Google Chrome has announced one of the biggest Chrome updates for Android in a while, giving tablets a much-needed web browser overhaul.
In blog post, Google has placed a lot of emphasis on tab management in its latest version of the browser, which is good news for many business and professional users, especially in anticipation of the company’s upcoming Pixel tablet, due out next year.
For example, when tabs get too small because there are so many open, the close button is set to disappear to prevent accidental losses. There is also a “one-step restore” feature that allows you to recover an accidentally closed tab.
Chrome updates for Android
It looks like Google has pulled a leaf out of Apple’s book as well, offering an alternative to the horizontal tab bar it calls the visual tab grid. Here, users can preview the cards to make it easier for them to navigate.
Another feature we’ve seen on Apple devices, as well as Chrome for desktops, is tab grouping. This is expected to appear on tablets “soon”, but has not appeared in the latest version of Chrome for Android tablets.
Elsewhere, improvements have been made to increase productivity in Chrome on Android tablets. Drag-and-drop is now supported from Chrome to apps like Keep and Documents, allowing users to download data like images, text, and links right from the browser.
Finally, a new desktop view can be enabled by default, which requires a desktop version of the websites, not mobile-friendly interfaces. In many cases, this can open up a more complete version of your website with more menus and buttons.
The latest version of Chrome is now available for download on all compatible Android tablets.