You can follow the instructions below to use the Chrome extension and the features it offers:
Install the PIA extension from the Chrome web-store here. Once the extension is installed, you will see the red PIA robot icon in the top right.
Click the PIA icon to bring up the username and password sign in overlay
Enter your PIA username and password (username i.e. p1234567, you should have received after purchasing your subscription), and enable the "Remember Me" checkbox if you want it to remember your login.
Once you have signed in, you will see the main settings screen that contains the "ON" button to connect and the "Current Region" which lists the current server selected:
Click the Power button to enable the extension
To confirm you're protected, you can visit What’s My IP Address? and ensure the top bar says "You are protected by PIA":
You can change the region you would like to connect from by clicking the Current Region option:
You can access the Extra Features by clicking the 3 dots in the top right corner of the extension menu:
You can access the extensions various and options settings by clicking the 3 dots in the top right corner of the extension menu:
Extra Features:
Security:
- Block Adobe Flash: Block Chrome from running Adobe Flash. Adobe Flash can be used to reveal your public IP address. We do not recommend disabling this.
- Block WebRTC IP Detection: Block Chrome revealing your public and private IP addresses when WebRTC is being used. We do not recommend disabling this.
Privacy:
- Block camera, microphone, and location access: Blocks websites from accessing these functions to prevent websites from gaining information about you.
- Disable network prediction: Disable Chrome from using a network prediction service that pre-resolves DNS queries and pre-fetches web pages from the content found on a page you visit
- Disable SafeBrowsing: Disable Chrome from making direct connection to a network service that has privacy concerns around keeping logs. PIA MACE mitigates the risk in disabling this service
- Disable credit card autofill: Disable Chrome from automatically filling in credit card information. This could leak personal data via hidden form fields.
- Disable address autofill: Disable Chrome from automatically filling addresses and other forms of data. This could leak personal data via hidden form fields.
Tracking:
- Disable third party cookies: Disables third party cookies (pretty vague huh?)
- Disable website referrer: Disable Chrome from sending the address of the current webpage to another webpage when following a link.
- Disable hyperlink auditing: Disable hyperlink auditing, a recent HTML feature designed for notifying tracks and analytic services when you click on a link.
- Remove UTM parameters: Remove Urchin Tracking Model (UTM) parameters from URLs you click on. UTM parameters are used to track information about your visit to a website.
- Remove FBCLID parameters: Remove Facebook FBCLID parameters from outgoing links in Facebook. FBCLID parameters are used to track information about your visit to a website.
- PIA MACE: PIA MACE helps protect your privacy and security by blocking malicious content, trackers and ads (more about MACE here).
Extension Settings:
Extension:
- Allow desktop notifications: Allow the extension to create a desktop notification when something important happens. We do not recommend disabling this.
- Allow active settings: Cause settings to always remain active, regardless of whether proxy is connected or not.
- Dark Theme: Enable a darker theme for the extension to use in low light conditions
- Debug mode: Write messages to the debug log. Press the 'ctrl' key followed by the 'd' key to show the debug log.
- UI Language: The language used by the extension when displaying text.
Bypass List:
With this feature, you can add websites to be excluded from the PIA extension connection if you are experiencing issues with a website blocking the extension. Do be aware that requests made to websites found on the Bypass List use a direct connection that is not protected by PIA.
Smart Location:
Smart location allows you to add a URL to the list and specify a geographic server location. When the VPN is connected and you visit one of the sites added to Smart Location, it will automatically recognize the website and the location you have selected and wish to view the site through.
Account Settings:
This will bring you to the login screen on the PIA website to manage your online account.
Help & Support:
The Help & Support link will bring you to the PIA Help Center containing information and troubleshooting material.
Logout:
This will log users out of the extension.
If you make any changes to the extension settings, be sure to disconnect and reconnect to save the changes.
If you run into any issues or have any questions please feel free to submit a ticket to our support team via the Contact Us tab above.