The Unwanted Add-ons
Google Chrome’s synchronization feature is incredibly robust. If you log into Chrome on your work computer with your Google Account, it can sync your bookmarks, history, and passwords. It also syncs your browser extensions. By default, if you install a heavy ad-blocker or a specialized developer tool on your powerful home desktop, Chrome will automatically download and install that exact same extension on your low-powered work laptop the next time you open it. This automatic syncing of extensions can cause severe performance issues on weaker hardware and potentially violate corporate IT policies by installing unapproved third-party software.
Decoupling the Ecosystem
To maintain separate browser environments and stop Google Chrome from automatically syncing and installing extensions across all your signed-in devices, you must customize your sync preferences.
Click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner of the browser window and select Settings. In the left-hand navigation sidebar, click on You and Google. In the main right-hand panel, click on the first option: Sync and Google services. On the next screen, click on Manage what you sync. By default, this is set to “Sync everything.” You must click the radio button next to Customize sync to unlock the individual toggles below. Scroll down the list of syncable data types and locate Extensions. Click the blue toggle switch next to Extensions to turn it Off (it will turn grey). Chrome will no longer push new extensions to this device, nor send extensions installed here to your other computers.