50+ Chrome Extensions That You Should Install

TechProceed has collected 100 awesome and useful Google Chrome extensions into this one big list that is easy to digest because they’re all categorized! By tweaking you Google Chrome, it can make your browser much more productive and interesting. Enjoy!


Business Tools

1. Gmail Offline

Gmail Offline is one of the most useful tools I have downloaded. Many times emails come in faster than I can reply to them, but disconnecting from the internet while I reply to what is currently in my inbox can be a big help. Additionally, when you are not connected, you will use less battery power.

2. Google Calendar

Google Calendar is an app that gives you fast access to your Google Calendar. Aside from the direct link to your main calendar, there is also the option to see and manage your calendar while offline. This is very useful for the same same reasons as the above Gmail Offline app.

3. Smartr Inbox for Gmail

Smartr Inbox for Gmail is a great extension for your Google Chrome browser. You will be able to see the social accounts for your contacts, which is a great way to better understand clients and/or keep up with family and friends, all from your Gmail inbox.

4. Google Tasks (by Google)

If you weren’t aware, Google has a Tasks app, and it’s already part of your Gmail and Google Calendar. While it is pretty bare-bones, it can still be useful. Using the Google Tasks (by Google) extension will make Google Tasks more accessible and therefore more effective.

5. Always Clear Downloads

Always Clear Downloads is a Google Chrome extension made to solve the problem of that ugly download bar that appears at the bottom of your Chrome browser window after you download any type of file. This will save you task of clicking on the close “X” button every time you download something.

6. Grammarly Lite

Grammarly Lite is a great spell-checker for your browser window. It is different from most others because it will check your grammar as well as your spelling. If you dislike  people who incorrectly place the wrong type of word in the wrong part of a sentence, Grammarly will help you avoid becoming one of them.

7. KeyRocket for Gmail

KeyRocket for Gmail is a somewhat educational tool: while you are using Gmail, KeyRocket helps you learn the keyboard shortcuts. Knowing what will Archive an email vs. Deleting it will help you get through your inbox a lot more quickly, and the faster you get through all of your emails, the more likely you are to keep your message count low—maybe even zero.

8. PanicButton

PanicButton lets you hide all of your windows and tabs at once and opens a preset window—some people refer to this as a “boss” button. You can even password-protect the button so they can’t restore the tabs without it. If the button is too obvious, a keyboard shortcut can be used instead.

9. Awesome New Tab Page

The Awesome New Tab Page is a great way to create a useful start page for your Google Chrome browser: when you create a new page or tab, this window will open up. There are a lot of default tiles to add as well as other extensions to install, adding to the awesomeness of the new tab page.

10. Powerbot for Gmail

Powerbot for Gmail ties your two most used apps—Gmail and Evernote—together for one big productivity party. What is really cool here is not needing to toggle between two apps just to create a new note. Everything can be added to the note just as if you were in Evernote; even the email attachments.

Search Tools

11. Search by Image (by Google)

Search by Image (by Google) is a brilliant little extension that lets you search the web using an image instead of words as the search term. This is handy if you are looking for the original version of an image, or even a modified version thereof. You can right-click on an image on a webpage and then search Google for similar images.

12. Google Analytics Opt-out Add-on

When you are browsing the web, you are hard-pressed to come across a site not using Google Analyitcs. These sites are tracking what you are doing: when you are clicking around the site, Google Analyitcs is watching what you are doing, but Google Analytics Opt-out Add-on helps you to avoid being tracked.

13. Highlight to Search

When you are on the web a lot, you are sure to come across something you want to search for more information about, and Highlight to Search makes this easier. Simply highlight the words you’d like to search for, and click the magnifying glass for a new tab with a search in it.

14. Google Quick Scroll

Google Quick Scroll is another great way to make your searches faster. When you click on a link in the search results, you are taken directly to the spot on the page where the search term is mentioned, which saves you from scanning the page as you look for the information you want.

15. Centered Google Results

Centered Google Results is a must-have for users with large monitors. Normally the Google search results are off to the left side, but this Google Chrome extension is a simple fix to place the search results in the center of your screen.

16. Google Search 360

Google used to have a feature called Wonder Wheel in their search options to help you find similar search terms. This was great for people like bloggers or internet marketers, and Google Search 360 is a lot like Wonder Wheel. Add a search term and see similar terms, or keep narrowing down the terms to get more niche results.

17. Personal Blocklist (by Google)

Personal Blocklist (by Google) is a pretty cool extension that lets you block certain URLs from your searches. This is really helpful if you are doing a lot of searching and want to eliminate certain sites like Wikipedia from your search.

18. Speak to Search

Speak to Search lets you use your voice to search Google. If you have an Android phone and use Google Now or other voice commands, you know how useful this is.

19. DuckDuckGo for Chrome

DuckDuckGo for Chrome lets you search without being tracked. Instead of going to a completely different site to search, you can add this extension and use the DuckDuckGo icon. You will see the results at the top of the normal Google Search page.

20. Incognito Search

When you are reading something on a page, you can highlight the term and select Incognito Search to look for the query in a non-tracked window. This will keep it out of your search history too.

Entertainment

21. Magic Actions for YouTube

Magic Actions for YouTube is a must-have for avid YouTube video watchers. It adds essential features like Cinema view and easier sharing options, and you will wonder how you ever lived without them.

22. Auto HD For YouTube

When watching videos, the usual default is to judge the connection and play it back at the best possible quality. Auto HD For YouTube will automatically play the video back in HD every time and in wide screen mode. If you have a slower connection, this might not work well for you.

23. Last.fm Scrobbler

Last.fm is a super popular web app for music lovers. When you listen to something you can scrobble it which means the song is logged and shared with followers. Last.fm Scrobbler is an extension to help this process when you are listening songs on sites like YouTube.

24. CanIStreamIt Search

When you think of a show or movie you’d like to watch, an easy way to find out if you can stream it and from where is using the CanIStreamIt Search Google Chrome extension. Find out if you need to watch it on Amazon or if Netflix is streaming it or somewhere you didn’t think to check.

25. Grooveshark Mediakeys Reloaded

Grooveshark is a web app letting you listen to a lot of new music. With Grooveshark Mediakeys Reloaded, you can control the track as you listen to it using keyboard shortcuts making it easier to pause, advance to the next track and so on.

26. XKCD Alt Text

Sometimes, when reading the comic strip XKCD, it can be a little hard to read the text. XKCD Alt Text makes it easier to read by adding the text outside the strip.

27. My Watch Later Link for Youtube

Have you added videos to your YouTube Quick list and then forgotten about them? Well, My Watch Later Link for Youtube puts a link right next to the search bar so you can easily click it to watch saved videos.

28. Cloud Downloader

SoundCloud is a great app for finding new music, and Cloud Downloader is an extension that helps you download the new music you find so you can listen to it later. This is all done right from your browser instead of through the site.

29. Best Games,Just For You

Do you like to play games? Best Games,Just For You will help you find one to keep you busy. You will have access to about 3500 different games you can play right from your browser—just filter through the game categories to find the perfect time-waster.

30. Classic Games

When you are in the mood to play a classic arcade game, the Classic Games gives access to a lot of the popular flash-style games you might like. One I like to play is the Apple Shooter—some of the mishaps are hilarious.

Accessibility

31. Speed Dial

Some of the browsers out there like Opera have a great New Tab Page with Speed Dials. Essentially, this is a page with the logos for a lot of your most-accessed bookmarks. Speed Dial brings this feature to Google Chrome.

32. Stealthy

Do you live in a country where certain sites are blocked, like some YouTube videos in Germany? Stealthy will help those of you who have content blocked be able to view those sites without the restrictions. This is very useful for international travelers who might not be used to the restrictions.

33. Tree Style Tabs (Beta)

When you have a lot of tabs open, finding the one with the right page can be a challenge. To solve this, Tree Style Tabs list all of the title information for each tab in a drop-down tree-style menu, making it a lot easier to find the right page quickly.

34. FVD Speed Dial

FVD Speed Dial is similar to the other Speed Dial extension in this list with more of a 3D wall Safari browser look to it. See a cached view of the page as the icon for a really good-looking new tab page.

35. Hacker Vision

Hacker Vision will invert the most of whats on your screen to a black background, which is easier on the eyes than having a white background. I wasn’t a believer of this until I tried it for an afternoon, and was really surprised at how much it helped.

36. Turn Off the Lights

Watching a video on your screen is tricky; some videos are all grainy if you expand them to fit the screen, while if you watch them in a smaller mode, you can see all the other stuff on your desktop. Turn Off the Lights will dim the other things in the background so you can focus on the video.

37. Read&Write for Google Docs

Read&Write for Google Docs is a great tool for anyone trying to learn the English language. If you are struggling to read or understand a word, you can use the built-in dictionaries or have Google Docs read you the sentence.

38. Categorizer

Your browser history is not all that easy to manage, so Categorizer aims to help solve this problem by helping you categorize the sites you visit often. From the right-click menu, you can add a site to a category for later. It’s like bookmarking—just a little different.

39. ViewMyBrowser

ViewMyBrowser is a really simple way for you to share your screen with someone else. This is ideal for helping out someone who might be having computer troubles or if you are teaching someone something from a remote location.

40. Fine Link Selector

If you have ever tried to copy a portion of a link, you know you will usually click on the link instead. Fine Link Selector will let you copy just the portion of the link you want instead of copying the whole thing and deleting what you don’t need.

Lifestyle

41. Add to Amazon Wish List

When you are browsing around the web, the Add to Amazon Wish List buttonmakes it easy to save an item to your Wish List for later purchase. No need to head over to Amazon, find the item, and save it anymore.

42. Eat24

Eat24 helps you feed your craving without leaving your browser. With restaurants in over 750 cities, you can order food and have it delivered right to your door. You can also keep track of your favorites so you can order “the usual” in future.

43. Mini Maps

When you are on the web and need to find a location and don’t want to fire up Google Maps, you can use Mini Maps. It offers almost all of the basic mapping options you will need.

44. Refresh Monkey

There are some cases where you need the page to refresh at set intervals, like when you are watching an auction. This is where Refresh Monkey comes in handy: you can set the intervals and choose whether you want one page pr all of the pages to refresh.

45. Kicktraq

Have you supported a startup on KickStart? If so, you know it isn’t always too easy to track the progress. Kicktraq makes the process less painful. See how many backers the project has, the amount raised, and other useful information.

46. Honey

Shopping online is always better when you find a deal. Honey will help you find discount codes for the sites you are shopping on. Not only will it find the codes, but it will try them for you to get the ones that work and give you the best deal.

47. Stipple

If you run a website or like to guide people into purchasing certain items, Stipple will let you annotate an image with links to more information about the parts of the image. You can link to any URL, not just consumer sites.

48. Cryptagram

There are some cases where you might want to post Cryptagram will let you decode images encrypted using the Cryptagram web app. It’s great for hiding things in plain sight.

49. Explain and Send Screenshots

When you need a quick way to take a screen shot and annotate it to show someone how something works, Explain and Send Screenshots will be just what you’re looking for. Add text, arrows and other annotations to your screen captures and copy and paste them into other apps like Google Docs.

50. BBC Good Food

BBC Good Food is a great way to find new recipes right from your browser. There are over 260 different recipes that people have actually cooked and deemed worthy of putting on the site.

News & Weather

51. The Onion

For those of you who have never read or watched anything The Onion has put out, it is a really funny satirical news site and publication about current events. This extension for Chrome lets you see all of the newest hilarity right in your icon bar.

52. RSS Feed Reader

With Google’s decision to eliminate Google Reader, RSS Feed Reader might be a good option for you to have easy access to your RSS Feeds. When you click the icon, you will see the different feeds in a drop-down and how many unread posts on each site. This is a very easy solution if you only read your RSS feeds on one computer.

53. Awesome Weather Widget [ANTP]

Earlier we mentioned Awesome New Tab Page. Awesome Weather Widget [ANTP] is an add-on for Awesome New Tab Page giving you a great looking weather widget. There are other great add-ons like like this in the Chrome Web Store, and usually they will have [ANTP] in the title.

54. Feedly Plus

Feedly is another great option for a Google Reader replacement. In fact they are working on a seamless transition when Google Reader is done. The layout is more appealing for reading new articles.

55. Email this page (by Google)

There are times when you are looking at a webpage and think “Jimmy would really like this.” The Email this page (by Google) extension lets you email the contents of the page or what you highlight on the page to someone using Gmail.

56. Finance Toolbar

If you follow the stock market closely and like to have a ticker on your screen, Finance Toolbar gives you a spot to see all of the current happenings in an easy-to-see toolbar, which is right above your bookmark bar so it isn’t in your way.

57. TLDR

With all of the information out there, it takes a long time to sift through it all to find something interesting to read, and sometimes you are just lured in by a crafty headline. TLDR gives you a condensed version of the article so you can see if it is indeed something you’d like to spend some time reading more of.

58. Amazon Mini

For the Amazon obsessed, Amazon Mini will let you quickly see what the deals of the day are by clicking on the icon. If you like what you see, click on the deal—otherwise, you didn’t waste too much of your time or get too distracted on the site.

59. Knew Tab – New Tab Page

Knew Tab is a really clean and useful New Tab Page for your browser. You can see things like how many unread emails are in your Gmail inbox, what the word of the day is, or other simple things to increase the use of the page.

60. Rain Alarm Extension

The Rain Alarm Extension can be a good thing to have if you work in an area with no windows and you like to leave your car windows open. This will give you some warning so you can run out and shut them, or you can prepare to take a nap while listening to the spring rain.

It Doesn’t Take a Genius to Choose, Says Samsung

Samsung may have lost the patent battle against Apple, but that doesn’t mean the Korean electronics giant has quieted down.

In a new ad shown that will start running in various US national and regional papers on Sunday, Samsung has stacked the specifications of its Galaxy S III smartphone against the newly-announced iPhone 5.

What’s first noticeable about the ad is its tagline, which is an obvious jab at Apple: “It doesn’t take a genius”. Not only does this reference Apple’s “genius” retail employees, Samsung also implies that deciding between the two devices is a piece of cake.

The Galaxy S III’s list of features is much longer than the iPhone 5, and its specs beat Apple’s latest smartphone in terms of HD resolution, talk time and RAM. It also features near-field communications (NFC) technology — not included in the iPhone 5 — which allows users to pay at checkout with a mobile phone.

The ad also pokes fun at the iPhone 5′s specs wording, dismissing Apple’s new Lightning dock as “a totally different plug”.

Samsung has been touting the capabilities of its devices more aggressively lately, in an attempt to determine iPhone users to move to Android and leave Apple aside.

I personally prefer Samsung over Apple but I didn't like Samsung ad that states: “Our phone is better because our contrived spec list is longer!” The truth is that the bottom half of the Galaxy S III’s specs on this ad are meaningless.

Apparently, although Galaxy S III’s hardware specifications are seen as superior to those of iPhone 5, the latter has already seen great demand in the US, only hours after the pre-order period started.

This shows that iPhone buyers are less interested in the specs sheet of the device than Samsung would have hoped for, and that they are fond of the experience and the ecosystem that Apple offers to them.

Have a look at Samsung’s ad :

It's here: Apple unveils iPhone 5

Apple iPhone 5 isn’t the biggest or most powerful smartphone on the block. But that may not matter to iPhone purists, those who have fallen in love with the original iPhone 4 designs and were horrified at the thought that their precious device might develop a glandular condition and grow to near-tablet sized proportions.

I got to spend a little time with one of the many iPhone 5 phones Apple had lying around the demo room (and in the hands of demonstrators).

 At first glance, I’d say Apple has achieved something remarkable: making the iPhone bigger, more powerful, and possibly even better, without changing the way it feels in your hand.

In case you haven’t seen, the new iPhone 5 looks a lot like the iPhone 4S. It’s got the same curves, the same half-inch-plus margins above and below the screen, the same single button on the face and the same volume and lock buttons on the side, but there are crucial differences, some more significant than others.

First of all, this phone is light. As soon I pick it up, I noted the lack of heft. The iPhone 4 and 4S both feel somewhat substantial in your hands. The iPhone 5 feels different (at 112 grams, it’s 20 percent lighter than the previous iPhone). It’s noticeably thinner (7.6 mm, or 18% thinner than the iPhone 4S). Apple did away with the glass back, which may have helped the phone shed an ounce or so.

That back is now the same brushed aluminum as the edges (or brushed black aluminum, depending on your choice). It looks good and feels great. You won’t miss the glass back.

Apple also moved the audio jack to the bottom of the device; I like it there. It’s a lot more elegant than having that cable jutting out of the top and possibly draping over you screen. That same base also houses the new lightning jack. It’s positively tiny compared to the old 30-pin jack, and it doesn’t care which way you plug it in.

It’s simple, smart touches like this that appeal to me. I’m certain most customers will appreciate them as well.

A New Screen

The biggest and most obvious difference between the iPhone 4S and the new iPhone 5 is the screen. It’s still a super-brilliant, high-resolution Retina display, but this one is noticeably longer than any iPhone that’s come before it.

It’s a neat trick, because, while the screen is now bigger (1136 pixels deep), the phone feels exactly the same in your hands. You simply get more vertical real-estate. On the home-screen, this means another row of app icons.

For apps and content, the screen offers more room to deliver interaction and information. Put another way, the old iPhone had a 3:2 aspect ratio screen and the iPhone 5 has a 16:9 ratio screen.

This will be a better screen for HD movies and TV (for which it won’t have to show black bars on the top and bottom). Some movies aren’t shot in 16:9 (the Avengers is, and it looks great on the new screen), but pretty much all modern TV is.

Apple obviously packed a lot more power into the new iPhone, adding the new multi-core A6 CPU (no one seems to know if it’s dual core or quad core) for faster performance and richer onscreen graphics. The game demos during the unveiling looked impressive — especially Real Racing 3 with the real-time rear-view mirror view. Unfortunately, none of the iPhone 5s in the demo room were loaded with games.

Even so, I did notice that app loads and switching seemed a bit peppier. The new iOS 6 Apple maps looked sharp, especially the 3D flyover, which basically draws 3D-rendered buildings with real photography draped over them in real time.

On the other hand, I did a similar walkthrough on the new A5-based iPod touch 7th generation and it was almost exactly as good.

Big Picture

iOS 6 also brings a redesigned camera. Powered by the A6 chip, it’s supposed to deliver better low-light performance and noise reduction. I couldn’t really test that out in the demo area, but I was able to test-drive the new Panorama mode. The idea is not new: take a 180-degree arc, or even a 360-degree circle of pictures, and the camera stitches them together.

I’ve tried this already on Android tablets and my Sony NEX-5 camera. That said, the iPhone 5’s implementation is good. It offers just enough guidance as your shooting (“slow down,” “move lower”) that almost anyone can create interesting panoramic views.

Siri got a little work done, too. As promised, she can now tell you sports scores and launch apps. I asked her how the Mets did today, and she responded with information and a nice visual for the upcoming game. When I asked about the Giants, she gave me a score for the football team, but neglected to ask if I meant the football or baseball Giants. When I pointed out her mistake, she apologized, but didn’t rectify it.

Siri’s new-found ability to launch apps was pretty impressive. I asked her to launch Passbook and it appeared almost immediately. I got the same rapid respond with third-party apps such as CNN.

No NFC

Passbook looks just as good as it did when Apple unveiled it at WWDC earlier this year. But seems no nearer to becoming a true digital wallet app. Yes, you’ve got important things like plane tickets and coupons, but nothing for making mobile digital payments. Perhaps this is because Apple chose not to include NFC in the iPhone 5.

As with Passbook, many of the best things about the new iPhone 5 may come from iOS 6, which will launch along with the phone and is available as an upgrade for all iPhone owners going back to the iPhone 3GS.

On the other hand, not all of the phones made prior to the iPhone 4S will be able to take advantage of these new features (Siri is one obvious example). They should all see the new iTunes store, though, which happens to look at lot like the Apple TV interface.

I thought it was well organized and more navigable than any previous versions of iTunes on the iPhone.

The iPhone 5 is, finally, an LTE phone, but until I get it in the real-world it’s hard to assess how much of an impact that will have on day-to-day use. Likewise with the new 802.11N radio; I know it’s going to be faster, but I’d need a lot more real-world use to assess the quality of that connection.

Apple unveiled the iPhone 5 on Wednesday and will begin selling it next week. It also lowered prices for older models. Here's a look at the key differences between the iPhone 5, 4S and 4.

iPhone 5 tech specs:

- Capacity: 16 gigabyte model for $199, 32 gigabytes for $299 and 64 gigabytes for $399, all with two-year service contract

- Size: height: 4.87 inches; width: 2.31 inches; depth: 0.30 inch (124 x 59 x 7.6 millimeters)

- Weight: 3.95 ounces (112 grams)

- Display: 4-inch (diagonal) with a resolution of 1136 by 640 pixels.

- Cameras: 8-megapixel camera on back, 1.2-megapixel on front.

- Video recording: high-definition (1080p - comparable to the resolution of a 40-inch flat panel TV) up to 30 frames per second with audio

- Battery life: talk time is up to 8 hours on 3G. Internet works for up to 8 hours on LTE and up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi. Up to 10 hours of video playback. Battery can be replaced by service personnel only.

- Release date: Sept. 21, 2012.

iPhone 4S tech specs:

- Capacity: 16 gigabyte model for $99, with two-year service contract

- Size: height: 4.5 inches; width: 2.31 inches; depth: 0.37 inch (115 x 59 x 9.3 millimeters)

- Weight: 4.9 ounces (140 grams)

- Display: 3.5-inch (diagonal) with a resolution of 960 by 640 pixels.

- Cameras: 8-megapixel camera on back, "VGA resolution" on front

- Video recording: high-definition (1080p - comparable to the resolution of a 40-inch flat panel TV) up to 30 frames per second with audio

- Battery: talk time is up to 8 hours on 3G, up to 14 hours on 2G. Internet works for up to p to 6 hours on 3G, and up to 9 hours on Wi-Fi, one hour shorter than the iPhone 4. Up to 10 hours of video playback.

- Release date: Oct. 14, 2011

iPhone 4 tech specs:

- Capacity: 8 gigabyte model for free, with two-year service contract

- Size: height: 4.5 inches; width: 2.31 inches; depth: 0.37 inch (115 x 59 x 9.3 millimeters)

- Weight: 4.8 ounces

- Display: 3.5-inch (diagonal) with a resolution of 960 by 640 pixels.

- Camera: 5-megapixel camera on back, "VGA resolution" on front

- Video recording: high-definition (720p - comparable to an older-model flat panel TV) up to 30 frames per second with audio

- Battery: talk time is up to 7 hours on 3G and up to 14 hours on 2G. Internet works for up to 6 hours on 3G and up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi. Up to 10 hours of video playback.

- Release date: June 24, 2010

Over the coming weeks, many will compare the iPhone 5 to a variety of Android devices, including the large and powerful Samsung Galaxy SIII. I’m not sure how the iPhone 5 will hold up. It does not raise the bar much further than competing devices. Its screen is still smaller, its CPU may not be as fast and it lacks NFC.

And yet, I wonder if iPhone customers will care. The iPhone 5 offers myriad differences that will improve their day-to-day smartphone experience, while still delivering one of the most aesthetically pleasing handhelds on the market.

For many, I bet that will be enough. Of course, I won’t have my final say until we get a review unit and pound the heck out of it. I can’t wait.

How to get Wi-Fi access anywhere at any time

It doesn’t happen very often, but there are times when you can’t access the Internet at home. Maybe it’s because service is out, or perhaps you moved to a new place and are waiting for the ISP to get around to installing the new service. In these instances, it’s always good to have a backup plan in mind so that you’ll still have Internet access, even when your main home connection is MIA. However, if you’re currently looking for a backup plan, we have several suggestions to keep in mind the next time you’re stuck without Internet at your main digs.

If driving/commuting is an option…

If you’re able and willing to leave the house in order to get Internet access, there are a bevy of options that you can take advantage of, including some of the obvious ones:

• Coffee shops
• Libraries and bookstores
• Fast food joints
• Hotel lobbies
• Your local university campus
• Gym/fitness center

Keep in mind that using public Wi-Fi at an establishment requires a certain give-and-take. It’s customary and a common courtesy to always purchase something when you take up space at a coffee shop or fast food joint. Better yet, if you tip well and get to know the baristas, no one will give you the stink eye when you plug your surge protector into the wall and pull out your day’s work.

Furthermore, some places that offer public Wi-Fi limit it to members only. You might have to show proof of a library card in order to use your library’s Wi-Fi, or you may have to be a member of the gym if you want to take advantage of the Internet there. It’s always a good idea to call ahead and see what their policies are before you make a solid plan.

If driving/commuting isn’t an option…

If you’re stuck in a situation where you don’t have Internet at home and your car is out of commission (it’s in the shop or your spouse has it), things get a bit trickier. There are still some options that you can consider, some of which require planning ahead and can’t be used at the last minute.

• Places within walking distance: This one’s pretty easy, but if there’s a coffee shop or library within a reasonable walking distance, feel free to make the trek in order to use the Wi-Fi. It’s certainly not a convenience, but you’ll be getting some healthy exercise in while you’re at it. You can also try your apartment complex’s lobby, clubhouse, or leasing office (if you live in an apartment, that is). Most of these places offer free Wi-Fi in their common areas that’s free for residents, so be sure to check and see if that’s an option. 

• City Wi-Fi: Some cities also offer their own Wi-Fi within city limits that’s open and free to locals and tourists alike. Your location is also a factor in this situation, so if you don’t live within city limits, you most likely won’t get a signal.

• Tethering: If you have a smartphone, you can tether your data connection to your computer, giving you full-blown Internet access through 3G/4G data. This is entirely dependent on your phone’s reception, so if you don’t get a particularly good connection in your house, then tethering probably isn’t going to do much for you. However, if it is an option, there are a few ways to go about it.

The official way to get tethering on your phone and computer is to activate the Wi-Fi hotspot feature in your phone’s settings menu. Each carrier is different when it comes to tethering, so monthly charges may vary, but the average cost is around $20 per month for a couple gigabytes of tethering bandwidth, with bigger plans available for a few dollars more, incrementally.

You can also get a dedicated mobile hotspot from the carrier of your choice. Many of the hotspot devices offered are free after signing a two-year contract, so you only have to pay for the monthly plan. Then again, if you don’t already have a daily use for a mobile hotspot, it’s probably a waste of money, since you’ll only use it if your home Internet is out. This is why just activating it on yoursmartphone when you need it is the best option in this case.

• Freedompop: However, mobile hotspots can still be good for this if you go through a service like Freedompop. It offers a free mobile hotspot (with a deposit), and a free allotment of data. Usually it’s a small amount (starting at around 200MB), but you can earn more by referring friends and such. There are no monthly fees, unless you opt for the rollover option, which costs a few dollars per month and rolls over any data left over from the previous month. Freedompop even offers mobile hotspots specifically for home use. These devices allow for multiple users and the opportunity to earn more data by participating in “partner promotions.” Though it is a good deal, there is some fine print, so make sure to read our explanation of the terms and conditions. 

• Hotspot alternatives: If you’re looking for a mobile hotspot, but don’t like what the major carriers offer, Clear and Karma are two companies that offer good deals on mobile hotspots. Clear has unlimited 4G plans starting at $34 per month, while Karma offers something similar to Freedompop, but it’s a pay-as-you-go platform that costs $14 per 1GB, with no monthly costs.

• Third-party apps: The less ethical way you can tether is using a third-party app through your smartphone, allowing you to bypass the carrier’s monthly charge and tether for free. There are tons of these apps out there, most of which require that you jailbreak or root your iPhone or Android device, but a few apps don’t require any of that. However, apps that don’t require a jailbreak/root usually cost a few dollars, so be aware of that if you plan on taking this route.

• Asking neighbors: If you’re stuck at home with no free Wi-Fi anywhere nearby and you can’t tether, then you’re only option is to suck up to your neighbor and see if you can use their Internet temporarily. If you’ve never met your neighbor, be prepared for them to be a little cautious, but if you explain your situation, they’ll most likely be sympathetic and let you on, depending on how nice they are (and depending on how good the cookies are that you made to bribe them with).

Don’t sweat it too much

Depending on your situation and desperation, it might just be a good idea to embrace the fact that you temporarily don’t have Internet at your house and go do something outside. Of course, some of us need Internet for work or school, but if you’re just looking for an excuse to keep up with your Facebook and Twitter feeds, it might be a good time to re-evaluate your Internet needs and simply take time to smell the roses when the Internet goes down. Go read a book, cook something, or even finish building that model rocket that you’ve been putting off for months.

In the end, there are plenty of options that you can take advantage of if you’re waiting to get Internet hooked up at your house. Depending on how persistent you are, you can get Wi-Fi access if you need to, but there’s no harm in just waiting it out and doing something else in the meantime.

If you do use public Wi-Fi, make sure it’s legitimate and not a fake Wi-Fi network that’s made to steal your personal information. Even if you are on a legitimate public Wi-Fi network, it’s always a good idea to use a VPN to keep your browsing activity safe from lurking eyes