Minimalist new tab extensions for Chrome: what to look for, and a daily puzzle

You open a new tab dozens of times a day, and Chrome's default page is a search box, a row of shortcuts and, depending on your settings, a feed of articles you didn't ask for. A new tab extension replaces that page. The popular ones go big: wallpapers, to-do lists, weather, bookmarks, quotes. A minimalist one does the opposite and keeps the page fast and quiet. Here's what to look for, the privacy questions to ask, and the one we built.

What a good minimalist new tab extension does

• Loads instantly. No network request should stand between you and a usable search box. Everything on the page should come from the extension itself.
• Keeps your search engine. Chrome lets new tab extensions use your default search engine; a well-behaved one does, rather than routing your searches through its own provider.
• Has one idea. A clock, a focus prompt, a daily puzzle: something useful you can take in at a glance and ignore when you're busy.
• Follows light and dark mode so a new tab at night doesn't flash white.
• Is easy to undo. You should be able to get Chrome's normal new tab back in one click.

The privacy check

Because a new tab extension runs every time you open a tab, look at two things on its Chrome Web Store page before you install it:

1. Permissions. A new tab page doesn't need "Read and change all your data on all websites". If an extension asks for that just to show a clock, skip it.
2. Privacy practices. The listing's privacy section says what the developer collects. "This developer declares that your data is not collected or used" is what you want to see. Watch for search hijacking too: if your searches suddenly go through an unfamiliar engine, remove the extension.

Mind Skills Daily Puzzle Tab: one quick puzzle per tab

We made Mind Skills Daily Puzzle Tab for people who like the idea of a brain game but won't open a game app. It replaces the new tab page with a calm page: a large clock and today's date, a search box that uses your browser's own default search engine, and one original puzzle a day, the same for everyone, with your daily streak and best streak.

• Binary Grid: fill a 6×6 grid with 0s and 1s; no three alike in a row, equal 0s and 1s in every line. Always solvable by logic.
• Lights Out: each tap flips a light and its neighbours; turn them all off, ideally within par.
• Number Series: find the rule and pick the next number.

Most puzzles take one to three minutes. There are no ads, pop-ups or accounts, it works offline and collects no data; your streak stays in your browser. You can hide the puzzle and keep just the clock and search, and switch your normal new tab back on from its settings at any time.

Other ways to keep a new tab minimal

• Turn off Chrome's feed: on the new tab page, click Customize Chrome and switch off the cards and shortcuts you don't use.
• Use a blank page: some extensions show an empty page in your theme colour, which is as minimal as it gets.
• Open a site you choose: Chrome's "On startup" setting opens a page when the browser starts, but new tabs still need an extension to change.

One more small extension worth having

If you keep downloading WebP pictures that nothing will open, our free Pixel Porter extension adds "Save image as JPG, PNG or WebP" to Chrome's right-click menu and converts on your device. The full story is in our image downloader extension guide, and all our extensions are on the browser extensions page. Prefer to play in a bigger window? There are 100+ free brain games at mindskillsarcade.com.