Chrome: Google is adding a Permissions Tab to the Extensions Menu

Google Chrome displays an extension icon in its toolbar that lists all installed and enabled browser extensions. The menu will soon feature a permissions tab to give users control over site access permissions.

The extensions menu lists the installed and enabled extensions by default. Users may pin these to display their icons on the Chrome toolbar, or manage them from the extensions menu instead. The main purpose of the extensions icon is to make things more orderly on the toolbar.

A click on the extensions icon displays the extensions and two icons next to each. The pin icon toggles the display of the extension icon on the Chrome toolbar, the three dots menu displays links to settings, options to remove the extension and also some actions if available.

Tip: find out how to determine if Chrome extensions are safe.

The new extensions menu displays the tabs permissions and installed. You find everything that is currently available under installed. Permissions is new and a click on the tab displays all installed extensions and their rights to read and change data on the active site. Three states are currently supported: always, always on all sites, and when I click the extension.

Some extensions may require a specific permission setting; this is the case for content blockers or other extensions that become active on page load. Other extensions may not need access to all sites all the time; this can be the case for translation extensions or extensions that help you look up information.

Permissions can be changed using the new menu. Google seems to focus the permissions tab to read and write access only. Extensions may request other permissions, but these are not listed currently.

The new permissions menu is in testing currently. Chrome users who run the Canary version may enable it in the following way:

1. Load chrome://flags/#extensions-menu-access-control in the browser's address bar.
2. Set the state of the preference to Enabled.
3. Restart Chrome

Please note that the flag is available in stable versions of Chrome, but the full functionality is not yet implemented.

The read and write permission for each extension can be managed from the extensions menu from that moment on. Chrome users may access the setting on the extensions page in the Chrome browser as well currently. The new option improves the visibility of the option to users.

Now You: do you modify the read and write access permission of extensions? (via Techdows)

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