Chrome Gets New Features

The Chrome browser is getting a couple of new features that some may find useful. Sharing links and finding previous pages could both get easier.

The first feature is already available in Chrome 90, the latest version of the browser for the general public. It works on computers, though won't appear on the iOS and Android apps till later.

The feature simply lets users create a link that points to a specific location on a page, rather than just containing the URL. The idea is to make is easier to share a link to something specific in a lengthy page.

This isn't the same as internal text links (known as anchors) created by web page owners. Instead users can create and share links to any point on the page without the website having done anything.

To use the feature, users simply need to highlight a block of text, right-click on it, then select "Copy link to highlight" from the resulting pop-up menu. They can then paste the link in a document or message. (Source: techradar.com)

Chrome Memories Coming Soon

The second feature is only available in Chrome 92, which is the latest version of the browser available to people who've chosen to get experimental changes through the Canary program. This acts as a late stage of real-world testing and any new features will almost always make it into the general public version of Chrome later on.

This new feature, dubbed Chrome Memories, is a standalone page. It's not yet clear how the page will be presented to users, for example though a dedicated browser button or menu option, or even as an option for the default home page or new tab page. (Source: chromeunboxed.com)

Either way, Chrome Memories will have three main sections. The top one is simply a list of previous searches, though it's not clear if this is based on the most frequent searches, the most recent searches, or a combination of the two.

Previous Bookmarks Prominent

The second section, down the page, is titled "From tab groups and bookmarks" and contains a couple of pages the user has previously bookmarked. While unconfirmed, it seems likely these will be frequently visited pages.

The final section is "From Chrome History" and is simply links the last half dozen or so pages the user visited.

Overall the feature seems to be a one-stop shop covering the things a user would be most likely to do when visiting Chrome, other than carrying out a completely new search or visiting a new website. What remains to be seen is how effective Google's algorithms are at guessing what sites or searches a user will be most likely to want to use at a given moment.

What's Your Opinion?

Do either of these features appeal to you? What would you ideally like to see when you open your browser? Do you use advance versions of software such as Chrome Canary or are you happy waiting until the full public releases?