Until mef you’ve been using Google Chrome since it launched in 2008, the browser is capable of a few tricks that you might not have discovered yet. Google adds new features regularly, while older resources are lost and forgotten if you don’t use them every day. Here are 12 things you may not have noticed that you can do in Chrome.
1. Switch to guest mode
If someone needs to borrow your computer temporarily, you probably don’t want them to browse your bookmarks and check all the siteses that you are connected to, which is where guest mode is useful. Click on your Google account avatar in the upper right corner and choose Guest to make the switch. It’s not at all difficult to get out of guest mode, but it does add a basic layer of protection and privacy to your own Chrome profile.
2. Play audio and video files
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Chrome can do more than just open websites. IIf you drag an audio or video file to a new tab, you can play it directly in the browser, as long as it is in a reasonably popular and well-known format. Chrome is unlikely to replace its default media player anytime soon, because the playback controls and features you get are pretty basic, but they can help when you want to quickly open a file on your system.
3. Cast your screen or desktop
If you open the Google Chrome main menu via the three dots in the upper right corner of the interface, you’ll see a Cast option, which can be used to cast individual browser tabs or even the entire desktop to a Chromecast device on your current network. In some streaming sites, including Netflix and YouTube, video content will be streamed instead of on the tab or desktop. Works well for displaying presentations, photos and so on.
4. Group the guides
One of the features most recently added to Google Chrome is the grouping of tabs, which allows you to organize your tabs into collections with labels and colors. Right-click on the header of any open tab and choose Add guide to new group to begin. THEClick on the same right-click menu and you can add new tabs to a group, remove guides from a group, and so on. Click and drag the label of a group of guides to move it; click once to show or hide the group.
5. Send guides to other devices
If there’s a webpage you want to see on your phone or other device, right click on the URL in the address bar at the top of the Chrome interface and choose Send to your devices. In this case, “your devices” are any devices on which you installed Chrome, signed in with your Google account, and enabled sync. Choose one of the options from the list that appears and the URL in question is immediately sent to the other device.
6. Start where you left off
You don’t have to keep Chrome open to avoid losing all of your tabs, because the browser can open with the same windows and tabs it had when it was closed, if you want. Open the browser menu, choose settings and then On startupand choose Pick up where you left off. Please also note that if Chrome closes unexpectedly (your computer crashes, for example), it will also attempt to recover all webpages you last visited.
7. Open the task manager
You may never have noticed that Chrome has its own task manager, which can be useful for diagnosing browser problems and monitoring Chrome’s performance. To access the task manager, open the Chrome menu and choose More tools and Task Manager (or just press Shift + Esc) You can see how much memory, CPU time and Internet bandwidth are being used by each of your open tabs, as well as any background processes.
8. Customize the shortcuts for the new tab
You probably spend a lot of time on the New Tab page, so it makes sense set it up in a way that works for you. By default, the eight shortcuts shown on the New Standard Tab page point to sites you visit often, but you can click Add shortcut if you want something specific there. You can also click on the three dots next to any shortcut and To remove to delete it, as well as clicking and dragging shortcuts in a different order.
9. Get quick results from the omnibox
The omnibox at the top of the Chrome interface is more powerful than you think – try performing calculations or conversions on the box and you’ll see results before you even press Enter. You can also simply type “weather” to see a quick forecast appear instantly, with no need for websites or web searches. You can also get brief word definitions directly from the omnibox, if you type “define” followed by the word you want to search for.
10. Change the Chrome theme
The standard look of Google Chrome is certainly good for most of us, but you can adjust some of the aesthetics of the browser if you want to change. Open the browser menu and choose settings, Appearance, and Theme to browse the Chrome Web Store for new themes. You’ll find all kinds of color themes and artwork here, from artists and users and from Google itself, and you can always go back to the original look with one click.
11. Activate reader mode
Chrome has a reader mode without distractions similar to Instapaper or Pocket, but hidden behind a flag: Open chrome: // flags, find the Enable Reader Mode option and activate it. After restarting the browser, if you open the Chrome menu, you will see that there is a new Enter reader mode option that appears when you are on a supported page. Click on it to reduce web articles to just the most important blocks of text and images.
12. Look for harmful malware
Chrome comes with its own malware scanner that you can use if you’re experiencing slow browser speeds, seeing lots of pop-up ads, or noticing anything suspicious. If you open the Chrome browser, click settings and navigate to the Advanced section, you can choose Reboot and clear then Clean the computer to look for something strange. ONEAfter the scan is complete, Chrome will report on your findings.