Google this week plans to release major Chrome updates more frequently – from six weeks to four weeks. To keep up with the news, the search giant announced that it’s facilitating experimental features while testing while evolving.
According to Alex Ainslie (via 9to5Google), design head of Google Chrome, Canary users (and soon Dev and Beta) can access a new cup icon in the toolbar, making it easy to access Chrome experiments. Google hopes that by making it easier for users of these experiments, they will provide more feedback.
👩🔬 We hope to gather more feedback on @Google Chrome updates as developed. If you use Canary today (and soon Dev and Beta), you’ll see a small cup on the toolbar that makes it easier to try new things and share suggestions on how to develop them. pic.twitter.com/doPLzJbnRW
– Alex Ainslie (@alexainslie) 5 March 2021
A GIFs shared by Ainslie show features like reading list, browsing tabs and searching tab pages are part of Chrome’s experiments. All the features are pretty obvious: reading list allows users to save articles quickly to read later; by browsing pages, users can scroll through their tabs; and tab search enables users to search their open tabs.
Along with each experimental feature, there is a “Send Feedback” button that users can click to share their thoughts on the new features. Some of these features we have already seen in various development stages, with the reading list feature already part of Chrome 89 being introduced on PC and mobile. Google apparently still wants to continue asking for feedback on the feature to make it a more prominent part of Chrome.
Chrome usually hides experimental features behind flags, which are not easily accessible if you are not familiar with how it works. And when enabled, it’s not easy to see what’s you turned on and off. This new experiment panel simplifies the experience and enables Google to focus on shifting features that users think.
If you’ve brave enough to live in the Canary, you can check out Chrome’s new experiment list. Otherwise, these features are likely to move to a stable version, with a reading list already available as we said.