Charset

Modify the default encoding for the website

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Charset is a Chrome extension designed to restore the ability to manually set webpage encoding, a feature removed from Chrome after version 55. It's especially useful for websites with improper encoding configurations that cause garbled characters on display.

This open-source extension supports multiple languages, adapts to dark mode and new Edge styles, and provides a user-friendly options page. It allows users to set default encodings for all websites, records recent encodings, and offers context menu integration. Regular updates have fixed compatibility issues and enhanced encoding detection based on request types, ensuring reliable and convenient control over webpage character encoding.

By:: jinliming2
Users:: 100,000+
Rating:: 4.80

(122)
Version:: 0.5.5 (Last updated: 2020-12-09)
Creation date:: 2019-10-24
Risk:: High risk impact Low risk likelihood
Permissions:: <all_urls>
webRequest
webRequestBlocking
contextMenus
tabs
Size:: 57.12K
Email:: ji*****@gmail.com
Full description:: See detailed description
Source:: Chrome Web Store
Updated:: 17 hours ago

Ranking

# 1,911 ▲ 64

Other rankings

#2641 in Developer Tools ▼ 2

#66 in modify keyword 38

#134 in optimize keyword 11 ▼ 1

#146 in content optimization keyword 17 ▲ 4

#198 in display keyword 21 ▲ 6

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Other platforms

Charset (v0.5.4)

91,909+ 4.20

(10)

User reviews

Users highly value the Charset extension for effectively fixing character encoding issues on legacy sites and emails, especially after Chrome removed native encoding options. Its simplicity, speed, and clean interface receive praise. Some concerns include missing support for certain encodings such as GB2312 and minor UI issues with the encoding selection list. Overall, it reliably restores correct text display across multiple languages and platforms, making it a critical tool for users encountering garbled text.

Pros

Effectively changes character encoding, fixing display issues on legacy or misdetected websites.
Restores proper display for sites with broken or legacy character encodings, essential after Chrome removed native encoding options.
Simple, fast, and easy to use with a clean interface design.
Widely useful for various languages and email clients, improving readability of garbled text.
Open-source with well-written code and appreciated by users of different languages.

Cons

Lacks support for certain encodings like GB2312 noted by multiple users.
Default encoding selection dropdown list is sometimes not displaying encoding options properly (black list issue).
Limited scope as it solely changes charset without additional features.

Recent reviews

100% only change its charset, so it works fine

Ficho Pranandasya AP, 2024-08-21

works great - critical for a legacy site

Joanna, 2024-08-15

很好，谢谢

xinhui xinhui, 2024-05-13

View all user reviews

Extension safety

Risk impact

Charset 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

Charset has earned a fairly good reputation and likely 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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