Chrome Flags for Android and Why You Need Them

Default Programs Google Chrome comes with quite a few capabilities. There is a reason why it’s far dominating the browser industry and has gained the battle. I am nonetheless not happy with it even though. It happens to me all the time. I accidentally click on the pink X and near the window with all the tabs open in it. In Firefox, you will see a popup in an effort to remind you that you have extra than 1 tab open but no longer in Chrome.

In an effort to find a solution to this problem, I stumbled upon a goldmine that I in no way knew existed, till now. You see, most of the people might move for extensions but few humans understand about flags.

Default Programs What are Google Flags

Flags are experimental capabilities with the aid of Chrome that are still inside the improvement phase and haven’t been rolled out in a solid version. It may be a hit or a miss however extra often than no longer, it’ll beautify your browser experience by way of leaps and bounds.

You can access the flags function through typing chrome://flags to your Chrome browser. Today, I will proportion a list of a number of the high-quality Chrome flags as a way to enhance your browsing revel in for your Android tool. Just look for the hashtag within the seek field and you will locate it.

Default Programs Note that those are experimental functions and won’t be available at a later date. Some of it’ll be made available on the subsequent strong model. All of them are working on the time of writing this text on Chrome version sixty six.

Chrome Flags for Android

1. Default Programs New Way to Pick Photos

When you are attempting to add photos to a site like Twitter or Instagram, you may see a popup in order to ask you to browse and add pics. The default layout is less than surprising. The new photo picker flag #allow-new-photograph-picker will alternate the UI in order to make it simpler and quicker

chrome://flags/#enable-new-photo-picker

Here is how you would choose an image to upload through the browser before:

And, there is how it looks after you have enabled the photo picker flag in chrome browser for Android.

You see, rather than showing a listing of your pictures, you will now see them in tile format. This makes it easier to pick out pics. Go attempt it now. The above screenshot turned into taken after I was trying to add a Deadpool 2 % to Twitter Lite the usage of the Chrome browser.

Also Read:7 Chrome Extensions to Supercharge Your Netflix Experience

2. Default Programs New Video Player Features

When you are watching a video on your Android Chrome browser, have you ever tried pausing the video by using double tapping only to locate it doesn’t paintings. You can not rapid ahead or rewind by using double tapping at the left and right of the display either. It works excellent on the YouTube app for Android, why now not here?

I discovered this splendid Deadpool video on Fox Movies and sure, it changed into uploaded to YouTube.

But still, the features that we have come to love on YouTube were working. Check it out.

The #permit-cutting-edge-media-controls Chrome flag for Android will permit you to do simply that. You will word that the UI has modified a chunk, and it a bit extra translucent. The time, extent, and full-screen buttons at the moment are above the timeline bar rather than on the facet.

chrome://flags/#enable-modern-media-controls

This gives you more screen estate as there is white space where the buttons are. It matters on mobile phones because they have smaller screens.

3. Default Programs Dynamic Context Menu

When you long press on an detail of a web page in your Chrome browser, say an photograph, you get alternatives like open hyperlink in a brand new tab or shop an image. The menu is uninteresting however practical. The dynamic context menu flag, #allow-custom-context-menu, will alternate that.

chrome://flags/#enable-custom-context-menu  

You see the new icons on the left for every choice. We have a photographic memory and it’s far a ways easier, and faster, to pick out options primarily based on icons and photographs than text. It additionally makes the UI look cooler.

4. Default Programs Sneak Peek

Here is another of my favorite one, there are times, when I come across and link or image which I’m curious to check, but not curious enough to open it in a new tap and go through it. So, I can enable this sneak peek feature, which gives you a sneak peek of an image or link without even opening it in a new tab. And once you are done, you can go about your way.

chrome://flags/#enable-ephemeral-tab

To allow this, open chrome flags and look for ‘An ephemeral tab in an overlay panel’ and allow it. It is going with out announcing that every time you want to revert lower back to preceding settings, you can exchange the flags to default.

Also Read: Top Google Chrome Extensions for Privacy

5. Increase Your Download Speed

There is a purpose why IDM is one of the maximum favored down load managers of all time. There are many motives behind it however the capacity to run parallel downloads must be one of them. Now, you may get this selection for your Chrome browser for Android by way of enabling #allow-parallel-downloading.

chrome://flags/#enable-parallel-downloading

When you enable this flag, it will increase your download speeds. If you are downloading small files, it won’t matter much but if you are downloading movies or ROMs, you will be happier with this flag enabled.

I downloaded a 100mb test file (search for ‘download 100mb test file’ on Google) and here are the results. Without the flag, it took 3.45 min and with the flag enabled, it took 1.57 mins. I tested it on WiFi in incognito mode and cleared cache before going the 2nd time.

6. Default Programs Change Download Location

When you are downloading files on your PC, you have full control over the location of the saved files. The same cannot be said about Android. The files are downloaded to a set folder no matter if you like it or not. When you enable #enable-downloads-location-change, you will see a new option under Settings in Chrome.

chrome://flags/#enable-downloads-location-change

You can also toggle a transfer to be able to pressure Chrome to invite you in which to save the report whenever. Just like for your PC.

This is beneficial in case you are frequently finding your self downloading special report codecs like pix, doctors, and so on. And need a few sanity to the procedure.

7. Bookmarks Down Below

When you open the Chrome browser, you notice a URL box and some of your bookmarks and currently opened web pages. Now, you go to a website and you now not have access to the ones regularly visited websites or the bookmarks.

Enter Chrome Duplex which you can permit with the #allow-chrome-duplex flag. Once you enable it, you could open any URL and go to any web site and still get entry to all the bookmarks and latest tabs with a single swipe from the bottom of the display.

chrome://flags/#enable-chrome-duplex

You see the brand new choice at the lowest of the display. Just swipe it up to expose your bookmarks and latest tabs. You must additionally see some information headlines like you do on your Chrome homepage on Android.

8. Reader/Night Mode

By default, Chrome doesn’t aid night time mode that’s something some different much less famous browsers had been capable of do for see you later. It appears the devs are working on that one too, even though a bit late.

When you enable #reader-mode-heuristics flag, Chrome will display a small notification at the bottom of the display asking if you would really like to view a simplified view. Something like this:

chrome://flags/ #reader-mode-heuristics

 

When you click on it, you will see a bare-minimal version which will load quicker with formatting eliminated. This still appears to be under improvement with a whole lot of work pending.

The one gain I see is that the font length is also smaller and with the formatting removed, I can see more content in less space.

After you have enabled it, in case you go to Appearance in Settings, you can choose night mode and additionally trade font kind and length. This is a nice characteristic to have in case you are within the addiction of studying articles at night time time.

9. Remove Article Suggestions

When you open a brand new Chrome tab for your Android, you see a listing of advised articles at the bottom of bookmarks. But, extra often than no longer, those cautioned articles are a target for the loads and infrequently add any fee. Which is why I like to disable them on my Oneplus 6T

chrome://flags/#enable-ntp-remote-suggestions

Simply reproduction the above URL and paste it inside the new tab. Restart the browser and there you have it. Goodbye clickbait titles.

10. Default Programs Search Ready Omnibox

Another issue, I find inefficient about chrome is the Omnibox. For example, once I faucet on the URL box, it routinely highlights the URL and I should faucet on the small cross icon next to it, to remove the highlighted URL. Ideally, if I tap on the URL container, it must routinely clean your present day URL and gives you a blank space for typing — together with a brief shortcut for copying or sharing a hyperlink to the current web page you’re viewing. Thankfully, you could do this with Chrome flag.

chrome://flags/#enable-search-ready-omnibox

Well right here’s the way you enable it. Head over chrome flags, and search for ‘searech geared up Ominbox’ (by using the manner, if you don’t see those choice, ensure your chrome is updated) and then permit it. Now, if you visit a new faucet, well there you have it. A new Omnibox.

11. Horizontal Tab switcher

When you open the list of all tabs in Google Chrome, you get the list of open tabs stacked vertically. Something like the following image.

chrome://flags/#enable-horizontal-tab-switcher

But I pick, horizontal alignment, just like the latest apps on Android, sp that you can whole preview of what’s open, rather of having to guess from the header. To do virtually go to chrome flags and permit horizontal tab switcher. And there you move.

12. History Navigation with a Gesture

On Windows and Mac, you can swipe to the left in any tab to move lower back one step to your browsing history or swipe to the right to transport ahead. Guess what you could do the same to your Android’ Chrome browser so long as lengthy because it doesn’t collide with your cellphone’s gesture. If you swipe to the proper the page pass forward and vice versa. To enable this, you want to show on the subsequent chrome flag and restart the browser.

chrome://flags/#enable-gesture-navigation

 

Wrapping Up: Chrome Flags for Android

Some of those flags will make it to the following solid version of Chrome, hopefully, and a few will never see the mild of the day. It is higher to allow it right here so you can experience a higher Chrome. There are more flags or capabilities which can be in the experimental phase, so I recommend you get looking.