How to add a Chrome Application or Extension

There are many useful free applications and extensions available on the Google's Chrome App Store.  Some of these simply link you to another website that you can log into using your Google username and password.  Others are a part of the web browser.

Here, I'll walk through how to install the Chrome Application call ScanQR.  This application will use the computer's webcam to scan any QR Code.  These little images are often used as web links, but also have many other uses.  My favorite place to create a QR Code is at qrstuff.com.

Now to install,

Open your Chrome web browser.  

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Open your Chrome Applications.

You can do this either by going to this web address OR 

by clicking on the Apps icon in the upper left corner of your browser.

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Your Chrome applications should now be displayed on your screen.

Now, to ADD an application, click on the Web Store in the lower right corner of your browser window.

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In the upper left corner, complete a search for the Google Web app, "qr code scanner."  Now, ScanQR should be one of the top hits.  Click on where it says "Add to Chrome."

When you first open this application, there will be some type of popup related to connecting to your video camera.  Go ahead and agree to the terms.  It's not very painful. 

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To open the QR Scanner:

Select the Apps button in the upper left corner of Chrome:

Now select the ScanQR application:

By the way... you will know if your webcam is turned on if the green light next to it is turned on.

You should be up and rolling now to scan QR Codes.  Just hold up your QRCode image in front of the camera.

If this doesn't work, or if you need more steps included, please let me know.

Here are a some other very useful Chrome applications:

Desmos - a great graphing calculator with all the functions you expect to see on the popular handheld versions and it's free.
Mindomo - a graphic organizer tool.  It will require a login, but this will allow multiple users to work on the same documents.
LucidCharts - another graphic organizer It is easy to use and collaborative. This doesn't have all  the features of Mindomo, but maybe you need something simpler.

Bill Gruman, Tech Integrationist

Grinnell-Newburg Community Schools