A writer shares how she uses Chrome extensions to stay productive, from translating text to converting files and more.
We share more ways Chrome can help make your holiday shopping easier, from tracking price drops to finding discount codes.
We chat with Google experts about how the Web is becoming a great place for audio production, from recording podcasts to sharing music.
We now have three site search shortcuts directly built into the Chrome address bar, starting with @tabs, @bookmarks and @history.
Businesses all over the world rely on Chrome to get things done securely and collaboratively — both at home and in the office. And that’s due to the Googlers who work every day to make sure enterprise users stay safe online using Chrome.
We chatted with Robert Shield, a longtime Chrome Googler and the director of engineering on the Chrome Browser Enterprise team, to get an insider’s point of view on how Chrome evolved to become a secure browser for businesses.
Early on, we realized that businesses had specific needs for managing Chrome to a large workforce. Shortly after Chrome’s initial launch, we added a variety of enterprise management capabilities like Chrome Browser Cloud Management, and zero trust solutions like BeyondCorp Enterprise, to help with added security controls, distributing software and supporting legacy browsers.
The way we work has shifted quite drastically, from legacy systems connected over private networks to cloud-centric computing. Workers now need to access data from anywhere and on different types of devices. While this change brings more flexibility and productivity to organizations, it requires them to work even harder to secure their data.
Customers tell us they have a growing need to secure access to data hosted in the cloud, so we provide tools to prevent data loss right in the browser. We also make it easy for businesses to integrate Chrome with popular security solution providers, like Splunk, CrowdStrike and Palo Alto Networks. This allows customers to gain a deeper understanding of potentially harmful threats their users face on the web and be more proactive in their remediation efforts.
We’re really focused on helping businesses safeguard their whole computing stack, from cloud services to the desktops, laptops and phones used by workers. With the move to cloud workloads accelerating over the coming years, we’re investing in tighter integrations between Chrome and the full slate of security tools and services that organizations use every day to provide complete end-to-end security for users and data. It’s exciting to see the browser evolve to play an active role in securing business environments.
It’s Native American Heritage Month in the U.S., a time when we honor the history, traditions and contributions of Native Americans. As a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, I celebrate this month by taking time to reflect and express gratitude for my ancestors, the resilience of my tribe and other Indigenous people, and future generations carrying our tribal traditions forward.
As a product manager at Google, I’m also proud of how we’re celebrating across our products. On Google Assistant, for example, just say “Happy Native American Heritage Month” or “Give me a fact about Native American Heritage” throughout the month of November to hear a collection of historical facts and stories from the Native American community. Meanwhile, a recent Doodle on Google’s homepage celebrated the history of Stickball, a traditional sport created by Indigenous tribes.
We also commissioned five Native American artists to create a collection of themes for Chromebooks and Chrome browser. This collection has a special meaning to me because it showcases important traditions and reminds me of home. Richard D. York’s piece “ᎤᎧᏖᎾ (Uktena, or Horned Serpent)” in particular brings me back to my childhood listening to the stories of Uktena and other tales from my elders. A more solemn work, “A Lot Meant,” reminded me of growing up in Oklahoma and how historical policies like allotment impacted my family and so many others.
Now available globally, these themes reflect the unique experiences and identities of each artist. Here’s what they shared about their work:
To apply one of these themes (or others from Black, Latino and LGBTQ+ artists) to your Chrome browser, visit the Chrome Web Store collection, select a theme and click "Add to Chrome." You can also open a new tab and click the “Customize Chrome” button on the bottom right to explore background collections. To apply one of these wallpapers to your Chromebook, right-click your desktop, choose "Set wallpaper and style," then select "Native American Artists.”
We designed Chrome to be secure by default, protecting you from dangerous and deceptive sites that might steal your passwords or infect your device. Chrome pioneered many of the techniques that are now foundational to browser security (such as sandboxing and site isolation), and with recent advances like predictive phishing protection, you can be confident that we’re using the latest technology to keep your data safe.
But what can you do yourself to make sure you stay safe online? To mark Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we talked to a few Chrome security engineers to share a few pieces of advice:
Hundreds of security engineers across Google work to keep Chrome safe against the latest threats, and those improvements come out at least every two weeks. “We try to shorten the time between when a security bug has been discovered or reported and when a fix is released,” says Amy Ressler, a security technical program manager. “No matter how fast we work, we know motivated adversaries are looking for opportunities to exploit the ‘patch gap’ between when we release the fix and when some users update to the newest version.” Chrome checks for updates regularly, and when one is available, Chrome downloads it immediately and then applies it when you close and reopen the browser. But if you haven’t closed your browser in a while, you may have a pending update visible in the upper right corner of the browser window. To apply the update, click “Update” or simply close and reopen Chrome. Don’t worry: You won’t lose your tabs, and it will only take a few seconds.
Using a password manager (even if it’s not Google’s) will help you store and use a strong, unique password for each site you log into. “If your password is compromised through a phishing attack or a security breach,” security software engineer Nwokedi Idika says, “using a unique password on every site reduces its value to an attacker because it only provides access to a single site — not multiple ones.” If you’re using a password manager to store “fido1234” as your password for every site, you're not making the most of the tool. Google Password Manager can suggest and save a strong, unique password of gobbledygook (like KZamPPzj43T9mQM). Then, Chrome will autofill the password next time you need it — on any device. Chrome should suggest a new strong password when creating a new account, or you can always right click in the password field and click “Suggest Password.”
Chrome and Safe Browsing work to ensure that we warn you about dangerous downloads when possible. When you see a download warning, you can still download the file, but we strongly recommend against it. Computers are often compromised by malware because people misunderstand or ignore warnings. "We hear feedback from people that think Google disapproves of that download or software, so they ignore the warning,” says software engineer Daniel Rubery. “But the file is actually malicious!" We are constantly working to remove warnings that aren't useful; for example, we recently reevaluated our list of dangerous file types which reduced low risk warnings by more than 90%. This means you can trust that a download warning really means danger.
To be even more secure while browsing the web in Chrome, turn on Enhanced Safe Browsing protection in your Chrome settings. It substantially increases protection from dangerous websites and downloads by sharing real-time data with Safe Browsing. “This is how you can get the most out of Chrome's security features,” recommends security software engineer Javier Castro. “By enabling enhanced protection, you are letting Chrome use the latest threat intelligence and the most advanced user protections to keep you safe while you browse.” If you’re signed in, Chrome and other Google apps you use (Gmail, Drive, etc) will be able to provide improved protection based on a holistic view of threats you encounter on the web and attacks against your Google Account. As a result, people using Enhanced Safe Browsing are successfully phished 20-35% less.
Two-factor authentication can use your phone to add an extra step to verify that it's you when you sign in. Signing in with both a password and a second step on your phone protects against password-stealing scams. Software engineer Diana Smetters says, “It's simple to turn on, and you only have to use your phone the first time you sign in on each of your devices. If an attacker gets your password online and tries to sign in, they'll be blocked because they don't have your phone.” If you sign into Chrome with a Google Account, be sure that you’re enrolled in 2-step verification to protect your account.
To stay even safer online, take a few minutes this month to update Chrome, start using Google Password Manager, turn on Enhanced Safe Browsing and enroll in 2-step verification. One last tip–you can always confirm your use of security features by running Safety Check in Chrome settings.
Welcome to our new advice series, Help Me Out, where we ask expert Googlers to share their best tips for navigating common tech conundrums. Whether you're trying to achieve inbox zero or want to get a handle on all those Chrome tabs, we've got a Googler who can help you out.
Help me out!
I come to you in need of Chrome tabs tips. First, you should know that Ilove my Chrome tabs. Exhibit A: I apparently have 42 Chrome tabs open on my work laptop right now. Exhibit B: Rumor has it I have 83 additional Chrome tabs open on my personal laptop. You could say closing my tabs feels…taboo.
There’s just so much internet to explore — so many fascinating rabbit holes to fall down with a simple search. Sometimes I’ll bookmark all open tabs into folders that are too vaguely named to be useful. What differentiates “New Folder 1” from “New Folder 2?” No one can say. I’m never going to give up my tabs, but I definitely could use some tidying tips.
—Keepin' tabs on my tabs
Dear Keepin’ tabs on my tabs,
Coming to you live from a tab that’s buried amongst its kind! I confess that I, too, am a tab enthusiast. Since I’ve got the same issue, I decided to ask a Chrome expert to help me help you.
Edward Jung is a UX engineer who works on the Chrome team and describes himself as a “tabs maximalist.” “I’m using an extension right now that tells me I have 250 tabs open,” he says. The difference between us and Edward? He’s got a solid tabs organization system on his side. Edward says in the 12 or so years he’s been working at Google, he’s come up with various strategies to cope with his tabs use. And his tips can help us, too.
First, something that’s helpful to know if you accidentally close tabs: You can always restore them (although Edward says whenever this happens he takes it as a sign from the universe that it’s time to let those tabs go and start over!).
But that doesn’t quite solve your specific issue about organization. For starters, Edward suggests using Tab Groups. “I helped design Chrome Tab Groups because tab organization was a problem I was experiencing,” he says. This feature allows you to group various tabs together, so if you want to open a handful of tabs all at once related to a subject in particular, a project you’re working on or even something like a trip you’re planning, you just need to find that label and everything will open simultaneously. Plus, after grouping, the tabs collapse together, keeping your tab strip less cluttered. You can even add color-coding or use an emoji when you’re naming a Tab Group, which helps you immediately identify it.
Right click a tab and select “Add tab to new group” to find grouping options, including color-coding.
If you have multiple windows full of tabs, a great way to instantly recognize which tabs are in which windows is to use Chrome’s window naming feature; you can access this by right-clicking on the empty space in the tab strip and selecting “name window.” “So if you have a window open that has various tabs related to ‘project x,’ you can name the window ‘project x.’ That way you don’t have to remember what a tab was related to, and in your toolbar you’ll see the label, not the name of some random website or document,” Edward explains.
Right-clicking on the empty space at the top of your browser window will give you the option to name a window.
Now that you’ve got a way to organize and identify your many tabs, you still need a way to search them. Edward says there’s a method for that, too: You simply hit the little “down” arrow at the top right of your Chrome browser and type in what you’re looking for, or scroll down the list of what’s open. If you have too many tabs open, you can close some right from this list. Another incredibly easy way to search your tabs? Start typing whatever it is you’re looking for into the URL bar — you don’t need the complete phrase either; if it's a tab you’ve used recently or often, Chrome will fill in the rest. And if you already have the tab open somewhere, Chrome will prompt you to switch to that one instead of opening a duplicate.
Can't find a tab? Cut to the chase by clicking on this arrow and searching for it directly.
Hopefully this helps you organize your tabs better! I’ll leave you with this excellent metaphor from Edward, who likens good tab organization to a utensils drawer. “Youcould just throw everything in a drawer, but it would be chaos! This is like using the organizers so everything has a recognized place, and you easily know where to find what, right when you look at it.”
Browse on,
Molly
We’re more than halfway through a thrilling Formula 1 season, and McLaren is locked in a tight battle in the 2022 World Constructors Championship. Earlier this year, we partnered with the McLaren F1 Team to distribute Chrome browser and almost 500 Android devices – including phones, tablets and earbuds – across their entire racing organization to help streamline communications on race day.
When McLaren debuted Chrome-inspired wheel covers, fans around the world told us they wanted more. Starting at this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, you’ll find more Chrome branding featured on their engine covers as part of our ongoing partnership.
You can now personalize your Chrome browser with exclusive themes inspired by the McLaren F1 Team. The six new themes feature McLaren’s papaya car, and race day images from some of your favorite circuits.
Chrome puts you in the driver’s seat when it comes to customizing your browser the way you want. So if you want a faster, safer browser that also shows support for the McLaren F1 team, try out one of our new desktop themes on Chrome for race day and everyday.
We’re more than halfway through a thrilling Formula 1 season, and McLaren is locked in a tight battle in the 2022 World Constructors Championship. Earlier this year, we partnered with the McLaren F1 Team to distribute Chrome browser and almost 500 Android devices – including phones, tablets and earbuds – across their entire racing organization to help streamline communications on race day.
When McLaren debuted Chrome-inspired wheel covers, fans around the world told us they wanted more. Starting at this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, you’ll find more Chrome branding featured on their engine covers as part of our ongoing partnership.
You can now personalize your Chrome browser with exclusive themes inspired by the McLaren F1 Team. The six new themes feature McLaren’s papaya car, and race day images from some of your favorite circuits.
Chrome puts you in the driver’s seat when it comes to customizing your browser the way you want. So if you want a faster, safer browser that also shows support for the McLaren F1 team, try out one of our new desktop themes on Chrome for race day and everyday.