Can I Install Extensions on Phone Browsers?

Most phone browsers still do not let you install extensions, but the situation has shifted over the past year. A handful of mobile browsers, including Microsoft Edge for Android, now run a working extension store.

Yandex, Brave, Quetta, and Lemur still install Chrome Web Store add-ons directly on the phone. If you tapped Add to Chrome on a phone and nothing happened, that is by design: Google now routes that button to a paired desktop.

In this guide, I have covered:

Can You Install Extensions on Phone Browsers?

Most phone browsers still do not let you install extensions, but the situation has shifted over the past year. A handful of mobile browsers, including Microsoft Edge for Android, now run a working extension store. Yandex, Brave, Quetta, and Lemur still install Chrome Web Store add-ons directly on the phone.

If you came here because you tapped “Add to Chrome” on the Chrome Web Store from your phone and nothing happened, that is by design. Google now turns that button into a “Send to Desktop” link on mobile Chrome, so the extension is installed on a paired desktop browser instead of your phone.

Note: Extensions written for the desktop version of a browser sometimes misbehave on a phone. Toolbars, sidebars, and context-menu entries are common trouble spots. Test the extension on a non-essential site before relying on it.

Browser Test Results on Android

We followed the same procedure on the Android version of every major browser: open the Chrome Web Store, open an extension’s details page, and try to install it on the phone itself.

• Google Chrome for Android: Cannot install. The install button reads “Add to Desktop.”
• Mozilla Firefox for Android: Not a Chromium-based browser. Uses its own add-on system.
• Microsoft Edge for Android: Can install extensions from a curated in-app store
• Opera for Android: Cannot install extensions
• Samsung Internet: Cannot install extensions
• Kiwi Browser: Discontinued by the developer in early 2025
• Yandex Browser: Can install Chrome Web Store extensions directly
• Brave for Android: Can install many Chrome Web Store extensions
• Quetta Browser: Can install Chrome Web Store extensions
• Lemur Browser: Can install Chrome and Edge extensions

RELATED: How to Install Chrome Web Store Extensions in Microsoft Edge

What Happens When You Tap “Add to Chrome” on a Phone

Google changed the Chrome Web Store behavior on mobile Chrome. When you open an extension page, the blue button no longer reads “Add to Chrome.” It reads “Add to Desktop,” and tapping it sends the extension to any desktop Chrome signed in to the same Google account. Google’s Chrome Web Store help page documents this as the intended flow.

To test whether a phone browser can install extensions locally, check what the button says:

1. Open the Chromium-based browser on your phone.
2. Visit the Chrome Web Store extensions category.
3. Tap any extension to open its details page.
4. Look at the install button. If it says Add to Desktop, the extension is being sent to a paired desktop, not the phone. If it says Add to Chrome or Install, the phone browser actually supports the extension.

The label on the install button is the clearest signal that a phone browser can run Chrome extensions locally.

How to Install Extensions in Microsoft Edge for Android

Microsoft started shipping an extension store inside Edge for Android in 2024, and the catalog has grown since. The stable channel now has a curated list of around 20 add-ons, covering ad blockers, password managers, and translation tools.

To install an extension in the stable release of Edge for Android:

1. Open Microsoft Edge on your Android phone.
2. Tap the More menu and pick Extensions. If the menu item is missing, update Edge from the Play Store first.
3. Browse the curated store or use the search box at the top.
4. Tap the extension you want, then tap Add or Get.
5. Accept the permission prompt. The extension icon appears next to the address bar or inside the Extensions menu.

TIP: Tip: For a wider catalog, switch to Edge Canary and enable the Android Extensions Search flag at edge://flags. Once the flag is on, the in-browser extension store lists the full Windows 11 desktop catalog. Not every extension is fully functional on a phone, so test before relying on it.

If you also use Edge on a computer, the desktop flow is covered in our Edge desktop extension guide. The Android store is separate and mobile-friendly.

If you are already customizing Edge on Android, you may want to add a site shortcut link to the phone screen too.

How to Install Chrome Extensions in Yandex Browser on Android

Yandex Browser is the only mainstream mobile browser that still installs Chrome Web Store extensions exactly the way the original article described. The process is direct, with no flag to enable first.

1. Install Yandex Browser from the Google Play Store.
2. Open the Chrome Web Store inside Yandex.
3. Tap any extension to open its details page.
4. Tap the Add to Chrome button. Yandex shows a confirmation popup.
5. Confirm the install. The extension shows up in Yandex's settings under Extensions.

Heavy extensions can slow Yandex on mid-range phones. Disable anything you do not actively use.

How to Install Chrome Extensions in Brave on Android

After the original Kiwi Browser project wound down in early 2025, its extension engine was folded into Brave for Android. The catalog is smaller than desktop Chrome’s, but most productivity and ad-blocking extensions work.

1. Install Brave from the Play Store and open it.
2. Tap the More menu and open Settings.
3. Scroll to Extensions and toggle the feature on.
4. Use the Get extensions button inside Brave to browse the supported catalog.
5. Tap Add to Brave on any listing. Accept the permissions prompt.

Ad blockers, dark-mode helpers, and tools like the auto-refresh extensions covered in our guide tend to run reliably on a phone.

Which Extensions Actually Work on a Phone

Even on a phone browser that supports extensions, not every Chrome Web Store listing behaves the same. The categories that tend to work well are:

• Ad and tracker blockers (uBlock Origin, AdGuard)
• Reader-mode and translation add-ons
• Password managers that work as a fill-in helper
• Custom new tab and dark-mode tools

Extensions built around wide layouts, tab managers, screenshot tools with side panels, and full-page note takers usually run but the layout breaks. Performance-focused tools like the cookie-banner dismissers in our guide are a good fit because they touch the page quietly and never need a visible UI.

Note: If a phone browser is on the latest version and the extension still refuses to install, the developer may have flagged the extension as “desktop only.” That is a hard block, and there is no workaround from the user side.

Bottom Line

If you are on stock Chrome for Android or iPhone, you cannot install extensions directly on the phone. That is by design, and the Chrome Web Store’s “Add to Desktop” button makes it clear. Microsoft Edge for Android is the easiest mainstream option today, with Yandex, Brave, Quetta, and Lemur as the main alternatives.

iPhone and iPad users do not have a comparable option in any browser because of App Store rules. Safari blocks third-party Chrome extensions on iOS, and the only installed extensions are the ones you build through Apple’s own extension system. Our Safari iPhone extension guide covers the actual rules in more detail.

For most people, the practical answer is to use a phone browser with extension support when you really need an ad blocker or a page-tweaking tool, and use desktop Chrome or Edge for everything else.