[Tip] Enable “Extensions” Menu Button in Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge Toolbar

Google Chrome web browser’s newer versions come with a secret preference/flag as well as command-line parameter to enable a dedicated menu button for “Extensions” in toolbar. Once you activate the preference or parameter, Google Chrome will add a separate and exclusive “Extensions” button to its toolbar which shows a list of all installed add-ons/extensions in your web browser.

You can manage the extensions right from the new Extensions menu. You can remove the extension from Chrome, customize its options and change its settings. You just need to click on 3-dots menu given next to the extension’s name and you’ll get various options in the menu to manage the extension.

The new “Extensions” menu is a big improvement as in previous versions of Chrome, all installed extensions icons are shown directly in toolbar which wastes valuable space of the toolbar. Although you can hide/move the icons to main Chrome menu but having a dedicated Extensions menu is better.

UPDATE: Some readers have reported that if we enable this new Extensions menu button in toolbar, it automatically hides or removes the annoying “Disable developer mode extensions” (extensions running in developer mode can harm your computer) warning pop-up in Google Chrome.

This new “Extensions” menu is not enabled by default i.e. it’s hidden and interested users need to enable it manually. We told you about this feature in UPDATE 111 in our exclusive Chrome Canary Updates topic when this feature was under development and testing.

If you also want to activate and enable this hidden secret “Extensions” menu button in Google Chrome toolbar, following steps will help you:

METHOD 1: Using chrome://flags Page

1. Open Google Chrome web browser and type chrome://flags/ in addressbar and press Enter. It’ll open the advanced configuration page.

2. Now type toolbar menu in the “Search flags” box.

It’ll directly go to following option:

3. To enable/add Extensions toolbar button, select Enabled from the drop-down box.

4. Google Chrome will ask you to restart the browser. Click on “Relaunch now” button to restart Google Chrome.

That’s it. You have successfully enabled and added new “Extensions” menu button in Google Chrome toolbar.

PS: If you want to disable or remove the Extensions toolbar button in future, select “Default” option from the drop-down box and restart the browser.

METHOD 2: Using Command-line Parameter

1. Right-click on Google Chrome’s or Microsoft Edge’s shortcut (present on desktop, start menu, taskbar, etc) and select Properties.

2. Now add following text at the end of the string present in Target text box:

Remember there must be a blank space between existing text string and the appended string.

3. Click on Apply button and now whenever you’ll launch Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge using this shortcut, you’ll always have new Extensions menu button in toolbar.

PS: In future, if you want to restore default settings and want to remove Extensions menu button from toolbar, remove the –enable-features=ExtensionsToolbarMenu parameter from Chrome’s and Edge’s shortcut properties.

NOTE: If you are already using another “–disable-features” or “–enable-features” parameter in Microsoft Edge shortcut, following article will help you in using more than one “–disable-features” or “–enable-features” parameter in Edge’s properties:

[Tip] How to Use Multiple “–Disable-Features” Parameters in Chrome and Edge Shortcut

BONUS TIP: If you don’t want to create a shortcut to always launch Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge with Extensions menu button but want a way to quickly launch Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge with Extensions menu button whenever you want, you can use following commands in RUN dialog box (WIN+R):

It’ll launch Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge browsers with Extensions menu button whenever you execute this command.