How to Improve Productivity With Chrome: 18 Best Ways

Highlights:

• One effective way to improve productivity is to use add-ons. These features make important tools that you use regularly easily accessible.
• Adjusting your Chrome background allows you to customize your browser to your preference. Many users find the default colors distracting. Modifying this can boost productivity.
• Shortcuts can save you a lot of time and energy, and the Chrome browser makes it possible to search for different information using shortcuts.

Method 1: Use add-ons and Extensions

Add-ons and extensions can save you a lot of time and make features easily accessible, so installing them on your browser is always a good idea. Google Chrome makes it easy to do this. You can install various extensions, but for this example, we will install an extension called Momentum to get daily motivation.

1. Go to Momentum on the Chrome web store to begin.
2. Next, click on Add to Chrome button.
   
3. Once you do this, a pop-up will come up, click Add extension.
   
4. After installing the extension, you can turn it on or off by clicking the Extension icon on your Chrome browser.
   
5. Use the toggle to turn it on or off.
   
6. You can follow these steps to install any extension of your choice.

Method 2: Personalize your Chrome Background

Personalization can improve your workflow and boost concentration. Chrome gives various ways to personalize your background. Follow the steps below to learn how to do this on your browser.

1. Open the Chrome browser on your device.
2. Next, click on the pencil icon at the bottom right corner of the browser.
   
3. The next menu allows you to customize your Chrome browser, change themes, or even upload an image from your device.
   

Method 3: Use Shortcuts to Search

Sometimes, you might be looking for something you searched for hours or days ago, but it can become difficult to navigate through many search histories and tabs. Chrome has made it easy to look for information with a search shortcut. See the steps below to learn how to use this feature.

1. Open your browser.
2. In the search tab, input the @ sign followed by history or tab if the info is in a tab.
3. Once you do this, you will get further options. Choose the one that aligns with your needs.
   
4. Next, input a keyword for what you are looking for, and a list of options will appear.
   
5. Follow the same process to search bookmarks or tabs.

Method 4: Make Use of Google Lens

Google Lens makes it easy for you to search for things using images. It can be pretty convenient when you do not know the name of the item you are searching for. The steps below show you how to use this feature.

1. Open your Chrome browser.
2. Next, click on the camera icon.
   
3. You will then be able to upload an image from your computer or paste the link to your image.
   

Method 5: Make Use of Microphone

You can also use the Chrome microphone to search for what you want. Follow the steps below to use this tool.

1. Launch Google Chrome on your computer.
2. Click on the microphone icon.
   
3. Say what you are looking for and you will immediately get a result.
   

Method 6: Make use of the Group Tab feature

Using the group tab feature allows you to organize your tabs more efficiently and makes it easier to find essential tabs in the feature. The steps below show you how to use this feature properly.

1. On your Chrome browser, click on the first tab you want to add, then go over to the last tab and press Shift before clicking on it.
   
2. Once you do this, the tabs will be grouped.
3. Right-click on one of the tabs and select Add tabs to new group.
   
4. You can then name the tab and change its color.
5. You can also add a new tab to the group, ungroup, delete the group, and move the group to a new window.
   

Method 7: Manage Audio and Video Efficiently

Chrome offers an easy way to manage your audio and video effectively without switching between tabs. Here is how to do it.

1. Assuming you are playing audio or video on YouTube and you want to pause or move to the next audio/video, click on the media icon on your browser and you will see every video-producing sound.
   
2. You can use this step to easily navigate between audio and videos without leaving your current tab.
3. You can also use the picture-in-picture option to permanently place the audio in your current tab.
   

Method 8: Pin Tabs

Google Chrome also allows you to pin tabs that you frequently use to access them in the future easily. Here is how to use this feature.

1. Open your Chrome browser, right-click the tab you want to pin, and select Pin from the drop-down menu.
   
2. Once you do this, you will notice that the tab is fixed to the left side of your screen, and you can easily return to it.
   
3. If you close Google Chrome and open it again, your pinned tab will remain.

Method 9: Send Tabs from PC to Phone

The Chrome browser lets you send tabs from your laptop to your mobile device. This can be useful when you cannot complete a task on your PC and must continue with your mobile device. See the steps below to learn how to use this tool.

1. Open the tab you want to send to your mobile device, right-click, and click on the Send to your devices option.
   
2. Next, select your mobile device.
   
3. Once you open Chrome on your mobile device, you will receive a notification that a new tab has been received. If you click the notification, you will be directed to the tab you were working on.

Method 10: Open Specific Tabs on Startup

Chrome gives you the option to set specific tabs to open on startup. This helps you easily access tabs you frequently use without having to waste time searching for them, which can be time-saving and also boost productivity.

1. Open your Chrome browser, click on the three dots at the top right corner of your screen, scroll down, and select Settings.
   
2. In the Settings menu, click on On startup.
   
3. Next, select the radio button for the Open a specific page option.
   
4. Click on the Add a new page link.
   
5. Now, you will be able to input the link to the tabs you want to open on startup.
   

Method 11: Use the Chrome Task Manager to Boost Speed

Chrome provides a task manager to help you control open tabs and boost your browser speed. Sometimes, you might notice that an app is unusually slow or acting up. This could be easily resolved by going to the Task Manager and closing unnecessary tabs that are consuming system resources. The steps below will show you how to access the Task Manager.

1. Open the Chrome browser.
2. Next, press Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.
3. Then, you can click on any open tab consuming much memory and click on the End process button.
   

Method 12: Stop Notifications from External Sites

It can be distracting to keep getting notifications from external sites, preventing you from being productive. Google Chrome provides a way of controlling notifications from these external sites. See the steps below to learn how to do this.

1. Open the Chrome browser and click on the three buttons on the top right corner of the screen.
2. Next, scroll down and select Settings.
   
3. In the Settings tab, choose Privacy and security.
   
4. Next, click on Site settings.
   
5. Click on Notifications.
   
6. Finally, click the radio button on the next menu to stop receiving notifications from external sites.
   

Method 13: Multiple Chrome Profiles

With Google Chrome, you can also create multiple Chrome profiles. If you want to keep your Chrome info like passwords, bookmarks, and history separate, creating another profile is your best bet. Here is how to do it.

1. Open your Chrome browser, click on your profile icon, and select Add.
   
2. Enter the new profile’s name, choose an icon or theme color, and click Done.
   
3. And with this, you have successfully created a new Chrome profile.

Method 14: Bookmarks

Bookmarks are essential in improving productivity because they give you easy access to web pages without spending time browsing the internet to get them. Chrome offers an easy way to bookmark pages. Here is how it is done.

1. Open the webpage you want to bookmark.
2. Click on the little star icon at the top of the page, enter the name of your bookmark, select where you want to save it, and then click Done.
   
3. To remove the bookmark, click on the star icon, then select Remove.
   

Method 15: Password Manager

The password manager is another essential tool in Google Chrome that can help to improve productivity because, with this tool, you do not need to remember every single password you create or use on Chrome. There is a safe spot where these passwords can be stored, and if you need to sign into a site, you can easily retrieve your password. See the steps below to use this feature.

1. Open your Google Chrome browser and click on your profile icon at the top.
2. Next, click on the key icon.
   
3. You will be directed to another page to see all your saved passwords from various sites. You can also add new sites to the list.
   

Method 16: Incognito Mode

Google Chrome also allows you to use Incognito mode, which can help increase privacy while you are browsing. Here is how to use it.

1. Open your Chrome browser and press Ctrl +Shift + N.
2. Once you do this, an Incognito window will open.
   
3. You can then continue browsing the internet.

Method 17: Flags

Flags are features that Chrome is still testing and are not yet officially available for public use, however, there is a way to access these tools and there are many features that you will find useful for everyday use. Here is how to access the tool.

1. Open your Chrome browser.
2. In the text field, input Chrome://flags and hit Enter.
3. Once you do this, you will get a list of all available experimental tools. Before proceeding, ensure that you read and understand the warning message.
   
4. Go through the list and enable the features you find useful.
   

Method 18: Developer Tools

For technical users, Chrome has a developer tool for quickly analyzing webpage content. Here is how to access this tool.

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Next, press Ctrl + Shift + I.
3. Once you do this, the developer tool will open.
   

The tools highlighted in this article are some examples of ways you can be more productive while using Google Chrome. You can also learn how to boost productivity on browsers like Brave and Firefox.