When it comes to browsers, I'm a fan of Google Chrome. No matter what others say about its RAM consumption and poor memory management, the features it offers outweigh the cons. But did you know that your favorite Chrome browser comes with some surprising hidden features? Well, you will be amazed at the cool stuff it can do with these hidden features called flags.
SummaryWhat are Chrome flags and how to use themChrome flags to check1. Audio Muting2 tab UI control. Automatic spelling correction3. Save passwords automatically4. New profile management system5. Password generation6. Material design7. Enable panels Conclusion
So, first, we'll see what Chrome flags are and some of the cool features you can use.
Chrome Flags are experimental features included in the Chrome release, but hidden from the end user. These features are primarily aimed at developers and geeks who aren't afraid to put their browsing experience at risk to try new cool things. Many of these features are interesting and useful and worth checking out.
However, since these are experimental features, it is impossible to know when they may be completely removed or included as standard functionality in the next update. Therefore, it is like a bet where you hardly lose.
To enable these features, open a new tab and type chrome://flags/ in the Omnibar and press Enter. Once done, a page with the long list of features will open and at the top you will get a warning message. Always remember that any experiences you enable will be enabled for all users of that browser. So all you have to do is enable a feature and then click on the option that says Relaunch browser . If things ever get out of hand and you need to roll back, you also get a Reset Everything to Default button.
You are free to try all the available features, but if you need a whim, here are some of the most interesting ones to check out.
Chrome places a small speaker icon next to each tab that plays sound. By activating this flag, you will have the possibility to deactivate the tab by clicking on the speaker button which is displayed even without switching tabs. This feature can be very useful when you are streaming music online on a single tab and want to turn it off for a while to watch a video you have come across.
Once you're done, you can easily reactivate the tab. The feature is my favorite out of all the flags available and is therefore placed at the top.
Chrome gives you a red underline for typos and spelling errors, and you have to correct them manually from the right-click context menu. This flag will enable automatic word correction as you type for standard errors, much like what you get on Microsoft Word.
However, it will be very basic. If you are looking for a better alternative, you can try Grammarly for Chrome.
This flag when enabled will automatically save the password for all websites you visit and will not ask for confirmation popups as it usually does. If you are the only computer user, the feature can be handy. However, you should keep in mind that once enabled, the Flag feature is enabled for all users who use the browser. (Although we recommend using dedicated password managers like 1Password, LastPass, or Dashlane).
Therefore, this flag also raises security concerns as there is no way to password protect your profile, and that brings me to the next flag.
Once this feature is enabled, you will be able to lock your Chrome profile using your Google password. You will find the option once you click on your name in the upper right section of the Chrome browser. But if you are looking for robust protection, check out the LockPW extension available on the online store.
Chrome will automatically show you a random password once it detects that you are on an account creation page once this feature is enabled. This is very useful if you have a habit of using the same password over and over again. This feature will make your online presence a bit more secure. In addition, all generated passwords will be saved and therefore you will also have access to them on other devices.
the Material Design The option is more about getting the Android experience on any desktop. There are several of them, and all they do is give your browser a material design overhaul. Some of them are hard to notice, but the Download the page looks clean and organized. But I saw that it took a while for the page to load and I don't know if that's just me.
This flag does nothing by itself, but once enabled you can install extensions like picture-in-picture viewer for Chrome to multitasking. You can view YouTube videos, Facebook chats and multitask easily. Watch the video for more details.
So my friends, here are some of the hidden Chrome features that you can enable and make your browser work better. Just remember one thing. Don't get addicted to any of these features, they are experimental and may stop working at any time.
ALSO SEE: 15 Killer Google Chrome Features You Might Not Know About
