Google Chrome for Android is undoubtedly one of the go-to Android web browsers for millions of users across the globe because it comes as the default browser on most Android phones. While the default Chrome settings are enough for browsing the web comfortably, there are many Google Chrome features hidden under the roof that enhance your browsing experience to a whole new level. In this post, we’ll explore some of the unknown Google Chrome for Android tips and tricks that can enhance your browsing experience.
Note: To use some of these Chrome hidden features, you need to enable Chrome Flags. Chrome Flags are nothing but experimental features and settings that Google is testing in Chrome. To open Chrome Flags, you simply need to type this (chrome://flags) in the address bar and press enter.
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Google Chrome for Android Tips and Tricks
1. Google Chrome As Calculator
This simple Chrome trick allows you to use Chrome as a calculator. For basic calculations, you can simply type numbers with math symbols between them to get instant results in the Chrome search bar. For complex calculations, you need to type https://calculator.apps.chrome/ in your address bar and hit enter. Here, you can do complex calculations along with basic including advanced geometry and trigonometry. The best part is that it even works offline and it’s suggested to be used in landscape mode for better accessibility. Use it and share it with someone who you think finds it useful.
2. Lock Incognito Tabs On Chrome
This Google Chrome Android hidden setting makes browsing in incognito even more private by letting you lock it with your fingerprint, so nobody will be able to see what you are doing in incognito even if they know your phone’s PIN. Chrome automatically and instantly locks Incognito tabs once you exit the app. When you relaunch the browser to access those tabs again, you’ll see a gray screen with an “Unlock Incognito” option at the bottom of the screen. Opening the tabs again would require fingerprint or pin authentication.
You’ll have to enable the feature from the browser’s Privacy and Security settings, where you’ll find an option titled as “Lock Incognito tabs when you leave Chrome”. In case you don’t find this option in the settings, don’t worry you can enable it in Chrome Flags. Open Chrome Flags, search for incognito, and enable ” Enable device re-authentication for incognito” then relaunch the browser.
3. Delete Incognito Browsing History On Google Chrome Android
Incognito browsing is something we use when we don’t want to save the search history. But actually, everything we search on the internet is stored somewhere including the incognito browsing history. The DNS cache is one such place where all your Chrome incognito activities are stored for a better browsing experience. The good news is that you can clear that saved incognito history from the DNS cache.
To do that, just type this (chrome://net-internals/#dns) in the Chrome address bar, hit enter, and then click on clear host cache. That’s it, you’ve just flushed all the final traces of your incognito browsing history from your device. It’s advised to do this at least once a month for a better incognito browsing experience on Google Chrome Android.
4. Google Chrome Android Forced Dark Mode
Google Chrome for Android already has a dark mode which you can easily enable from the Settings page (Settings -> Theme -> Dark). But even if you enable it, the dark mode won’t be applied to all web content. However, you can now activate Force Dark mode for all web pages. It works just like the Dark Reader extension on the desktop. All you have to do is, search for dark in Chrome Flags, and enable Auto Dark Mode for Web Contents, then relaunch the browser to see any webpage in dark mode.
5. Force Zoom On All Websites On Chrome
Google Chrome for Android doesn’t allow you to zoom in on all websites by default. For instance, Facebook. Well, worry no more, because this hidden Chrome setting allows you to zoom in even on unsupported websites easily. Simply head over to the Chrome settings, and accessibility, and then enable Force Zoom. That’s it! Now you can zoom in and out on any website on Chrome browser.
6. Speed up Google Chrome for Android
You can speed up the Google Chrome browser on all Android devices with the help of two Chrome Flags. All you need to do is, navigate to Chrome Flags, search for “GPU rasterization“, enable it, and relaunch the browser. This forces the Chrome browser to use your phone’s GPU to render the web content instead of the CPU. This means the GPU will also take part in performing some tasks and thus you get some performance improvements.
The next flag that speeds up Chrome is “Back forward Cache“. It will be very helpful if you often find yourself using the back and forward navigation keys in Chrome to navigate across websites and search results. Simply search for it in Chrome Flags, enable and relaunch the browser. After enabling the flag, chrome will start caching entire websites in the cache so when you use the back and forward keys to navigate, the web pages will load instantly without any waiting. Enable the above-shown two flags to effortlessly enhance the Chrome browser’s speed and performance on Android.
7. See Chrome Search History by Date
This Google hidden feature allows you to see all your browsing history across all Google apps by date. Doesn’t matter how old the date is. All you have to do is, open the Google app, tap on your account icon, tap on history, and then tap on this calendar button. Now you can select any date and year you want and see the search history of both Chrome browser and Google app on that date. You can not just see, but also delete the history if you want.
8. Wikipedia Trick
This simple Chrome trick could come in handy for students who rely on Wikipedia most of the time for assignments and stuff. Instead of reading through all the details and searching for key points, you can just edit the URL by replacing “en” with “simple” to get only the key points displayed. It’s such a simple but time-saving hack for Wikipedia users.
Wrapping Up
Google Chrome For Android is famous for its user-friendly interface and robust performance that caters to the needs and preferences of a diverse user base. Whether you are a basic non-tech-savvy user or a tech-savvy user. It has something to offer everyone. With the help of the above-shown tricks and hidden features, you can make the most of the Chrome browser on Android devices and elevate your browsing experience to a whole new level.
