Chrome is Making It Easier To Keep Track of Browser Tabs

Google is adding some new features to Chrome that aim to help users organize and keep track of their browser tabs across both desktop and mobile devices. From a report: The search giant announced in a new blog post that tab groups -- which enable Android and desktop Chrome users to keep related pages together in custom-labeled groups -- will start rolling out to Chrome for iOS starting today. Once Chrome is updated, iPhone and iPad users can access the feature by opening the tab grid, long-pressing on a tab, and selecting "Add Tab to New Group." Custom names and colors can then be assigned to the created tab groups to help keep them organized and easily identifiable. Another feature that's rolling out across Android and desktop Chrome apps is the ability to sync those saved tab groups across multiple devices.

Might as well go full client server model.

[Fly Swatter]

At this point, just put the system on server (er sorry the cloud), and have the phone, laptop, and desktop all be thin clients to log into that server instance (er sorry cloud). Phone battery life would probably go way up since no more processing locally - hell it would also be much cheaper to make the hardware for all devices now.

The only small problem is just don't lose internet access or you are royally fucked.

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[OffTheLip]

The only small problem is just don't lose internet access or you are royally fucked.

Seems one use case would be the phone retains the ability to make and receive calls but the rest of the things would be unavailable "royally fucked" until internet access is restored. Could work for an inexpensive phone alternative.

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[thegarbz]

Why? You say "at this point" as if what you're describing has anything to do with basic tab syncing. What benefit are you proposing to bring with your idea?

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[Fly Swatter]

Your data is already being collected for the 'tab syncing' and everything else, so it won't be anything more risky there. Most devices become less useful without a network connection anyway.

The benefit is much cheaper hardware, the OS will actually function the same on every device. OS updates won't need new hardware at every seat.

Something like the CrowdStrike fiasco would have been easier for Delta Airlines to recover if instead of 1000s of encrypted computers it was all on the central server. Thin

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[thegarbz]

OS? CrowdStrike? Are you a ChatGPT beta gone wrong? We're talking about tabs sync in a web browser here.

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[msk]

Thin clients reinvented again.

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[Fly Swatter]

Yes I took a big leap from sharing a browser tab to just sharing the entire operating system (OS), but if you can't see the parallels of the two on a networked connection (which every device now has), that's on you.

why i hate chrome on android

[FudRucker]

i am trolling some internet forums, i have a few tabs open, so when i am done spreading my humor i simply close the browser and go for a walk, come back later and open the browser and there are those old tabs still there, google should include an option to close all tabs when the browser is closed

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[WoodstockJeff]

But you don't close the browser if the phone is still "on". You just make it "not visible for now."

If you want to close a program on a phone (Android or Apple), you have to jump through some hoops, or actually turn the phone OFF. Otherwise, whatever you were doing before is still there.

Re: why i hate chrome on android

[FudRucker]

i could reboot the phone, open chrome and those tabs will still be there, you have to explicitly close the tabs before closing the browser

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[GoTeam]

It's a feature! Everyone loves mandatory features! LOVE THE FEATURE!!!

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[CaptQuark]

It's in the settings. Settings > On startup > Continue where you left off. Turn that feature off and you should have a single tab when you start Chrome.

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[Flavianoep]

Closing the browser or even turning the phone off doesn't have this effect. When the browser is opened again, so are the tabs.

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[CaptQuark]

Settings > On startup > Continue where you left off. Turn that feature off and you should have a single tab when you start Chrome.

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[Anonymous Coward]

The real lie here is an internet troll venturing outdoors

A feature for users? Right! Want to buy a bridge?

[oldgraybeard]

Google is not tracking the tabs to help the users. Google is helping their bottom line by tracking the users via their tabs!

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[ZiggyZiggyZig]

Chrome is Making It Easier To [...] Track [...]

Google being Google, etc.

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[AmiMoJo]

This is such a stupid story.

These features have existed on Android for many years. Nothing goes to Google unless you opt in to sync, and you can set a password which they claim makes it impossible for them to read.

Firefox has a similar feature.

The whole story seems to be that the iPhone version is a little bit less crap now. Is it because the EU forced them to allow it? TFA certainly doesn't explain it.

Who is asking for this?

[mukundajohnson]

Just tried it. It labeled this tab as "Chrome", not "News". Companies are ridiculously desperate to add AI features that are useless.

If you were to ask me to design a tab feature, it would be simply adding a keyboard shortcut to navigate the recent tabs list. You know when you click that one down arrow in the corner and it shows the recent tabs you visited? Make an option to change Ctrl+Tab open that instead of naively switching to the next tab in the list. Good text editors do this.

All the other non-recent

I'd like it

[iplayfast]

if they made the active tab bright pink or something so differentiate it from the row of other tabs that I've got open.

Obligatory Xzibit

[Hognoxious]

Yo dawg, I herd u like tabs so I put tabs in ur tabs so u can tab while u tab.