Google no longer allows you to install unofficial Chrome extensions

I’ve got bad news for any of you who’re using Chrome extensions that aren’t hosted on the official Chrome Web Store, Google will now prevent these extensions from loading for Mac and Windows users in order to prevent people from accidentally installing malware. 

In a bid to protect people from accidentally installing malware, Google is blocking Windows and Mac users from loading Chrome extensions not hosted on the official Chrome Web Store. The company first introduced this policy for Windows users in May last year, but left it open for people using the developer version of Chrome (a more experimental version of the browser that’s updated more frequently) to install extensions from wherever they liked. This, says Google, led to problems, with hackers forcing people to use the developer version of the browser before tricking them into installing malware. “Affected users are left with malicious extensions running on a Chrome channel they did not choose,” said extensions manager Jake Leichtling in a blog post.