Google on Tuesday announced some major updates coming to Chrome 88, including tab search and enhanced password protection.
The new password protection is perhaps the biggest part of Chrome 88. One of the new features enables users to easily resolve bad passwords. The update will identify when a password is weak and give Chrome users the opportunity to create and save something stronger.
Regarding editing bad passwords, Google said that Chrome 88 will also make it much easier to update multiple usernames and passwords in one convenient place. In the Chrome settings on desktop and iOS, users will be able to manage all their saved passwords. According to Google, the same feature will be available on Android soon.
The enhanced password features come amid a flurry of other bug fixes and enhancements, including better dark theme support on Windows 10, less intrusive permission requests, and a new Chrome flag for tabs, already available on Chromebooks. Chrome also no longer supports FTP URLs.
Google is also announcing a number of changes to Chrome 88, which the search giant has listed on its developer site. One such change is to the Digital Goods API. Now, web apps published in the Google Play Store can use Play Store billing, just like native apps.
These new updates keep abreast of the changes made late last year, designed to make extensions more private and secure. The search giant said it will change from 2021 how extensions access data and how rights work when an extension is installed. It will also provide users with more transparency about the data usage of an extension.
Google has taken a tougher approach to privacy in Chrome. Last year, the company introduced a Chrome Safety Check feature, biometric password entry verification on iOS, and a touch-to-fill feature on Android.
Google has said that the new features in Chrome 88 will be available in the coming weeks, so look out for an update on your browser.