As developers, we often build tools to solve our own problems.

This browser extension started exactly that way — out of curiosity, frustration, and a simple idea:

"What if toggling JavaScript was just one tap?"

This is the story of how a trimmed-down idea from an open-source project became a browser extension used by 30,000+ users across Chrome and Edge.

🔆 The Idea That Sparked Everything (Back in 2020)

During the early 2020s, while exploring browser extensions, I came across an open-source Chrome extension on GitHub.

It was powerful — almost too powerful.
It had:

• JavaScript switching (page-level & browser-wide)
• Multiple advanced controls
• Lots of configuration options

But as a developer, I felt something was missing.

👉 Simplicity.

I didn’t want many features. I wanted one thing done extremely well:

Toggle JavaScript ON or OFF for a page. Instantly.

So I forked the idea — not the project.

✂️ Trimming It Down to One Core Feature

Instead of adding more options, I did the opposite:

• Removed everything unnecessary
• Focused only on JavaScript enable / disable
• Designed it around speed and one-tap usage

The goal was clear:

No learning curve. No settings jungle. Just click and done.

That’s when JavaScript Switch was born.

🏪 Publishing My First Ever Extension (and the Reality Check)

I created a Chrome Developer account, prepared the build, fixed store validation issues, and finally…

🎉 The extension got approved.

For the first time ever, something I built was live on the Chrome Web Store. That moment felt amazing. But then came reality.

📉 After one week: ~100 users

I was honestly disappointed. I had expected more — maybe not thousands, but at least some traction. Instead, it felt like shouting into the void.

For a moment, I wondered:

Is this even useful to anyone else?

🥹 A New Opportunity: Chromium-Based Microsoft Edge

Around the same time, Microsoft announced its Chromium-based Edge browser. I was already an Edge beta tester and closely following their roadmap. Then I noticed something important 👀

👉 Microsoft Edge Add-ons Store was launching soon — and it was FREE.

That was the turning point.

🔁 Porting the Extension to Edge

Since Edge was Chromium-based, there is only minimal code changes, same extension logic and same philosophy. I submitted the extension to the Microsoft Edge Add-ons platform. And then something unexpected happened.

📈 The Breakthrough Moment

Because the Edge Add-ons ecosystem was still new, there was Less competition, Higher visibility and Faster discovery.

📊 Within one week: ~10,000 users

That single week changed everything. It gave me Massive motivation, Confidence that the idea worked, Proof that simplicity wins, From that point on, I actively maintained and improved the extension.

⚡ JavaScript Switch – Version 2

Today, the extension has evolved into Version 2, with features still focused on developer convenience.

🔑 Key Features

• ✅ One-tap JavaScript toggle
• 🖱️ Context menu support (right-click → toggle JS)
• 📄 Disabled sites management page
• 🔁 Easily re-enable JavaScript for selected sites
• ⚡ Instant effect — no page reload gymnastics

All without compromising simplicity.

👩‍💻 Who Is This Extension For?

This extension is built primarily for developers, but useful for power users too.

Perfect for:

• Frontend developers testing non-JS fallbacks
• Debugging layout issues without scripts
• Blocking unwanted popups & interactions
• Preventing accidental button clicks
• Reducing trackers & client-side scripts
• Temporarily disabling ads driven by JavaScript

Many users mentioned in reviews that they love it because:

“It does exactly what it says — fast and simple.”

That’s the best feedback I could ask for.

📊 Current Stats (and Growing)

As of now:

💙 Edge Add-ons: 28,000+ users

💛 Chrome Web Store: 2,000+ users

⭐ Reviews: Consistently positive

With recent feature updates, I expect these numbers to grow steadily in the coming days.

❤️ Final Thoughts

This extension taught me something important:

You don’t need a revolutionary idea.

You need a clear problem and a simple solution.

From an open-source inspiration → to a trimmed-down tool → to 30,000+ users. This has been one of my most satisfying side projects.

Get the extension from here 👉 JAVASCRIPT SWITCH 🔗

If you’re a developer who wants control over JavaScript with zero friction, this extension was built for you.