Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

NordVPN Chrome Extension: What is it, and how to use it

Jennifer Allen
By

If you’ve just signed up to the best VPN out there — NordVPN — you want to know how to use it effectively. One of the simplest methods of using it is to install the NordVPN Chrome extension to your web browser so that you get all the benefits of a VPN without having to think twice about setting it up.

If you have no idea where to start, read on while we take you through everything you need to know about the NordVPN Chrome extension and how to get started with it.

Recommended Videos

What is the NordVPN Chrome extension?

NordVPN running on a MacBook Pro.
NordVPN

The NordVPN Chrome extension is NordVPN’s way of making everything very simple. By adding it to Google Chrome, you get safe browsing with no slowdown while using your favorite web browser without needing to do anything complicated.

Related

It takes moments to set up the Chrome extension VPN and it works on Windows, Mac, Linux, and Chromebook devices so everyone is protected.

The NordVPN extension blocks ads and malicious sites with CyberSec security. It also secures your IP by disabling the WebRTC protocol so no one can spy on what you’re doing online. There are no bandwidth limits or speed issues, so your browsing goes just as smoothly as before.

Via the Chrome extension, NordVPN connects you to the ideal server that is currently available to keep you safe but speedy.

Is the NordVPN Chrome extension free?

Is NordVPN free? No, unfortunately not. That’s a similar story for the NordVPN Chrome extension which is also not free.

While it is possible to download the NordVPN extension from the Google Chrome web store for free, you still need a NordVPN subscription to be able to use it.

It’s possible to sign up for NordVPN on a monthly or yearly basis with substantial discounts available on annual plans. There’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee if you simply want to try the service out for a short period of time. There’s no need to sign up before downloading the extension either as you can sign up via it instead.

How to install the NordVPN Chrome extension

Installing the NordVPN Chrome extension is pretty simple and nearly identical to installing other extensions.

Go to the Google Chrome Web Store to find the extension. Click Add to Chrome to install it.

Once it is installed, the NordVPN logo will appear in the upper right corner of your browser. Click on it then click on Login to enter your details.

From there, click Quick Connect to connect to what NordVPN considers to be the fastest server available at that time. Alternatively, you can click Search for a Specific Country if you need to choose a certain country’s servers.

It’s also possible to change settings such as disabling the automatic ad blocker. To do so, click the gear logo in the upper right corner of the extension.

Any time you’re connected to the VPN, a green light is displayed in the top right corner too. To disconnect, simply click Disconnect to switch off your VPN connection.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Jennifer Allen
Jennifer Allen
Deals Writer
Jennifer Allen is a technology writer with over 10 years of experience. She primarily writes about the best deals coverage…
How does RingCentral work? Everything you need to know
An image showing RingCentral in use on a smartphone.

Virtually every company does at least some of its business online nowadays, and if yours is among them, then you need a communications solution made for the digital age. The best way to streamline your communications is with a voice over internet protocol package, and if you're looking for the best VoIP service, then look no further than RingCentral. Of course, you shouldn't hand over your hard-earned cash without understanding what you're paying for, but since VoIP can get pretty technical, we've put together a brief explainer on how RingCentral works and how it can help your business.

What is RingCentral?

Read more
The best Chrome VPN extensions for 2022
Google Chrome opened on a laptop.

Chrome VPN extensions come in many shapes and forms, from the best free VPNs to paid subscriptions to ones that include adblocking and other services. Installing a Chrome VPN extension is the more condensed and compressed alternative to downloading the client developed by the company. Instead of having to open up the program, turning on your VPN, making sure all the settings are correct, then opening your browser, you can have all that at the switch of a button in Chrome. The best VPNs, including the best VPN extensions for Chrome, can give you the protection, speed, and anonymity you need, all while being extremely easy to use.

There are a lot of choices on the market and it can be tough to differentiate between the good Chrome VPN extensions and the bad ones. Luckily, the Digital Trends team has gone through extensive research and testing to analyze the best VPN extensions for Chrome and which ones we recommend you download.
1. NordVPN

Read more
ExpressVPN server list: An overview of supported regions
ExpressVPN displayed on a MacBook.

A virtual private network, or VPN, is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to protect yourself from cybercriminals, data snoops, and other threats you're likely to encounter online. One might say that a VPN is an essential tool for privacy-conscious individuals living in a digital age rife with surveillance and censorship, but the benefits of using a VPN also extend to things like bypassing region-based content restrictions. Virtual private networks aren't all the same, however. Each one utilizes a different set of security protocols, features, and servers. Server selection is something that gets touted a lot, but there's more to this than you might think. Here's the scoop on one of our favorites, ExpressVPN
.

ExpressVPN ranks high among the best VPN services thanks to its great connection speeds (it's one of the best VPNs for streaming), compatibility with pretty much all modern internet-connected devices, solid security protocols, and great features like split tunneling that lets you decide which of your online activities you want to route through your VPN and which you don't. ExpressVPN also operates more than 3,000 servers operating in 160 locations across more than 90 countries around the world. This is nice to see, but it's also worth examining a bit further so you can get a better understanding of how a VPN operates "under the hood."

Read more