It’s been a while since Chrome for desktop introduced support for tab groups. The feature helped bring order to chaos for those who were in the habit of keeping several tabs open. After being tested since 2019 on Android, the feature is now being launched on the mobile platform as well. The update also brings a grid tab switcher to Chrome.
Guide groups began to be implemented more widely with the Chrome v88 update that was released last week. However, not everyone who received the new version will also have the feature; it is being enabled via a server-side switch and you can force activation or deactivation via a flag.
Grid guide alternator
The guide grid replaces the old larger vertical card layout and offers a better view of more open pages. These tabs can be closed as before and can also be grouped together – more on that next. Google is also experimenting with an anonymous switcher visible on the top bar, as seen in the image below.
Grouping different tabs
As for groups of guides, there are two ways to group open pages. You can drag and drop one tab onto another, or simply tap “Group tabs” in the drop-down menu and select the tabs you want to group.
Once grouped, the tab switcher user interface indicates the number of tabs in a group, and tapping on one reveals a pop-up displaying its contents.
Managing tab groups
When you are browsing a tab that is within a group, a bar at the bottom provides quick access to other tabs within the same group. It also has a New tab button that will open a window within the same group. To remove a tab from a group, simply access the arrow button on the bar and drag the tab to the bottom, as you can see below.
You can also tap and hold any link on a page to open it in a new tab within the same group. This is useful when you are browsing articles or pages related to the same topic – you can keep them all grouped together as a package instead of filling your tab switcher with each individual page.
How to disable grid layout and tab groups
You are probably not a big fan of this change, because it adds a little complexity to the experience, even if it is for the good of the organization. The good news is that you can disable grid layout and tab groups with a simple step. Insert the link below in the address bar and select Disabled in the drop-down menu.
chrome: // flags / # enable-tab-grid-layout
You will need to restart Chrome twice for the changes to take effect. By the way, you can also try out the new features (if they haven’t already been enabled for you) using the same process and forcing the flag to activated State..
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