1. File Extension Crx Google Chrome
2. Chrome Crx File
3. Chrome Add Crx

I am trying to install a free extension in Google Chrome, but whenever I click 'Add To Chrome', I am asked to sign in to a Google account. This has never happened before, and I do not want to use an account just to install an extension. This problem is occurring for all extensions. How can I install extensions without signing in?

How To Install Google Chrome [CRX] Extensions. Choose Properties in the target field add --enable-extensions. Just drag and drop the CRX file in. Jan 18, 2017  A few years ago, you could simply install an extension from a developer's site without any hassle. Last year, you needed only to enable Developer mode before installing a CRX.

2 Answers

You now seem to need sign in to a Google account to install any extensions/add-ons from Chrome Web Store.

But you can still install an extension without logging in to a Google account by doing the following:

1. Find the ID for the extension you want to install. You can see it in the URL on in Chrome Web Store.

   For example Adblock Plus extension has an URL like:

   The ID we want is the long string of random characters like cfhdojbkjhnklbpkdaibdccddilifddb in the URL above.

2. Download the extension package, a .crx file.

   You can do this by using this URL with the <ID> part replaced by the ID from above:

   For the Adblock Plus .crxthe URL would be:

   You will get a warning about that extensions cannot be added from this site, but you can ignore that, the .crx will be downloaded anyway.

3. Go to your extensions page in Google Chrome. You can find it in the Tools -> Extensions menu or by using the following URL:

4. Drag and drop the downloaded extension .crx file you just downloaded in to this window to install it.

And you're done.

You could also use helpers like Chrome Extension Downloader to download the .crx file.

Here is the announcement about locking installation of Chrome extensions so that they can only be installed via the chrome store: https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/chrome/d35tIyH8dVM%5B1-25-false%5D

They also say:

What if I want to run non-web store extensions? Advanced users can continue to use our Dev & Canary channels to run any extension. Please note that these channels are updated very regularly, and may contain features and bug fixes that are actively being developed.

The easiest way around is to just not use the Chrome Web Store, or just don't use Chrome.

Chrome is completely useless for me if I can't install extensions. I will not create a google account just so I can download from the chrome store. This looks much more like forcing millions of Chrome users to create google accounts than actually do anything about security.

protected by Community♦Apr 16 '14 at 12:42

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Besides the minimal user interface, the extensions are another reason why many people use the Chrome browser. To install a Chrome extension all you have to do is visit the extension page and click on the “Add to Chrome” button. However, this approach doesn’t allow you to save the chrome extension as a CRX file. Sometimes you may want to download the extension file so that you can install the extension even if it is not available in the Chrome store, see and analyze how the extension actually works, etc. No matter what the reason is, if you ever want to download and save a Chrome extension as a CRX file, here is how to do it.

Generally there are three different ways to download the Chrome extensions. I will show you all three ways; just follow the one that you are most comfortable with.

1. Pack the Extension After Installing

If you’ve already installed the extension that you want to download, you can just repack the extension into a CRX file. Before you do anything you need to know the Extension ID of the extension you want to download. Since you’ve already installed the extension, you can get the extension ID directly from the Chrome extensions settings page.

To start, click on the menu icon, and select the “Extensions” option from the “More tools” options.

The above action will open the Extensions page. Select the “Developer mode” checkbox, scroll down, find the extension you want to repack and note the extension ID.

File Extension Crx Google Chrome

Once you have the extension ID, press “Win + E,” and navigate to the following location in the File Explorer:

Don’t forget to replace “<Username>” with your actual username. Find the folder with the extension ID, and copy it to your desktop.

Note: if you are using other operating systems like macOS (usually inside ~/Library/Application Support/ folder) or Linux (usually inside ~/.config/ folder), you need to find the relevant application folder.

Back on the extensions page, click on the “Pack extension” button.

This action will open a pop-up. Simply click on the “Browse” button.

In the Browse window, find the folder you copied earlier, expand it, select the folder with the version number and click on the “OK” button.

Click on the “Pack Extension” button. You can just ignore the Private Key field.

With the above instructions, you’ve successfully created the CRX file. In fact, if you open the extension folder on your desktop, you will see your CRX file.

2. Download Using A Special Google URL

If you don’t like the long procedure of packing the extension yourself, then you can simply download it using a special extension download URL and the extension ID. Just like in the previous method, you can copy the extension ID from the Extensions page.

Chrome Crx File

Chrome Add Crx

If you haven’t already installed the extension ID, then visit the official extension download page and copy the extension ID. Usually, the extension ID is the last part of the URL.

Once you have the extension ID, execute the below URL in another browser like Firefox, Edge or Opera while replacing “<Extension_ID>” with the actual extension ID. If you execute the URL in the Chrome browser, it will not allow you to download the extension.

As soon as you execute the URL, you should have the CRX file on your desktop. Accept the download prompt to complete the download procedure.

3. Using Chrome Extension Downloader

If you don’t want to go through all the hassle, then you can simply use the Chrome Extension Downloader service. Just visit the website, enter the URL or the extension ID of the Chrome extension you want to download and click on the “Download” button. In my case, I’ve entered the extension ID.

You may receive a warning message if you are downloading in Chrome. Just click on the “Keep” button.

Do comment below sharing your thoughts and experiences about using the above methods to download the Chrome extensions.