The Best YouTube Extensions Everyone Should Use
Just like any other popular website, YouTube has its ups and downs. We have to wade through clickbait thumbnails and endless ad reads that get in the way – thankfully, there are plenty of browser extensions that solve these problems, so you can focus less on solving problems and more on watching videos.
Before downloading these extensions, please be aware that installing too many extensions is bad for your browser. They can slow you down and sometimes affect your privacy. Make sure you’re comfortable with the permissions each extension asks for and only install the ones you really need.
YouTube Enhancer
If you only want to install one extension, then you should choose YouTube Enhancer . It blocks ads, allows you to greatly increase the volume of all videos, and allows you to choose a different default video quality, frame rate, and codec. This extension is available for Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Opera.
Volume Master
If your only problems with YouTube are volume related, you should try Volume Master in Chrome. This extension allows you to increase the volume up to 600% and allows you to set a different volume level for each tab in your browser. If you’re using Firefox, try 600% audio volume instead.
Removing clickbaits
Clickbait thumbnails are everywhere on YouTube. If you’re tired of your favorite YouTubers making 500 different versions of shocked faces for their thumbnails, you should install Clickbait Remover . It replaces thumbnails with actual screenshots from videos, making YouTube a lot less annoying.
You can also view full video titles on YouTube , which shows the full titles for each video. It removes clipped titles on the site and makes it easier for you to determine if a video is worth watching.
uBlock source
uBlock Origin is the best YouTube ad blocker extension. It also has many advanced features that you should check out, such as blocking cookie banners, malicious domains, and removing tracking from URLs.
SponsorBlock
SponsorBlock automatically skips reading ads inside videos. The next time your favorite YouTuber tries to promote random products or services, you won’t even know it. Ideally, you should pair SponsorBlock with uBlock Origin to completely block YouTube ads.
Vinegar
Vinegar ($1.99) is one of the best Safari extensions you can download. This makes YouTube play in the HTML5 player, which means you can play videos in the background for free . It also blocks ads on YouTube.
round tube
If you’re looking to give YouTube an aesthetic makeover, check out RoundedTube . This extension adds rounded corners to video thumbnails and makes the site look more modern.
Video Speed Controller
Video Speed Controller is a Chrome extension that allows you to easily speed up or slow down YouTube videos. It has a handy set of keyboard shortcuts that allow you to control video speeds beyond YouTube’s standard 2x speed limit. This is handy for those who want to quickly get to the point of long, rambling videos.
What’s more, this extension works with HTML5 videos on other websites as well.
Video screenshot
When you need a screenshot of a video on YouTube or other streaming sites, Video Screenshot will help you. It’s a simple extension that does its job well, and you can choose between JPG and PNG image formats for your screenshots.
Add to bookmarks
While YouTube has its own “Watch Later” feature that lets you save videos, ” Bookmark ” takes it one step further. This extension allows you to bookmark any timestamp within a video. So you can play bookmarked videos with that timestamp and easily find the information you need. You just need to press B on your keyboard to bookmark a YouTube video, which makes the extension pretty easy to use.