It's remarkable how big of a difference even a few little adjustments to one program can make.
This is particularly true if the program in issue is your go-to browser for a variety of websites, applications, and other content, since Google Chrome is the de facto default browser for Android users.
Additionally, I thought it would be worthwhile to delve deeper to consider even more useful but obscure Chrome gems in light of the fantastic reaction I received to last week's Android Intelligence column on how to turn on Chrome's fancy (but hidden!) new Android reading enhancer.
These are six such nuggets that you would do well to revisit and remind yourself of.
Chrome Android feature
1: Simple sending
While Android now has a fancy new Nearby Share system that allows you to share files between devices, even Windows PCs, Chrome offers a simpler method for beaming pages to other locations where you are signed in.
To share a website on your phone with Chrome, just hit the three dots menu symbol in the top-right corner of the app and choose "Share" from the menu that appears. Next, search the panel that shows up for the "Send to devices" option.
You'll be rewarded with a list of more devices—computers, tablets, phones, you name it—that are also connected to the same Google account when you press that goober hard.
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| Chrome's cross-device sharing system can be a real time-saver. |
After you give it one more tap, the website you are now reading will appear as a notification on the other device you selected.
Additionally, keep in mind that you may transfer a webpage from Chrome on your PC to Chrome on your phone using the same method. To begin, just locate the share symbol in the top right corner of the page's URL bar.
2: Seamless syncing
Even if it's fun to transmit a page between devices, you might not even need to do so in order to resume where you left off when switching between screens.
The Chrome Android app offers a handy feature that allows you to view the full list of tabs you have open, or have recently opened, on any other phone, tablet, or computer where you were signed in. It's easy to forget, though.
Once again, press the three-dot menu symbol of the program and select "Recent Tabs." The devices you've used Chrome on with the same Google account will then be listed, and you can hit any of those names to view or hide the full list of tabs that are open on that device.
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| Chrome's useful Recent Tabs feature allows you to access any tab you've had open at any time, anywhere. |
Try pressing and holding the name of any device in that list as an added piece of advice. This will provide you with an additional option to open all of the tabs at once, making it even simpler to pick up where you left off.
3: Top-notch translating
The following item is something you might not need frequently, but you'll be glad to have when the appropriate opportunity presents itself. It was brought up as a query by a reader the other day.
It's the very robust and practical built-in translation mechanism in Chrome. Additionally, it functions in several ways:
- To translate a single word, just highlight it with your finger and press and hold it. A translation ought should appear at the bottom of the screen in Chrome immediately.
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| There isn't much easier than to highlight and translate. |
- To translate a phrase or paragraph, first make sure the Google Translate program is loaded on your device, then choose the relevant part. It should have a "Translate" option in the pop-up menu next to it; however, you may need to press the three-dot icon in that menu for it to show up. If you tap it, a pop-up window containing the translation and the ability to copy or have it read aloud will appear.
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| On-demand translation made possible by Google Translate and Chrome. |
- Additionally, you may find the "Translate" option by tapping the three-dot menu button located in Chrome's upper-right corner if you need to translate a full website that you are now reading.
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| Complete page translation is never more than two taps away. |
4: Extra protection
This next hidden Chrome gem is rather useful if you ever find yourself browsing, uh, sensitive information on your phone in an incognito tab (don't worry, I won't ask for specifics).
There is a feature for adding an additional layer of security to any active incognito tabs in the Chrome Android app's settings, making it impossible for someone else to access them by accident and see what you were up to. The browser will lock any such tabs whenever your screen shuts off or you leave Chrome, requiring your usual authentication mechanism (password, PIN, fingerprint, or whatever) before it will bring them back up.
To enable the feature, tap the three-dot menu symbol in Chrome, then "Settings," then "Privacy and security," and search for the "Lock Incognito tabs when you leave Chrome" option.
5: Shortcut serenity
The recently introduced functionality of being able to create a custom shortcut that is always accessible by a single tap in the address bar of the browser is probably my favorite Chrome Android feature right now.
For myself, I prefer to utilize it to always have a one-tap share command available. However, you may also configure it to act as a shortcut for speaking searches or launching new tabs.
Return to the Chrome Android settings and find the line marked "Toolbar shortcut" to enable the feature. Press it, then activate the toggle inside of it and choose your preferred configuration.
You can manually activate it right now by typing chrome:flags into your browser's address bar, typing button into the search box that appears, and then finding the line labeled "Adaptive button in top toolbar customization" and changing its setting from "Default" to "Enabled." If you don't see the option, don't worry—Google is taking its sweet time making this one universally available.
When you're through, just remember to click the blue Relaunch button at the bottom of the screen.
6: Unrestricted zooming
Not to mention, when I login into a new device, I always instantly activate this Chrome Android feature—an oldie but a goodie.
It's an option that gives you the ability to override the default behavior of some websites, which is to restrict you from using the typical pinch-and-zoom gesture. Websites do this for reasons I'm not sure of, but I find it quite annoying when I attempt to enlarge anything but am unable to.
So how about we reclaim the initiative? Once again, navigate to the settings in Chrome and choose "Accessibility." Locate and touch the toggle next to "Force enable zoom" with abandon.
All that's left to do is take in your newfound independence and, if you feel like it, laugh heartily.