Add-ons, also called “extensions”, are like small programs that extend the browser in its functions. Through add-ons, it is therefore possible to tailor the browser exactly to individual, personal needs and add more functions that are missing. Add-ons are developed independently of the browsers and can be purchased from web stores of the respective browser and then installed. There are shortcuts that can be entered in the address bar to view the add-ons installed in the browser. In Google Chrome’s browser, add-ons are called “extensions”, can be installed via the Chrome Web Store and accessed via the address bar with chrome://extensions. In the Firefox browser, add-ons can be purchased, installed, and accessed via the Mozilla web store by typing “about:addons” in the address bar. In Safari, you can find the add-ons under the menu item Safari – Safari Extensions. In Opera, you can find the add-ons (here “Extensions”) in the add-store, just like in Microsoft Edge. Add-ons can be language translators like Google Translator, ad blockers (e.g. Adblock Plus) or social media tools (e.g. Instagram). Online video call applications also belong to add-ons, such as Skype or Google Hangouts. The distinction between add-ons and plug-ins can be defined as follows: Add-ons are like a subset of plug-ins. In the future, plug-ins will be discontinued more and more and instead only add-ons that have been programmed in accordance with certain standards and security rules and are compatible with standardized API’s will be allowed.
