Google Chrome 73 has been beta testing some new features, which include a dedicated “Sync and Google services” option in the Settings and functions related to Picture-in-Picture and media playback for the benefit of developers.
The January update had its own set of tweaks, including making a new ‘Autofill Grouping’ for Passwords, Payment Methods, and Addresses. For its part, the latest “Sync and Google Service” lists all the options based on browser data-related collections made by Google. Most of these options were already a part of the ‘Privacy’ section of the Settings, and the new feature has been rolling out with Chrome 72, with a widespread release scheduled to happen shortly. Among brand new features of Chrome 73 are “Enhanced spell check” and “Safe browsing extended reporting” extensions for users with activated Chrome sync. Another new feature, “Make searches and browsing better,” lets Chrome users get a more specific search by collecting anonymized URLs.
Chrome 73 is also all set to encourage desktop web apps since they enhance enterprise. To do the same, it has added ‘Badge APIs’, which shall allow Web app icons to add a visual indicator to attract user attention. Such APIs may include unread counts, event types, or just a dot, similar to the ones featured by native applications.
Auto Picture-in-Picture for Progressive Desktop apps has been introduced to allow the apps to enter and leave PiP seamlessly as users shuffle through them or switch tabs. As of now, the feature is only meant for developers and is being tested as an ‘Origin Trial.’ It is being said that the feature shall prove especially beneficial for video conferencing.
Chrome 73 is also testing out a brand new “Skip Ad” button for video windows on services like YouTube, which is supported by it. The feature is also equipped with the ability to allow a user to return quickly to the tab a video that commenced from the right in the PiP.
Chrome shall now feature support for hardware media keys for playing or pausing content like YouTube, irrespective of whether Chrome is working in the foreground or the background. Furthermore, developers can now use the Media Sessions API to place commands for the previous and next track, a feature already available on Chrome OS, macOS, and Windows, with support for Linux lined up.
Chrome 73 for Android has a new download manager and downloading experience. A snackbar featuring an animating loading indicator shall now slide up from the bottom of the screen while saving an image, as opposed to the previous toast message for initial confirmation and a completely empty snack bar.
The Downloads page shall feature full-width round-cornered images; the reverse-chronological feed can be easily filtered to locate Video, Images, and Others by availing the requisite chip at the top of the screen refining results.
