It takes a lot of time and effort to keep track of all that goes on in the different social networks we have signed up for, but we do it anyway. Fortunately for Chrome users, Chime is an extension for bringing consolidated notifications of networks such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and many others.
The installation is pretty straightforward and immediately leads you to the login page for networks. The tutorial is also clear and self-explanatory. The Chime button is accessible from the browser’s add-on bar on the top right.
On the Setup page, Chime detects networks that you’re already signed in to. To sign in to other networks, simply click on the button. This opens a new tab for that network’s login page. When you’re done logging in one network, you can go back and repeat the same for other networks in the list. When you’re done, hit Continue.
This leads you to the main Chime page, where tiled logos for networks are lined up on the left column, with its contents to the right. On top, clicking on “All Notifications” will show content from all networks you’re logged in to.
To filter the feed, click on a network’s logo. There should be an indicator bar on top letting you know that it’s filtering the feed according to which network you selected. Clicking on more than one network will add to the filter, as shown in the screenshot below. To un-filter a network, simply click on it again.
By default, desktop notifications are enabled. This is a pop-up box that appears on the lower right corner of your screen when you have new notifications. To disable this, click on the gear icon on Chime’s main page to go to Settings. Uncheck Show Desktop Notifications.
The Settings page is also where you can add or hide networks from the left column of your feed. Icons that appear with a check mark mean they’re already added, so clicking on them will remove it from the main page. On the other hand, even networks you’re not signed into may still appear on the main page by default. You can simply click on these to hide them. The changes are immediately shown as you make them.
The Chime main page and pop-up notifications will show which network the update is from, along with a few lines of content.
Other than the pop-up and main page, you can also quickly view the number of notifications from the Chime button from the add-on bar on the top right of the browser. If you prefer to have a fixed reminder for your notifications, this option makes more sense. When you’ve viewed all notifications, the number disappears.
Chime’s helpful aggregation is great for keeping tabs on all your networks. The extension notifies you of new updates only, and therefore helps you determine whether or not you need to actually log in and access a certain network. For anyone who wants minimal yet powerful ways to get notified, Chime is an excellent choice.
