The ExpressVPN extension for Chrome works like a remote control for your ExpressVPN app—the best VPN for a safe and secure browsing experience—making it easy for you to connect, disconnect, change locations, and modify other settings right from your toolbar. But that’s not the only benefit.

The extension also offers additional privacy and security features like WebRTC blocking and location spoofing, to secure your Chrome browser beyond what any VPN can offer alone. If you encounter an error while trying to stream videos or access blocked sites on your browser, for example, using the extension will often fix the problem.

You already get the privacy and security benefits of a VPN on Chrome if you connect to ExpressVPN on your device via the apps for Mac, Windows, and Linux. But to enjoy the added benefits of the browser extension (like WebRTC blocking, location spoofing, and HTTPS Everywhere), follow these steps:

1. Subscribe to ExpressVPN if you haven’t already.

2. Download the ExpressVPN browser extension for Chrome.

3. Click the ExpressVPN extension icon and click the On Button to connect.

Although there are free VPNs and proxy services available for Chrome, they are not recommended as they do not offer the same privacy and security benefits of paid VPN. Many do not work as advertised, some may even sell your data, and most will leave your networks vulnerable to attack.

Read more about free proxy services vs. VPNs.

Chrome does not come with its own VPN. To get a VPN on your Chrome browser, download a VPN extension. ExpressVPN’s extension works as a remote control for the ExpressVPN app, so when you turn it on in Chrome, all the traffic on your device is protected, not just your Chrome activity.

ExpressVPN’s extension comes with numerous security benefits while you browse with Chrome, such as automatically taking you to a webpage’s more secure HTTPS version if available and preventing sites from discovering your true IP address and location.

The extension controls and enhances your ExpressVPN app, but it is not a replacement for it. The app must be installed and running for the extension to work.

The ExpressVPN browser extension is unique in that it controls the full-featured VPN app. That means all of your online activity is protected by the VPN, not just what passes through your browser.

Your browser history is typically stored inside your browser. Using a VPN will not change this. But you can clear browsing data in Chrome.

Your browsing history might also be inferred by others monitoring your internet connection, such as your internet service provider or Wi-Fi operator. ExpressVPN encrypts all data between your device and the ExpressVPN servers, making it impossible for an ISP or rogue Wi-Fi to record the sites you visit.

Note that browser history is not the same as search history. If you are logged in to Google and using its search engine, those searches will be recorded even if you are using a VPN. (Learn how to delete your Google search history.)