Open in Sidebar

Drop any link to the sidebar for dual-pane access

Open in Sidebar is a powerful Chrome extension designed to enhance your browsing experience by enabling dual-pane access. It allows you to load any webpage within a convenient sidebar, letting you browse web content while reading or working without switching tabs. With a simple click or a customizable keyboard shortcut, you can activate the sidebar, drag and drop links, or use its built-in address bar for effortless navigation.

This extension boosts productivity by letting you open online tools such as text editors or dictionaries alongside your main content. Its intuitive interface includes features like URL tracking, easy resets with one click, and support for loading new pages by pasting URLs. You can even search highlighted text using your favorite search engine directly from the sidebar. Note that some pages with strict content security policies may have viewing limitations. Open in Sidebar is your ideal tool for efficient multitasking and streamlined web access in Chrome.

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By:: chandler.stimson
Users:: 2,000+
Rating:: 4.29
(21)
Version:: 0.1.5 (Last updated: 2024-04-28)
Creation date:: 2023-06-14
Risk:: High risk impact Very low risk likelihood
Permissions:: storage
sidePanel
contextMenus
declarativeNetRequestWithHostAccess
webRequest
favicon
Host permissions:: *://*/*
Size:: 109.57K
Email:: ch*****@gmail.com
Full description:: See detailed description
Source:: Chrome Web Store
Updated:: a day ago

Ranking

# 19,701 ▲ 90

Other rankings

#3701 in Workflow & Planning ▲ 9

#8 in sidebar keyword 52

#111 in drag keyword 31 ▲ 3

#133 in navigation keyword 12

#150 in loading keyword 24 ▲ 3

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User reviews

Users appreciate the "Open in Sidebar" extension for delivering true split-screen functionality within Chrome, ease of use, and navigation features that enhance multitasking workflows. However, multiple reviews mention issues such as the inconvenient bottom navigation bar placement, non-functional navigation buttons on some sites, and the sidebar causing unwanted scrollbars. Some users also note incompatibility with certain secure sites and desire features like a bookmark or tab manager in the sidebar. Overall, it's a highly recommended tool for split-screen tasks despite some usability drawbacks.

Pros

Effectively provides a split-screen or sidebar view within Chrome, distinguishing it from other similar extensions.
Easy to use and customizable with useful navigation features like back, forward, refresh, and split screen.
Remembers the last opened website in the sidebar, enhancing usability.
Allows opening two websites in the sidebar simultaneously, which some users find useful.
Highly recommended for workflow involving constant use of web apps like chatGPT or company web tools.

Cons

Navigation bar is located at the bottom instead of the top, which some users find inconvenient.
Navigation buttons like back and forward do not work properly on certain websites.
The sidebar can cause extra vertical and horizontal scrollbars when sized small, making the interface look cluttered.
Does not work with websites requiring certain plugins or security tokens.
Lacks a tab or bookmark manager in the sidebar, requiring users to type URLs repeatedly or copy links manually.

Recent reviews

The navigation bar is on the bottom instead of the top and I didn't like that. The navigation buttons to go back and forward do not work on some websites. The extension adds extra vertical and horizontal scrollbars when the sidebar is too small, which makes it look messy. I recommend using the "Page Sidebar | Open any page in side panel" extension instead and to be sure to visit the extension options page for that extension.

callanyonefrompc, 2025-01-12

My company website requires a plugin to provision security tokens, and it does not open in this sidebar.

Charles Zhu, 2024-09-13

De todas las extensiones para dividir pantalla que he probado (que han sido muchisimas) esta es la que mejor funciono. No entiendo el chiste de acomodar 2 ventanas de chrome que hacen las otras extensiones, eso se puede hacer manualmente y a la hora de minimizar y volver a colocar es una coladera, todas esas extensiones las elimine al instante de probarlas. Esta extension es diferente a las demas, realmente divide la pantalla de chrome dentro de la ventana de chrome Aunque se ayuda del panel lateral, pero bueno el objetivo esta logrado, solamente le falta un administrador de pestañas y seria perfecto. Pero de todo modos me gusta mucho esta extension. Gracias.

LVS LB, 2024-08-16

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Extension safety

Risk impact

Open in Sidebar requires some sensitive permissions that could impact your browser and data security. Exercise caution before installing.

Risk impact analysis details

Critical Allows access to all websites, posing a significant security risk as it can monitor and modify data from any visited site.
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Risk likelihood

Open in Sidebar has earned a good reputation and can be trusted.

Risk likelihood analysis details

High This extension has low user count. Unpopular extensions may not be stable or safe.
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