Chrome for Android May Soon Send Notifications Reminding You To Use Chrome (9to5google.com) 43
An anonymous reader shares a report: For years now, Google Chrome has been an absolute dominant force in the world of web browsers, but since the relaunch of Microsoft Edge based on Google's Chromium, that position has been challenged. Now, Google is preparing to drive more Android owners back to using Chrome through targeted notifications. Over the admittedly brief history of the Internet, there have been a number of fierce competitions, commonly called "browser wars," between companies, in an effort to get more people to use their particular web browser. Mozilla and Netscape waged war against Internet Explorer, and Chrome fought and won against Firefox. Most recently, Microsoft Edge and Samsung Internet have begun to wage war against Chrome on desktop and Android respectively. Now, we've found that Google is preparing to try and win back some of those who have left Chrome for other browsers, starting on Android. Based on our reading of a series of code changes, we believe Google Chrome for Android will send you a notification if you haven't used Chrome in a while.
Time (Score:5, Insightful)
To uninstall Chrome.
Re: (Score:2)
>"[Time] to uninstall Chrome."
If I could on my Android devices, trust me, I would.
New device- Step 1 is install Firefox and then Ublock Origin inside it (and turn off all telemetry). Step 2 is hide "Chrome." Step 3 is do something that will want to launch the "browser" and force it to use Firefox and remember settings.
Re: (Score:2)
Ditto for FIREFOX, plus NOSCRIPT.
Use BRAVE if you want to use a chrome browser.
Re: (Score:1)
Re:Time (Score:5, Insightful)
Step 3 is "Disable Chrome", since you can't uninstall it. Step 4 is to disable it again a few days later, because it has become mysteriously enabled again. Step 5 is to wish there were roms for your particular model of phone so you could root it.
Re: Time (Score:2)
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As tempting as that is, it suffers one of the same problems BlackBerry 10 suffered... what am I going to run on it?
I mean, I need my Pokemon Go. And the only way I can stomach Twitter is via Plume (slowly moving over to Mastodon... same problem, lack of content). And the very handy Animal Crossing: New Horizons app.
I'm probably a good candidate for PinePhone because I don't really depend on my phone for much; of the small number of things I do on it, probably half of them also run on desktops.
Re: (Score:3)
Step 3 is "Disable Chrome", since you can't uninstall it. Step 4 is to disable it again a few days later, because it has become mysteriously enabled again. Step 5 is to wish there were roms for your particular model of phone so you could root it.
This imaginary situation where Chrome mysteriously becomes re-enabled is not going to happen.
Also, you could instead just use "Step 1: Mute the Chrome notification". Users can mute any notifications in Android.
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Step 3 is "Disable Chrome", since you can't uninstall it. Step 4 is to disable it again a few days later, because it has become mysteriously enabled again. Step 5 is to wish there were roms for your particular model of phone so you could root it.
This imaginary situation where Chrome mysteriously becomes re-enabled is not going to happen.
I choose to disagree, because it has happened to me twice.
Also, you could instead just use "Step 1: Mute the Chrome notification". Users can mute any notifications in Android.
That's nice. It doesn't prevent chrome from downloading updates, languages, and, i imagine, plaintively whining to its overlords "this guy disabled me!". I suppose i should hunt down all of the background processes that handle updates and disable them as well. if i'm allowed to.
Re: (Score:2)
Then all you have to do is learn to deal with Firefox's slow-as-fuckness and stupid long-press-on-a-link-makes-it-select-the-text-instead-of-opening-the-context-menuedness and you're laughing.
Don't get me wrong, until I can run ublock and noscript in Chrome, or chromium-based browser, I'm still using Firefox, but lord, do I hate it so sometimes.
Re: (Score:2)
To uninstall Chrome.
It is amazing that their decision-makers don't comprehend this.
I guess when the founders left they hired managers from Dilbert.
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It is amazing that their decision-makers don't comprehend this.
The decision makers which saw Chrome rise to it's dominant position on the back of exactly such a reminder campaign? I think you're not the one comprehending something.
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I did that some time ago, when it became obvious that Google was slurping up data left and right and this was why they really wanted everything optimized for their browser. I also hacked my Chromebook to run -- well, anything I wanted, really. It's set up via rEFInd to boot to either Windows 10 or Mint Cinnamon. I don't own an Android device, and if I did, it would be jailbroken.
Re: Time (Score:2)
Fuck off, Chrome (Score:4, Insightful)
Good think that Firefox on Android performs so well. Chrome can go fuck itself.
(not a particular fan of Google, but I hate Apple more, so until I can get my next Palm Pilot, Android it is).
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Re: Fuck off, Chrome (Score:5, Informative)
Unlike Chrome, Firefox for Android supports ad blockers. That along is enough to ditch Chrome.
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Mozilla have started rolling out Firefox 79 for Android, which essentially disables the majority of add-ons that used to be supported. Now there's just a hardcoded list of 7 add-ons that are supported. I've rolled back to the previous version to keep my add-ons.
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Yup, that was really annoying. But on the subject of the parent, uBlock Origin was one of the first ones to be enabled.
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What's wrong with Apple? I trust Apple more than Google.
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All web browsers on iOS/iPadOS are just wrappers around WebKit, so you have even less choice.
I don't know how Safari is on iOS/iPadOS, but it's not great on desktops. It's actually my go-to when I want an "old" browser that might work with some terrible unmaintained website.
Did Chrome really "win"? (Score:4, Interesting)
Fuck Chrome, fuck IE, fuck Edge, etc (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: Fuck Chrome, fuck IE, fuck Edge, etc (Score:2)
Right! (Score:3)
Next thing you know... (Score:3)
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Funnily enough Apple will let users to change the default web browser in iOS 14. Now, while it's true that other browsers in iOS are just a wrapper of Apple's WebKit, iOS won't botter you with bullshit like this.
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Funnily enough Apple will let users to change the default web browser in iOS 14. Now, while it's true that other browsers in iOS are just a wrapper of Apple's WebKit,
So, Apple won't actually let you change the browser, just put a different skin on it.
Aw hell no. (Score:2)
Man... most of my posts to Slashdot are all the same. "Hell no", "fuck no", "dammit", "go suck a goat"... Ok, I haven't used that last one... yet.
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Google, go suck some Chrome!
I love spam (Score:4, Interesting)
What could be more refreshing than getting unsolicited alerts all the time reminding me to use a browser I decided long ago I would not use? No thanks, Google. i have quite happily been using Firefox for years and have no plans to change.
Aside from claims of improved performance that I usually don't notice in practice, the main difference among the major browsers available now is their decoration and color scheme. None of this makes any difference to me, and I cannot get excited about the "Browser wars". For me this is about as exciting as the "screwdriver wars" or the "hammer wars". I don't much care if the handle has red plastic on it or not,and there is no other important difference.
I'm being forced to use Firefox (Score:3)
Recently Chrome has been completely freezing up while scrolling completely mundane web pages. A quick Googling and talking to colleagues suggests my device is far from alone. And it's a pretty clean Pixel device running stock Android. Google doesn't seem to be in a rush to fix it.
So now I'm using Firefox by default, even though generally I prefer Chrome.
\_()_/
Re: (Score:2)
Do those web pages have some tiktok link/content on them? Because I finally figured out that was what was bringing mine to its knees.
Reminder: Chrome for Android doesn't support (Score:2)
adblockers. The single most important function in a browser.
I use Chrome on every device and platform ... except Android.
Challenged... (Score:2)
but since the relaunch of Microsoft Edge based on Google's Chromium, that position has been challenged.
I had a good old belly laugh at that one. Edge's market share went from 7% to 8% with Edge Chromium edition. Chrome's market share remained relatively unchanged at about 75-80%
CHALLENGE!
Little New Here (Score:3)
Time for some antitrust enforcement (Score:2)
They are all entrenched monopolistic enterprises that treat users like dirt. Dismantling the entire structure and reintroducing competition is the only cure.
I think that's a crime! (Score:2)
Monopolism.
At least it was, when Opera sued MS for pushing people to use IE, both on Windows Phone and in normal Windows, years earlier.
No Chrome, thank you! (Score:1)
Switch my phone. (Score:1)
Sounds like MS Edge Propaganda to me (Score:1)