that subreddit.
In addition, it also shows you recent Stack Overflow history and allows you to add custom URLs as shortcuts. Another feature that might interest some is the tab limitation. Old tabs are closed automatically once the number of open tabs exceeds the set number.
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5. Infinity New Tab
New Tab’s UI comes very close to the default new tab option on Google Chrome. You get access to multiple apps with a quick launch icon along with a search tab just like the default option. However, with Infinity, you can add more than one page easily. The defining feature of the extension is the sidebar which houses app/site shortcuts clearly grouped in categories like apps, games, news, lifestyle, etc. Moreover, the vivid flat icons for more than 200 apps make it easy to recognize.
The extension also has a games section, however, it resulted in crashes during our usage. So I would recommend staying away from adding games in the quick app drawer.
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6. Humble New Tab Page
Unlike the previous new tab Chrome extension which used a flat icon design, this one takes a minimal approach. It has a clean design with all the tabs such as apps, bookmarks, most visited, etc., laid out in text on the homepage. You have the option to drag and drop a folder to reorder or create new columns. Since everything is in text, you can only customize font, color, space, etc.
If you’re looking for a clean, minimal UI that shows all your open pages in one tab, Humble is a good option.
7. Tabplus Newtab Lite
Since a lot of laptops now come with a touch screen, why not convert your browsing experience to tablet-like experience as well? Tabplus Newtab Lite transforms Chrome’s new tab into a more tablet-like layout. Similar to the Infinity Tab extension, you can add apps to the dock from the sidebar. There is no limit to the number of apps you can add either as it is expandable. This way, you can view all the apps in one place rather than flipping through pages.
If you are specifically looking to make your UI more tablet-like and add a dock, you can try this one.
8. To Do List for New Tab
To-do lists are a great way to keep your everyday tasks in perspective. Taskade is an online to-do task platform to collaborate. The extension allows you to use the new tab option as a guest, but I suggest you sign in to keep to-do’s and notes in sync. Do not confuse this extension with just a to-do page though. You can add heading, paragraphs, add colors, and format the text. Moreover, it has a meeting feature that you can use to video call, chat, and share files with others.
Although you have the option to use this extension as a guest, I found it always crashed whenever I opened a new tab. So if you wish to use this one, sign in using your e-mail or Google account.
9. Prioritab
If you are someone who keeps daily chores and works for the later part of the day, Prioritab might put things into perspective. It not only shows you how much day has passed (in percentage) but also tells you the monthly and yearly stats as well. The tab shows other interesting info such as time, day, and date along with a minimal to-do list. Since many companies have switched to work from home, the work time can vary. If this is the case, you can easily change the workday and time from the settings accordingly.
The extension is good for both short-term daily and weekly goals and also long-term monthly targets. In terms of customization, you can not do much other than change the background color and font size.
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10. BattleTabs
We’ve been talking about productivity and new tab extensions that get you to work. But what’s work without some fun? BattleTabs extension gives you bite-sized games to play right inside a Chrome tab. This way, you can take small breaks during work sessions. It has both single and multiplayer options that allow you to challenge friends to battle.
Each time you open a new tab, the game shows you active battle requests in the sidebar. This leaves space for your default Chrome search and app option, so you can keep using the default new tab without any hassle.
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11. WHA Quotes & Clock New Tab
As you might have guessed from the title, WHA Chrome new tab extension shows you a motivational quote along with time every time you open a new tab. This particular extension has three display options – Dark, Light, and Get Sh*t Done. While the dark and light themes bring the clock to the front and center, the last option magnifies the quote and pushes everything to the bottom.
This is for anyone looking for a simple extension to show time and quotes randomly when you open a new tab.
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12. Color Tab
The simplest of all the extensions we have talked about. It converts your default new tab in Chrome to colorful page. So each time you open a new tab, the page will be filled with random color/s. Although it doesn’t help much in productivity like to-do list or clipboard extensions, it sure makes the boring new tab look vivid.
In case you like a color and wish to use it in one of your projects, click to copy the color code.
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Closing Remarks: New Tab Extensions
So these were some of the best Google Chrome extensions that can transform new tab to something unique and fun. If you ask me, I highly recommend using the Prioritab as it is a minimal extension and allows users to add multiple to-do lists. Other than that, I spend most of my time playing and challenging others with BattleTabs. So try these out and I hope you find a new tab extension that works for you.
Also Read: 12 Best Chrome Screenshot Extensions For Every Need
