Google Chrome for Android: What You Need to Know

With the arrival of Chrome Beta for Android, the convergence of Google's desktop and mobile browsers has begun.

By Jared Newman
Tue, February 07, 2012

PC World — With the arrival of Chrome Beta for Android, the convergence of Google's desktop and mobile browsers has begun.

Slideshow: 10 Must-Have Google Chrome Add-Ons

Chrome Beta for Android includes desktop features such as tabbed browsing, Incognito mode and bookmark syncing. It can also list any tab that's currently open on the user's desktop version of Chrome, and open it on the phone.

Now for the bad news: Chrome for Android is only available on devices running Android 4.0, known as Ice Cream Sandwich. Right now, that includes Samsung's Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S, Motorola's Xoom and Asus' Transformer Prime. Users can get the browser free from the Android Market.

Here's everything else you need to know about Chrome for Android:

How Does Tabbed Browsing Work?

On Android phones, individual tabs don't appear on screen together, like they do in some third party browsers such as Dolphin. Instead, you quickly move between tabs by swiping from the phone's left or right bezel, or show all tabs by tapping a button next to the search and URL bar. On tablets, tabs are arranged side-by-side, in similar fashion to the existing stock Android browser.

How Does Desktop Sync Work?

Chrome for Android places desktop bookmarks in their own folder on the mobile browser's new tab page, so they don't get mixed up with other bookmarks. Another section of the new tab page shows any open tab for any computer that's signed in to the user's Google account. The mobile browser also syncs auto-complete suggestions from the desktop, drawing on your search and browsing history.

What Other Features Are There?

As TechCrunch reports, Chrome for Android uses hardware acceleration to make browsing feel smoother and snappier, and it can pre-load pages based on what links it thinks you'll click, just like desktop Chrome (but only over Wi-Fi, to prevent excess mobile data use). It also includes some advanced HTML5 features such as Web Workers, which allow Web apps to update in real-time. Unfortunately, the browser doesn't yet have a way to always request the desktop version of Websites instead of mobile-optimized sites.

The browser also has one other feature not found in the desktop version of Chrome: When tapping on an area filled with links, a magnified view appears to ensure you're clicking on the right thing.

What About Plug-Ins and Extensions?

The current version of Chrome for Android doesn't support plug-ins, but All Things Digital reports that the browser's architecture supports them. There are no plans to support Flash on the mobile browser, however. As for extensions, MG Siegler reports that Google is figuring out how to make them work best on mobile devices.

1 2 next page »

Originally published on www.pcworld.com. Click here to read the original story.

What is Tech Briefcase?

TechBriefcase is a new, free service where IT Professionals can Search, Store and Share IT white papers and content like this. Learn more

Bookmark content

Speed up your research efforts with content across the web.

Search and Store

Find the white papers you need. Create folders for any topic.

View Anywhere

Open your briefcase on your iPhone, tablet or desktop. Share with colleagues.

Don't have an account yet?

You are here: Applications » Browsers » Blog

Most Recent Browsers Stories

White Papers »

Gartner Magic Quadrant for Web Content Management, 2011

Gartner's report affirms the key role of web content management as part of a larger digital marketing strategy for engaging and serving customers/citizens. In this must read Gartner Magic Quadrant for WCM, analysts evaluate technology providers based on their ability to execute and completeness of vision.

The CFO Guide to Budgeting Software

A mid-sized business needs the same financial performance control and measurement capabilities as a large corporation, but in a solution that's affordable, easy to implement and scalable. This guide simplifies the search by helping CFOs understand the 10 must-have characteristics of today's best financial performance management solutions.

Transition from Spreadsheet Budgets to Packaged Application

This white paper details the problems that go with spreadsheet-based budgeting as well as the advantages of packaged applications. It also proposes a road map to help start the transition of your budgeting from a spreadsheet platform to an enterprise packaged application. The goal is to help SMBs plan their transition to a budgeting solution that delivers more collaboration but with more control, accountability, and budget compliance

Better Cash Flow Management: Recession-Proof Your Business

Cash is the lifeblood of most small to mid-sized organizations. So why rely on error-prone spreadsheets for forecasting cash flow and risk making the wrong decisions? This white paper explores what a best-in-class budgeting and planning application could offer in the spreadsheet's place.

Deliver Cost-Effective Business Continuity with Extreme Capacity

IBM DB2 provides application cluster transparency technology that equips organizations running OLTP applications with the ability to deliver high availability and continuous uptime for transactional data, plus the flexibility and capacity they need to remain competitive.

Workload Automation Challenges and Opportunities

This Executive Brief discusses IDC's perspective on how enterprise workload management requirements are changing and highlights the ways that workload automation solutions can address these emerging requirements.

Webcasts »

BMC Control-M - Single Point of Control Demo

With BMC Control-M, you schedule and manage everything - down to the very last platform and application - from one simple interface. It's the foundation of workload automation, really - the ability to run application and business processes as one. Siloed job schedulers can't do it. BMC Control-M can.

Sun Chemical Customer Success Story

Sun Chemical, the world's largest producer of printing inks and pigments, quadrupled its complex batch environment with zero extra headcount using BMC Control-M's Automated File Transfer features.

Spear Phishing and the Modern Cyber Attack

Learn how IT teams can protect against spear phishing tactics. Harry Sverdlove, chief technology officer of Bit9 offers a frank discussion about spear phishing - the most common technique used in today's advanced attacks. Learn how spear phishing works and three recommendations for IT to protect against modern threats.

Search Changes Everything

Search technology brings two new capabilities to BI. View now to learn more.

BI That Answers Why

Traditional BI answers "what happened?" Answering "Why?" is extremly valuable. View now to find out more.

Does Agile BI Need A Platform?

Give each user the independence they want, and IT the control it needs. View now to learn more.

Newsletter Sign-Up »

Receive the latest news test, reviews and trends on your favorite technology topics

Choose a newsletter