Google Chrome: Five New Features Coming

Google has announced a major update to its Chrome browser. The popular browser offers five new features specifically for smartphones and tablets. Updates have already started rolling out for both Android and iOS devices.

In an article published in the Product Updates section, Chrome Product Manager Nick Kim-Sexton revealed the… discoveries.

The goal is to make it easier to search from a mobile phone or tablet and will now include more straightforward actions to help users save time.

Shortcut buttons

One of the first additions is the new Chrome Actions. When searching for a restaurant, for example, some shortcut buttons will appear in the search results as you type. The buttons will include the option to call directly or be directed to the place that best matches what the user is looking for.

This feature is already available in Chrome for Android and will be available on iOS later this fall.

The address bar on iPads and Android tablets has been redesigned to better take advantage of larger screens and better align with Google’s overall aesthetic.

We’ve also added more shortcut suggestions that take into account common words you type to get to a website you’ve visited before. “For example, you might routinely type ‘timetables’ to find out the city’s subway times because that word is part of the site’s description,” Sexton writes.

“With this new feature, City Metro (points to this example) will now appear higher in search suggestions when you search for ‘routes.'”

New sports cards

Continuing the changes made to the address bar, the most popular searches on iOS devices will now appear before the user starts typing.

Finally, new sports cards have been added to the Discover feed in Chrome and are available on iOS and Android. This means that you will get automatic updates of your favorite team’s scores if you have shown interest in them in the past.