KEY POINTS
- Grammarly tops the list due to its popularity among remote workers from just about any industry
- Adblock Plus is the remote worker's shield against annoying and distracting ads
- LastPass is the perfect tool for login credentials security
Remote working has been rising over the past decade as companies explore ways to save on office space, but things truly changed for the workplace during the pandemic, when people had to shut themselves in and adapt to the work-from-home setting.
Since then, the online world has been hustling and bustling with much activity, and at the center of it all is Google Chrome, the trusty browser that many remote workers use due to its speed and, of course, because it's free.
If you're a remote worker in the digital economy, then it's about time you improve your browsing experience and bolster your efficiency through these extensions that will make a huge difference in your remote work life.
1. Grammarly
Grammarly is the editor and writer's best friend. Even if you're not in the writing industry, trust that Grammarly can help with your corporate-related tasks, such as writing the best emails or drafting a top-notch pitch for your next project.
Key features:
- Highly accurate grammar checking – Unlike other typing assistants, Grammarly doesn't make a lot of mistakes when pointing out things you might have missed.
- Real-time corrections – Correct yourself as you go!
- Explanations – This writing assistant goes the extra mile by providing easy-to-understand explanations on why a particular phrase or sentence was written incorrectly.
Grammarly rewrites entire paragraphs of your writing so you can stay in the 〰️flow〰️ of work. Now a red sidebar will appear to the left of your writing when Grammarly identifies opportunities to enhance your paragraph. Hover over it to accept a clearer version of your text. ✔️ pic.twitter.com/DjxBJ53Joc
— Grammarly (@Grammarly) October 3, 2024
2. Adblock Plus
Who wants annoying ads when you're on a deadline? With Adblock Plus, the many video ads, repeating banners, and frustrating pop-ups are just part of the internet's black hole.
Key features:
- Third-party blocker – This extension blocks third-party trackers to ensure that your information is kept more private from advertisers.
- Customization – If you're in an industry where you still need to see some ads, you can personalize the experience by choosing the ads you'd like to see.
- Risk reduction – In the digital age of cyberattacks and system vulnerabilities, Adblock Plus helps to reduce the entry of malicious ads into your computer system to prevent scams and viruses from breaching your device.
3. LastPass
Security a key aspect of the remote working system. Threat actors are evolving with technology, and it crucial for employees working from home to ensure that their systems and devices won't be accessed by exploiters. LastPass strengthens this vision by protecting your passwords.
Key features:
- Password generator – The extension provides a generator tool where you can instantly create a random, and more importantly, secure password.
- Time saver – With LastPass, you don't need to keep logging in to websites since the extension will store your passwords in an encrypted password vault and instantly log you back in to websites.
- Assistance – Beyond convenience (no more mistyped letters or special characters), LastPass educates you on what a strong password should look like.
4. Mailsuite
Formerly Mailtrack, Mailsuite is a must-have for remote workers in the sales, lead generation, and public relations segments. It is an e-mail tracker for Gmail that has over 1.5 million active users due to its features that make follow-ups easier and provide a lot of information to help salespeople and lead generators track their emailing progress.
Key features:
- See-through – Mailsuite lets you know if the e-mail receiver has read the message or if it ended up in the spam folder – a critical hurdle for many sales or PR people who may be sending bulk emails.
- Campaign feature – If your company is on a campaign, Mailsuite will allow you to send marketing e-mails to up to 200 contacts at once!
- Dashboard – You're given a dashboard where you can filter which emails have been read and which have yet to be seen by receivers, allowing more space for efficient e-mail organizing.
5. Google Keep
This "handy" Chrome extension is one of the most popular among remote workers due to its availability on the web and Android. You can type, draw, capture, or even talk to make notes! If you're in the virtual assistance segment, this extension will be your best friend!
Key features:
- Specific – You can be specific with Keep! You can create time- and location-based reminders to make sure you're on track with the tasks to be achieved throughout the day.
- A colorful work life – You can organize your notes on Keep using labels, formatting, and a vast array of colors.
- Passing notes – You've been blocked from passing notes in class, but in the corporate, digital world, sharing notes is a must! The extension enables you to share notes with colleagues. The note's live version can be edited, and every change made will be seen by each participant whom you shared the Keep note with.
6. Todoist
Since we're already in the organization part, you may want to download Todoist, the all-in-one work management extension that millions of workers use for their daily tasks. A great tool for remote team leaders across various corporate segments, Todoist is a top choice for workers who want to stay on top of their game.
- In-sync – This extension works on various devices, Android, iOS, desktop, and even wearables.
- Management master – You can prioritize your tasks similarly as Keep allows you to do so, but with Todoist, you can add sections and sub-tasks, labels and even task descriptions to ensure that all areas of your work are covered.
- Repository for productivity – If you're a team leader, Todoist just may be the best choice as it has features that allow you to share projects, assign tasks to specific team members, and make comments on a project's progress.
7. Loom
Gone were the days when Zoom was used on a daily basis for virtual team meetings. These days, the trend is pre-recording instructions and sending the video links to team members. Loom is a helpful extension for remote teams, with its easy-to-use interface and rapid sharing capabilities.
Key features:
- Clear communication – Eliminate the risk of being misunderstood by using Loom's screen-recording feature – share a link of recorded video with other remote team members who may have missed the meeting to ensure that everyone's on the same page.
- Personalization – Loom allows you to record your entire screen, but you can also opt to capture what's going on in a specific window or through your webcam.
- Ease of use – This is what sets Loom apart from other similar screen recording and virtual meeting apps. It cuts down into a few clicks, while other tools need multiple steps for recording and video sharing.
Move meetings, move mountains, move your team forward with video messaging.
— Loom (@loom) November 19, 2024
Ready to open up a whole new world of productivity, focus, and free time?
Download Loom for free today. pic.twitter.com/ob1RhSie88
8. Scribe
Are you a virtual assistant, a remote logbook keeper, or a WFH trainer? If yes, then Scribe just might be the tool you need for documentation. It records your actions and generates detailed guides for tutorials that you can share via links.
Key features:
- Easy tutorials – Scribe can generate step-by-step guides with accompanying screenshots to ensure that everything is well-documented.
- Formatting – You can edit the text or format the guide, and even edit the screenshots for improved clarity. And of course, you can redact any sensitive company information that may have been caught during the recording.
- Time saver – Scribe's best feature is the fact that it can save companies a lot of time – no more stopping to take down notes for trainees and no need for tedious transcription.
9. Momentum
Every employee deserves a moment to breathe, regroup, and reclaim motivation – even those in remote setups. If you're a veteran in the remote work segment and things have become mundane, Momentum may be what you need to reawaken the younger and inspired worker in you.
Key features:
- Tab transformation – Every new tab is a personalized dashboard with beautiful backgrounds such as foggy mountains and lush greeneries that inspire you to always start the day with a fresh perspective. There are also motivational quotes on each new tab to help you stay motivated throughout the work day.
- Reminders – Momentum allows you to create a to-do list that emerges with every new tab, reminding you of what needs to be completed.
- Links – You can add your favorite or most visited websites to the Links section so you can easily find your work-related domains.
10. Dark Reader
This extension may not seem so important for some, but for remote workers who spend the majority of their time in front of their devices, this tool will be a great help in reducing the discomfort that comes with hours and hours on screens.
Key features:
- Dark theme configuration – You can adjust the brightness or darkness of your screen based on your level of comfort. You can even opt for a sepia tone!
- Customization – Dark Reader allows you to enable the dark mode for all websites or choose which domains you'd like to be on the dark side.
