In Chrome, install a VPN extension from the Chrome Web Store, check its permissions and enable the connection via its icon. In Edge, the Microsoft Edge Add-ons store or an extension from the Chrome store will do. Such an add-on typically changes the browser's proxy settings: it routes web requests through an intermediary server. It does not, however, protect other applications on the device in this way.
What the extension changes in the browser
A virtual private network (VPN) creates a secure network connection. An add-on bearing that name often works as a proxy: the intermediary server requests the website on your behalf, and the site sees the server's address.
To manage Chrome's proxy, the extension needs the proxy permission. In a single-server configuration, singleProxy, HTTP (hypertext transfer protocol) requests and their secure variant (HTTPS) go through it. Other traffic may go directly. Encryption of the segment from the browser to the proxy depends on the connection scheme chosen by the developer; the word "VPN" on the listing card does not guarantee it. These capabilities are described in the Chrome documentation.
To connect other programs, consider how an extension differs from a VPN application. Here we are configuring a specific browser.
How to add an extension in Chrome and Edge
The instructions are for the browser on a computer. Start in a normal window of your profile: Chrome does not allow extensions to be installed in incognito or guest mode.
| Action | Google Chrome | Microsoft Edge |
|---|---|---|
| Choose a store | Chrome Web Store | Microsoft Edge Add-ons or Chrome Web Store |
| Allow the other store | Not required for the Chrome Web Store | For the Chrome store, enable the permission for extensions from other stores |
| Remove the add-on | Icon menu → "Remove from Chrome" | Icon menu → "Remove from Microsoft Edge" |
Installing in Chrome
- Choose an extension: open its listing in the Chrome Web Store. Verify the developer and their website. Presence in the store does not prove the operator's trustworthiness.
- Check the permissions: click "Add to Chrome" and read the browser's prompt.
- Confirm the installation: click "Add extension". Open the add-on via the extensions button next to the address bar.
- Enable the connection: sign in if required and press the connect button. Installation alone does not establish the connection.
The installation procedure and access management are described in Google's help documentation.
Installing in Edge
- Open the store: click the extensions button and select the option for getting extensions for Microsoft Edge.
- Choose an add-on: in Microsoft Edge Add-ons, click "Get", read the permissions and confirm with "Add extension".
- Connect: open the icon of the installed add-on and enable the connection following its instructions.
An extension from the Chrome Web Store also works in Microsoft Edge if it is compatible with it. Open the Chrome store in Edge, allow extensions from other stores and confirm the installation. The method is described in Microsoft's help documentation; compatibility of all features of a particular add-on is not guaranteed.
Edge's built-in secure network is a separate feature. Its settings are described in the article on browsers with a built-in VPN.
Which permissions to grant
Open the add-on's details in the extension management page. Site access determines where it can read or modify pages. The proxy permission operates separately: restricting content access does not define the list of sites for the VPN.
| Site access | What you are allowing | When to choose it |
|---|---|---|
| On click | Access to the current site after your action | For features you trigger manually |
| On specific sites | Access on the sites you specify | When the add-on's features are needed only there |
| On all sites | Access on all supported pages | When the developer explains that such access is necessary for the desired feature |
Grant access to all sites only when the need is clear. The wording of the options depends on the version and interface language.
How to verify the connection and restore access to sites
A "connected" icon is the extension's own report. Verify the result from the browser's side.
- Check the active settings: in Chrome, type
chrome://net-internals/#proxyinto the address bar. Compare the active settings with the original ones. This internal tool may change between versions. - Check the address: compare the internet protocol (IP) address that the site sees before and after connecting. Follow the guide on how to check your IP after installing an extension.
- Rule out conflicts: keep only one proxy extension enabled. Settings are also affected by organisational policy, launch parameters and system configuration. The most recently installed add-on does not necessarily gain control.
If sites stop opening, disable the add-on in the extension management page and reload the page. If access returns, check the server and the add-on's settings, or remove it via the icon menu. If not, check the other sources of proxy settings.
Frequently asked questions
Why doesn't the extension work in incognito?
To run in incognito, it needs a separate permission. In Chrome, open the extension's details and enable "Allow in incognito"; in Edge, check the extension's permission for private windows. Note that private windows may inherit the proxy settings of the normal profile, so the absence of the add-on's icon does not prove a direct connection.
Why do some sites see my regular IP?
A site may fall within the bypassList exceptions and open directly. Another cause is a failure to load the proxy auto-configuration (PAC) file, which defines the routing rules. On such a failure, Chrome usually falls back to a direct DIRECT connection; the exception is a configuration with a mandatory PAC, in which a connection error occurs.
What if my company prohibits extensions?
Ask the administrator for an approved way to connect. Do not circumvent the restrictions of your work browser: organisational policy may block installation or manage the proxy independently of the add-on. For personal connections, use your own device.
What you should end up with after configuration
After installation, check the permissions, enable the connection and compare the IP that sites see. In Chrome, additionally inspect the active proxy; check private windows separately. The result applies to the browser requests you have verified: excluded sites may open directly, and other applications require a separate connection (for example, via a compatible client with a CitadelVPN key).