How to Pin Extensions to Bar in Chrome

With new Chrome extensions released all the time, one could easily end up with a huge collection, a cluttered toolbar, and difficulty locating an extension quickly. Luckily, Chrome offered a way to fix this problem with its Pin Extensions feature.

With this feature, you can pin extensions you use often or want quick access to, hide the ones you don't use, and rearrange them for a more organized toolbar.

In this article, we'll see how to pin your Chrome extensions to various devices. We will also go through a workaround to install extensions on your Android or iOS device.

How to Pin an Extension in Chrome on a Windows PC

Before you start pinning, make sure you're running the latest version of Chrome on your PC. Once this is confirmed, follow these steps to pin an extension to your toolbar:

1. Open Google Chrome.
   
2. Click on the “Extensions” button (jigsaw icon) next to your profile picture.
   
3. The drop-down lists installed and enabled Chrome extensions. They will be divided into two categories: “Full access” and “No access required”.
   
4. Next to each extension you will see a thumbtack icon. Click the “Pushpin” icon to pin the extension to your toolbar and it will turn blue. Press again to detach it. When the extension is hidden, the pushpin will be white.
   
5. You can now click and drag the icons in any order you want.
   

Unpinned extensions are not inactive. To use an unpinned extension:

1. Click on the “Extensions” button.
   
2. Select an extension to activate it.
   
3. The extension icon will temporarily appear in your toolbar. You can use all its elements via the drop-down menu.
   

How to Pin an Extension in Chrome on a Mac

With the latest version of Chrome installed on your Mac, follow these steps to pin an extension to your toolbar:

1. Launch Google Chrome.
   
2. Click the "Extensions" button next to your profile picture.
   
3. The drop-down menu lists installed and enabled Chrome extensions. They will be separated into two groups: “Full access” and “No access required”.
   
4. There is a thumbtack icon next to each extension. Click the “Pushpin” icon to pin an extension to your toolbar; it will turn blue. Press again to detach the extension. When the extension is hidden, the pushpin will be white.
   
5. If you want to rearrange the order, click and drag the icons to move them.
   

Unpinned extensions are not inactive. To use an unpinned extension:

1. Select the "Extensions" button.
   
2. Click on an extension to activate it.
   
3. The extension icon will temporarily appear in the Chrome toolbar. You can interact with all its features using the drop-down menu.
   

How to Pin an Extension in Chrome on a Chromebook

First, check that the latest version of Chrome is installed on your Chromebook. To pin extensions to your Chrome toolbar, follow these steps:

1. Open Chrome.
2. Select the “Extensions” button (jigsaw icon) next to your profile picture.
   
3. The drop-down menu lists installed and enabled Chrome extensions. They will be divided into two sections: “Full access” and “No access required”.
   
4. There is a pushpin icon next to each extension. Click the “Pushpin” icon to pin the extension to the toolbar; it will turn blue. Press again to detach the extension.
   
5. If you want, you can now click and drag the icons to change the order.
   

Unpinned extensions are not inactive. To use an unpinned extension:

1. Click on the “Extensions” button.
   
2. Select an extension to activate it.
   
3. The extension icon will temporarily appear in the toolbar. To interact with all its features, use the drop-down menu.
   

Additional FAQs

Can extensions be installed or pinned in Chrome on an iPhone?

No, they don't. Chrome extensions do not work on iOS.

Organize your Chrome extensions

Chrome's pin extension feature is a godsend for those of us who can't get enough of these extensions and find each of them useful in some way. Since they are free and easy to install, you might end up with a huge collection.

To help keep your toolbar tidy, you can pin extensions you want easy access to by clicking the thumbtack icon next to it. Then reposition the extensions in an order that suits you.

What kind of extensions do you install? What is your favorite extension for? Let us know in the comments.