Browser extensions (also called add-ons or plug-ins) can add useful features to your web browser. You can use a plug-in for pinning things to a Pinterest board, or for clipping items to an Evernote account. 

However, it is always a good idea to keep their numbers trimmed down. Having a lot of plug-ins installed means more work for your browser to do, as well as opening pages.

The best way to prevent an excessive amount of plug-ins from building up is to limit them to the ones you use regularly. Uninstalling may be best, but if you don’t want to uninstall a plug-in, you can usually disable it. This will keep the plug-in installed, without taking up memory.

Disable Extensions in Google Chrome

Plug-ins are called extensions in Chrome. To manage extensions, click the menu icon then Settings. In the tab that opens, choose Extensions from the left-hand side. To disable an extension, untick the Enable tickbox next to the extension you want to disable.

To uninstall an extension, click on the dustbin icon to the right of the Enable tickbox. Click Remove.

Disable plug-ins in Internet Explorer

To disable plug-ins in Internet Explorer, click Tools in the menu bar, or press Alt + T. Select Manage add-ons. In the window that opens, you will be able to select the add-on you want, then click Disable.