Google Removes My Daily Chrome Extension—Here’s the Reliable Replacement

Published Mar 27, 2026, 7:00 AM EDT

Christine has been covering the consumer tech space for the last 20+ years - yes, before the iPhone was even invented! She has reviewed dozens of headphones and wireless earbuds, portable Bluetooth speakers, wearables, and more.

For the last 12+ years, she has also covered entertainment, writing in-depth TV show reviews and features for sites like WiFi HiFi, Movieweb, Collider, and CBR. If you're looking for a TV show recommendation, she'll be happy to oblige!

She earned a Bachelor of Arts with Honors degree with a Double Major in Communications and Psychology from York University in her hometown of Toronto, Ontario Canada. Christine started her career working a tech business magazine, working her way up to editor. She switched to freelance in 2014.

When she's not working (which is rare!), Christine loves to spend time with her family and friends, and relax in front of the TV with a glass of wine and a hot new show, which is kind of still work! Follow her on Instagram and X at @christineTechCA.

Google Chrome extensions are useful software add-ons that help customize the use of your Google Chrome browser, and I use several of them. I have one for converting to Adobe PDF files, one for taking a full-screen capture of a webpage, Cisco Webex, and one for editing an article on a website I work with. There are even Chrome extensions that help with your Gemini workflow. But the one I used most often has simplistic yet extremely useful functionality, and it has recently disappeared.

The Save Image as JPG extension, which allows you to pull an image from a website to save it to your local drive, has been blocked for a very specific reason. It was useful because if you simply choose "Save Image" when grabbing an image, Google Chrome will automatically save the image as a .webp file. This is a raster image format Google developed that provides great compression and thus smaller file sizes. But it isn't recognized in photo editing tools like Photoshop and can't be uploaded to many websites. This means once you save, you'll need to convert your photo to another file type, adding another step to the process and requiring more software to do so. Thankfully, I have found a simple workaround in the form of a different extension that's just as easy to use.

Related

Switch to Save Image as PNG

Keep going as usual

The simple solution is to use the Save Image as PNG Chrome extension, available from the Chrome Web Store. It works identically to the Save Image as JPG extension, allowing you to right-click and select it in the menu when you hover over an image, then save the file as a PNG just as you previously saved it as a JPG. Most sites or other software you use that recognizes JPGs will also likely also recognize PNG files. Or you can easily then convert the PNG file to a JPG file. That adds another step to the process, but it's something you can do easily in a program like Photoshop before working on the file. This has become one of the Chrome extensions I always keep installed now that I can no longer use the Save Image as JPG extension.

JPG files are generally preferred, especially if you're doing something like uploading to a website. They have a smaller file size than PNG files since they are more compressed (though not as compressed as a WebP file), which won't result in slow website load times. PNG files are of higher quality and better for detailed graphics. You can also remove backgrounds from them. But both are ideal for digital images.

Why Save as JPG is gone

It's for your safety

Why did Google remove the seemingly innocuous Save Image as JPG extension? While it seems harmless, there's a reason Google removed it. And while there are some Chrome extensions you might not miss if you stop using them, this wasn't one of them for me. Reportedly, it was disabled because of potential malware. Some users reported seeing an alert advising them of this, a few noting more than a year ago that Microsoft Edge removed it. The belief is that the malware was designed to modify Amazon and Best Buy affiliate links. The extension was reportedly used by more than a million people before it was disabled.

The good news is that the malware purportedly only impacted affiliate links, so it will not have stolen any personal information or infected your computer if you used it. It was all about taking commission from affiliate links. Redditor AdamConwayIE claimed that the extension would "load a site in that hidden iFrame with the affiliate code, and this would replace an existing one in your browser." So, while the beloved extension that had a 4.2-star rating from more than 1,700 happy reviewers might not have been as widely used as others, for those like me who used it, it is sorely missed.

Chrome extensions are useful

Find the right one for you

While some believe there are Chrome features that make extensions unnecessary, this was one that I used often, and I'll continue to use Save Image as PNG just as much. With this workaround, I haven't felt a disruption in my workflow. Typically, when I am pulling an image from a website (always one without copyright that is approved for use), I edit it somehow in Photoshop before using it for my purposes. In this instance, I resave it anyway with a different file name. So being able to switch the file type tab from PNG to JPG is not a big deal. But only being able to save as WebP files and then not being able to open them anywhere was a disruption to my workflow. It's irritating even for personal use, like when you want to save and send an image of a funny meme or item of clothing to a friend. You could always take a screenshot, but Save as PNG, and formerly Save as JPG, allowed for a cleaner image off the bat, no cropping needed.

With this replacement Chrome extension, I can continue as usual without worry. It's unclear if Google will ever bring back the Save Image as JPG extension. For now, this is your best workaround. The extension works the same way. If you're like me, it will probably save you a ton of time, headaches, and frustration.

The Google Chrome browser is widely used for laptops, including both PCs and MacBooks. Along with tons of built-in features, you can download extensions to personalize the experience and simplify your workflow.