Google has rolled out a slew of new features for its Chrome browser on Android tablets, paving the way for the Pixel Tablet, which will be launched next year. If you already own an Android tablet, you can now use all of these new features in the latest version of Chrome.
This Google update includes the following:
First, Google added a new side-by-side design that makes it easier for users to find the tab they’re searching for. Swipe left or right at the top of the screen to switch between tabs, and to prevent you from accidentally closing a tab, Chrome has been updated with a one-step restore feature that can restore a tab as soon as you close it.
Second, visual labels. If you often have multiple tabs open in Chrome on your tablet, and the number of such tabs is tedious, the tab grid can be a great convenience. Instead of swiping through the little tabs at the top of the browser, this feature pulls up a grid with a full preview of each tab.
Third, drag and drop outside of Chrome. The feature helps you share and save content as you browse, making it easy to drag and drop images, text, and links that pique your interest from Chrome into other apps like Gmail, Photos, or Keep.
Fourth, browse easily in desktop mode. Sometimes our website on a tablet doesn’t feel the same as a website on a computer. Or if a website doesn’t work well on a tablet, or you just prefer the quicker experience of a desktop website, you can set Chrome to always use and display the desktop version of the website, which is a lot more convenient.
Fifth, use tab groups on your tablet. Watch out – Tab Groups are coming to Chrome on Android tablets soon. You’ll be able to stay organized by grouping related tabs together so you can better focus on one task without seeing the clutter of other open tabs.
Google has long been criticized for its poor Chrome ecosystem for Android tablets, and now it looks like that’s about to be broken.