To enhance user security and protect against malicious software, Google has imposed stricter restrictions on manually installing Chrome extensions. While most users download extensions from the Chrome Web Store, some may need to install an extension from an external source, whether for testing or development work.
If you need to install a Chrome extension manually, follow these steps:
- Launch Google Chrome and click the “Puzzle” icon in the toolbar.
- Select “Manage Extensions” from the dropdown menu to open the extensions settings page.
- In the top-right corner of the Extensions page, toggle on “Developer Mode”.
- This allows you to install extensions not from the Chrome Web Store.
- If your extension file is in CRX format, Chrome will not allow direct installation.
- To work around this, use the “CRX Extractor/Downloader” extension to convert the CRX file into a ZIP format.
- Once converted, extract the ZIP file into a folder on your computer.
- Go back to the Extensions Management tab.
- Click “Load Unpacked,” then navigate to the unzipped extension files folder.
- Select the folder and click “Open”.
- Once installed, the extension will appear in your browser and function like any other Chrome extension.
- You can manage or remove it anytime from the Extensions Management page.
You have successfully installed an extension manually in Google Chrome.
