dark proxyscrape logo

Chrome Proxy Extension –Important Things To Know in 2024

Proxies, Dec-02-20225 mins read
According to backlink.io, there were 2.65 billion active users by the end of 2022, which was a massive increase from 2014’s 1.49 billion users. That is one-third of the world population, which is 7.9 billion people. Google Chrome is essential in gathering data from everyday usage to cutting-edge technologies. For your information, Google launched their browser “Chrome” on September 2nd, 2008. In 2013, Chrome became a dominant player in the browser game by beating Microsoft and Mozilla Firefox.
NOTE: This is not a comparison between the features but their popularity.

Did you know that Chrome was derived from the Chromium browser? That is a browser mainly used to test and automate software. Also another thing to note is that there is a misconception since Chrome is derived from Chromium, it is open-source. That is not true.

Chrome is not an open-source application, but the Chromium browser is open-source. With the Chrome browser, you can integrate software applications known as extensions. In the upcoming sections, we will learn about chrome proxy extensions and how they help you be productive in your work and personal while surfing online.

Feel free to jump to any sections to learn more about chrome proxy extensions

Table of Contents

Chrome Extensions – What Is It?

Chrome extensions are software applications built on web-based technologies, such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. These extensions allow users to customize their browsing for a personalized online surfing experience. The functionality of these extensions remains the same as traditional software.

Still, the difference is that you, as the user, do not need to install software like standard software on their local system, which takes up considerable space. Instead, they add the Chrome browser extension, saving time and playing on your local system.

Still, it is important to note that the installed extension can only be used when working on the Chrome browser, so you cannot use the extensions outside the browser.

Now you have a basic idea of what a chrome extension is and how it works compared to traditional software. As mentioned, one-third of the world’s population is an active user of the Chrome browser, meaning many people carry out their work, such as data transfers, money transactions, software development, and testing, by using personal information through Chrome to carry out the tasks that simplify their life. Since you are using your personal information on the Chrome browser, you need some form of security.

Yes, the Chrome browser does have security features that help you to some extent. But it is better to have more security than be sorry. So, what is the solution? Enter the proxy. In the upcoming sections, we will see what a proxy is and how it helps to protect your personal information.

Proxy Server – What Is It?

A proxy server is an intermediary between you (the client) and the internet (the target server). Instead of routing your internet traffic directly to the target server, it will pass through the proxy server. This rerouting method helps you mask your IP address and makes you anonymous online. This helps prevent cyberattacks and restricts malware from entering your private network.

Whenever you connect your electronic devices, such as mobile phones, laptops, and tablets, to the internet, you will be assigned an IP (Internet Protocol) address. You can think of the IP address as your home address. 

The primary reason for your home address is to identify your location; the IP address has the same function. The IP address allows you to locate the user. When your device integrates with the proxy server, you will be assigned an IP address that resembles a standard IP address. Instead of your original IP address, this proxy IP address will be in place. This process allows you to access geo-restricted content you cannot usually access from your region.

There are ways to take advantage of the proxy server; by coupling with a secure web payment for safe online payment and email protection software, you can monitor the traffic and send the unnecessary traffic or threats directly to spam.

In the upcoming sections, we will see how proxy as a chrome extension helps you to securely surf and work online.

Chrome Proxy Extension – How It Works?

Now that you know what chrome extensions and proxies are, one thing to remember before you jump into a chrome extension proxy is there are majorly two types of proxies. Hardware and software. A hardware proxy is a physical server between you and the internet. The proxy provider usually hosts software proxy by using cloud technology. Typically, you will download the proxy application to your local system and use the cloud’s proxy server feature. NOTE: The mentioned process is applicable for traditional proxy applications.

For a Chrome extension proxy, you will likely rely on cloud technology without needing to install the application on your local system.

Let’s see how to install a proxy application as a chrome extension proxy.

Chrome Extention Proxy- Installation
STEP 1: Open the Chrome browser and ensure it is your default browser. You can easily do this by clicking the “hamburger” button at the top right corner of the browser and going to the settings tab. Once you click that, you will get a drop-down option; select the settings and navigate to the browser settings by choosing the “default browser” tab. From there, you can change your default browser setting option.
STEP 2: Now, on to a Chrome extension proxy. On the Google Search page, type chrome web store and select the first result link. This should take you to the Chrome extension page.
STEP 3: Once you reach the store page, you should see two options: Extension and Themes on the left-hand side. By default, the extension option will be selected. Go to the search bar and search for a proxy extension. NOTE: If you have a specific proxy, you can search it directly.
STEP 4: Once you find the proxy application you are looking for, you can download it from the store and install the extension on your chrome browser. For example, if you search for FoxyProxy in the search bar, you will get the FoxyProxy application. The below image is the representation of the search result in the Chrome extension:
Representation of FoxyProxy Addon

Once you download the proxy extension, it will prompt you to add it to your browser. You can simply click the YES option when you get the prompt.

Now that you know how to add a proxy server to your Chrome browser, the next step is to activate the installed extension on your browser.

STEP 5: Click the “puzzle” icon at the top right corner of the browser window. It will consist of a list of extensions added to your browser. The extension part is divided into two sections.  The first section indicates the number of active extensions at that moment. The second section shows the number of inactive extensions at that moment. If you want to activate any extensions, you must locate the application on the list and click on that application. Most extensions will be automatically activated once you reload the web page.
Now that you have installed and integrated the proxy server web application into your chrome browser let’s move on. There are two types of proxies: hardware and software proxies. For software proxies, the main difference is that you have to download the dedicated software from the proxy provider. But how do you choose the best proxy provider if you are looking for more features from the proxy server?

The Best Proxy Server Available Online:

ProxyScrape is one of the best proxy providers online. You can perform any online tasks without difficulties with three quality proxy services: dedicated datacenter proxies, residential proxies, and premium proxies. So, which is best suitable for chrome proxy extension? It is best to go through the features of the proxy provided by ProxyScrape. A dedicated datacenter proxy is best suited for high-speed online tasks, such as streaming large amounts of data (in terms of size) from various servers for analysis purposes. It is one of the main reasons organizations choose dedicated proxies for transmitting large amounts of data in a short amount of time.

A dedicated datacenter proxy has several features, such as unlimited bandwidth and concurrent connections, dedicated HTTP proxies for easy communication, and IP authentication for more security. With 99.9% uptime, you can rest assured that the dedicated datacenter will always work at any session. Last but not least, ProxyScrape provides excellent customer service and will help you to resolve your issue within 24-48 business hours. 

Next is a residential proxy. Residential is a go-to proxy for every general consumer. The main reason is that the IP address of a residential proxy resembles the IP address provided by ISP. This means getting permission from the target server to access its data will be easier than usual. 

The other feature of ProxyScrape’s residential proxy is a rotating feature. A rotating proxy helps you avoid a permanent ban of your account because your residential proxy dynamically changes your IP address, making it difficult for the target server to check whether you are using a proxy or not. 

Apart from that, the other features of a residential proxy are: unlimited bandwidth, along with concurrent connection, dedicated HTTP/s proxies, proxies at any time session because of 7 million plus proxies in the proxy pool, username and password authentication for more security, and last but not least, the ability to change the country server. You can select your desired server by appending the country code at the username authentication. 

The last one is the premium proxy. Premium proxies are the same as dedicated datacenter proxies. The functionality remains the same. The main difference is the accessibility. In premium proxies, the proxy list (the list that contains proxies) is made available to every user on ProxyScrape’s network. That is why premium proxies cost less than dedicated datacenter proxies. Which is the best proxy for chrome proxy extension? The answer is residential proxies for two reasons: the IPs resemble ISP IPs and the rotating features.
Suggested Reads:

FAQs:

1. Is there an option to use different proxy settings in the Chrome browser?

No, there are no options to change the proxy settings in the Chrome browser. You have to change the settings manually in the local system itself. Navigating through the system settings→Network→ and proxy can give you access to change the proxy settings. NOTE: This is applicable only for software and hardware proxies, not chrome extensions.

2. Which is the best proxy for high-speed tasks?

Dedicated datacenter proxies are best suited for high-speed tasks, such as accessing and streaming high-quality geo-restricted videos.

3. Are all proxies rotating proxies?

No, not all proxies are rotating proxies. Mostly all residential proxies are rotating proxies. Some proxies have sticky sessions, which is different compared to rotating proxies.

Conclusion:

In this article, we have explored the chrome extension and how a proxy as an extension can help you hide your IP address and make you anonymous online. A Chrome proxy extension advanatge is that you don’t have to install third-party software on your local system. Install a proxy extension now and be anonymous online. This article hopes to give enough information on Chrome extension proxy.