Google Chrome is a well-known web browser and has become an essential part of our daily life. Google Chrome was introduced for the first time in 2008 and has constantly been evolving since. We forgot many original features with the frequent release of updates. This article contains a list of features that might enhance your user experience.
Task Manager
Did you know that Chrome has its own inbuilt task manager? It is helpful when your browser runs into trouble or when you want to keep an eye on Chrome’s performance.
To open the task manager, navigate to Chrome’s menu and select ‘More tools’ and ‘Task manager’ (or Shift+Esc). You can view the amount of memory, CPU time, internet bandwidth being used by each tab, and other background processes.
Chrome theme customization
The classic white look of Google Chrome does the job. But for those who want to treat their visual senses, this is a convenient feature. Select the browser menu and click on Settings > Appearance > Theme. It will redirect you to the Chrome Web Store containing themes from artists, users, and from Google itself.
Casting your screen to other devices
If you want to view your current screen on another device with a bigger/smaller display, follow these steps. Select the three dots icon on the top right corner and then select the ‘Cast…’ option.
Your entire desktop will be cast to a Chromecast device on the same Wi-Fi network. It’s best compatible with presentations, images, etc.
Guest mode
If there arises a situation where someone wants to use your device for some time, you can enable guest mode. It prevents them from browsing through your bookmarks, search history, and checking out all the sites you’re logged into.
Select your Google account avatar on the top right corner next to the address bar. Then choose the ‘Guest’ option to switch the user. Although the person can exit guest mode quickly, it adds an extra layer of protection to your private data.
Playing audio and video files
You are mistaken if you think Chrome is only for browsing websites. All you have to do is to drag audio or a video file into a new tab. Then you’ll be able to play it right inside your browser, as long as it’s a supported format.
The playback controls and features that chrome offers are pretty basic and easy to use. It can help when you want to open up a file on your system quickly.
Harmful malware detection
You would be surprised to learn that a malware scanner comes preloaded with Chrome. Use it when you’re experiencing slower browser speeds, seeing an irritating amount of pop-up ads, or noticing anything suspicious.
Open Settings in the browser menu and navigate to the Advanced section. Choose ‘Reset and clean up’ then ‘Clean up computer’ to look for anything harmful and suspicious. Give it a few minutes for the scan to complete. Chrome will give you a report on its findings. You can proceed to clean them and make your Chrome experience clean and smooth.
Send tabs to other devices
This feature can help when you want to browse a webpage on your phone or another device. Just right-click on the URL in the address bar at the top of the interface. Then click ‘Send to XYZ device.’ In this case, the “XYZ device” is any device where you’ve installed Chrome and signed in with your Google account, and sync turned on. Select your preferred device, and Chrome will send the URL to your device in a second. You can then view the webpage on your preferred device.
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