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7 Really Cool Chrome for Android Features You Didn’t Know
Chrome for Android is good out of the box. It syncs with your desktop, remembers your history, login passwords, and if you’re using a newer device the experience is smooth. But like Chrome on the desktop, there’s more here than meets the eye. Read on to find out about settings and experimental features that can improve your browsing performance.
Experimental Features
Chrome on Windows/Mac has a dedicated section for experimental features. Now, there’s one for Chrome on Android too. To access these settings, enter “Chrome://flags” in the omnibar. Be careful, as these experiments may have bugs. Note that these experimental features are not fully stable and could cause issues. Additionally, you must relaunch the browser for any enabled feature to take effect.
1. Reader Mode
iOS and Windows Phone have reader modes that strip a page of all formatting and present only the text and few images in a beautiful manner. This feature is available for experimentation in version 39.0.2171.59 and above for KitKat and Lollipop.
Enable Reader Mode Toolbar to use the Find in Page option from the menu. After relaunching, a new icon for the Reader Mode with the letter A will show up when browsing a compatible page.
2. Give It More RAM
If Chrome is slow, try adding more RAM. Look for “Maximum tiles for interest area” and change from “Default” to a higher value, up to 512 MB.
3. Enable FPS Counter
Remember FPS counters from Windows gaming days? The ones that would tell you the game’s smoothness so you could boast to your friends? You can do the same in Chrome. Enable the FPS counter and when hardware acceleration is active, you can view the animation speed in a tab.
4. Reduce Data Consumption
If you have a limited data plan, consider enabling “Reduce data usage” in “Settings.” This compresses content on Google’s servers, resulting in savings of 25% to 75%.
5. Gesture for Menu
The three dotted menu button hides useful shortcuts like reloading a page, going back/forward, adding a bookmark, finding in a page, and more. If you use Chrome often, you may find yourself clicking the menu button too much.
To speed things up, the latest version of Chrome has a gesture in place. Tap the menu button and swipe to the desired option without lifting your finger, then release to activate it. This simple action can save valuable time.
6. Force Pinch to Zoom on Every Site
Isn’t it frustrating to encounter a non-mobile-friendly website? It’s almost like it’s still 2008. Even worse are the websites with fixed elements that prevent you from double-tapping to zoom in on the text. To fix this issue, go to Settings -> Accessibility and enable Force enable zoom.
If you have tired eyes, Chrome can increase text size for any website. In the Accessibility section, drag the slider to the right. The preview above shows how the text will appear.
How Do You Chrome?
Which of the above tips will be most helpful to you?
As Fred Humiston, the author behind Twothirds.us, I focus on providing practical and easy-to-follow guides and solutions for a variety of technical issues that people commonly face.
My articles cover a wide range of topics, from troubleshooting out-of-sync audio on TikTok and managing Firestick devices, to understanding the impact of Capcut on video quality and resolving sound issues on Hisense Roku TVs.
I also delve into more general tech tips, like how to block numbers on landlines or use VPNs without Wi-Fi. My goal is to make technology more accessible and less intimidating for everyone, whether you’re a tech novice or a seasoned user. I strive to offer clear, concise, and helpful advice to make your digital experience smoother and more enjoyable.