Hey. You. Yes, you there — the one along with your overly moist eyeballs pointed on the display screen. What if I had been to let you know that that the browser you depend on for your entire web-based exploring on Android had oodles of additional options — top-secret settings that’d add superior powers into your cell shopping adventures and make wiggling your approach round this wacky ol’ net of ours meaningfully higher?Well, offered you are utilizing Google’s Chrome browser for Android, that is as true as true could be. And better of all, it does not take a lot to uncover all of Chrome’s rigorously hid treasures — if you realize the place to look.The six settings on this web page will make your Android-based net shopping extra highly effective, extra environment friendly, and usually simply extra nice. They’re all simply sitting there ready to be discovered, too — so actually, why not make the most of what they’ve to supply?Before we spelunk any additional, although, one fast phrase of warning: All of those settings are a part of Chrome’s flags system, which is a house for under-development choices which can be nonetheless actively being labored on and are not technically meant for mainstream use. The flags system is supposed for skilled customers and different equally knowledgeable (and/or insane) people who need to get an early take a look at superior objects. It additionally evolves fairly commonly, so it is solely doable a number of the settings talked about right here could look totally different from what I’ve described and even be gone solely sooner or later within the not-so-distant future.What’s extra, the flags system has a great deal of superior choices inside it, a few of which may doubtlessly trigger web sites to look bizarre, Chrome itself to change into unstable, and even your ears to start out spewing a delightfully minty steam. (Hey, you by no means know.) So in different phrases: Proceed with warning, comply with my directions rigorously, and do not mess with the rest you encounter on this space of the browser except you truly perceive it and genuinely know what you are doing.[Psst: Love shortcuts? My Android Shortcut Supercourse will teach you tons of time-saving tricks for your phone. Sign up now for free!] Got all that? Good. Now, let’s give your browser some spiffy new superpowers, we could?Chrome Android setting No. 1: Smarter screenshotsI do not find out about you, however I share an terrible lot of screenshots with my fellow phone-staring land mammals. And typically, there will be some method of information on the display screen I need to spotlight — a particular space on an online web page, an interface aspect, a pinky-nail-sized picture of my fibula, or regardless of the case could also be. Android’s personal native screenshot editor makes it simple to scribble on any screenshot you seize and add in a crudely drawn line or circle — however “crudely drawn” is the important thing time period there. You’re fairly actually simply scribbling along with your finger on the display screen, and you’ll very a lot inform in the best way it finally ends up trying.But, get this: You can now create a tidy and professional-looking field, circle, or arrow on high of any screenshot you seize from proper inside Chrome, with out ever interrupting your workflow. And all you’ve got gotta do is flip a single change to make it doable.Here’s the trick:
Type chrome:flags into your Chrome Android app’s tackle bar.
Type screenshots into the search field on the display screen that comes up.
Tap the road labeled “Screenshots for Android V2” and alter its setting from “Disabled” to “Enabled.”
Tap the blue Relaunch button on the backside of the display screen.
After your browser restarts itself, open up an online web page — any ol’ net web page. Tap the three-dot menu icon in Chrome’s upper-right nook, choose “Share,” after which choose “Screenshot” within the little panel that pops up. And hey — how ’bout that? There on the backside of that instrument is an innocuous-looking new addition referred to as “Shape.” JRTap that, and you’ll then draw any clean-looking field, circle, or arrow anyplace on the screenshot, in any shade you need: JRNot too shabby, eh?Chrome Android setting No. 2: Less limiting screenshotsSpeaking of screenshots, have you ever ever tried to seize a screenshot of one thing you are viewing in Chrome’s Incognito mode in your cellphone? If not, permit me to spoil the shock for you: It does not work. You simply get a clean, black picture with out something seen on it — which is gorgeous in its simplicity, I suppose, however not all that helpful relating to making an attempt to share essential information.Well, get this: Deep inside Chrome’s dankest bowels lies a easy change that removes that screenshot-prohibiting coverage for the browser’s Incognito mode and allows you to seize something you need to seize, in any mode you are utilizing.So say, as an example, you are utilizing Chrome’s Incognito mode to have a look at one thing with out being signed in. Or perhaps you are counting on it to examine on a sure search with out having the time period get linked to your Google shopping historical past. Or perhaps you are utilizing it for, erm, sure different undisclosed functions.Whatever the case, there are certain to be moments if you need to snap a screenshot of one thing in that type of state. And now, you may.Here’s all there’s to it:
Once once more, sort chrome:flags into your browser’s tackle bar.
Type incognito into the search field on the display screen that comes up.
Find the road labeled “Incognito Screenshot” and alter its setting from “Default” to “Enabled.”
Tap the Relaunch button on the backside of the display screen.
And that is it: You can now seize screenshots of Incognito home windows at any time when your privacy-browsing coronary heart needs.Just bear in mind: If you snap one thing by accident at an (ahem) inadvertent second, it is as much as you to go discover and delete it.Chrome Android setting No. 3: Smarter savingIf you are something like me and have a tendency to maintain someplace between 20 and 20,000 tabs open in your Chrome Android browser at any given second — all Very Important Articles you plan to learn sooner or later, clearly — this subsequent hidden Chrome characteristic is only for you.It’s a wiser system for saving stuff straight in your Android browser with out all of the muddle after which ensuring you truly bear in mind to revisit it later.And this one requires two totally different items of the puzzle to be activated:
Start by typing chrome:flags into your browser’s tackle bar (feeling acquainted but?).
Next, sort learn later into the search field.
Find the road labeled “Reading list” and alter its setting to “Enabled (with app menu item).”
And then discover the road labeled “Read later reminder notification” and alter its setting to “Enabled.”
Finally, faucet the Relaunch button on the backside of the display screen.
When Chrome reloads, strive opening up any article on any web site you want. Tap the three-dot menu icon in Chrome’s upper-right nook, and it’s best to see a newly added “Add to reading list” possibility halfway down the menu. JR Select that, and the web page shall be beamed over right into a particular space of your browser’s bookmarks reserved explicitly for stuff you need to learn later — and you will get a reminder after every week that you just, like, actually need to learn it.If you ever need to entry your studying listing by yourself, simply faucet Chrome’s three-dot menu icon once more and choose “Bookmarks.” You ought to then see “Reading list” as an possibility and have the ability to discover all the pieces you’ve got saved inside it.And as an extra-useful bonus, all these articles are robotically made obtainable for offline studying, too, in case you ever need to catch up while on an airplane or in an undisclosed underground bunker.Chrome Android setting No. 4: Better bookmarksWhile we’re eager about these Chrome Android bookmarks, let’s take a sec to self-apply a significant interface improve in that space — we could?The fact is that it is a fairly overdue enchancment. Chrome’s bookmarks space on Android hasn’t gotten a lot love in a very good lengthy whereas, and it is seemed relatively blah (to make use of the technical time period) because of this. But concern not, for Google hasn’t forgotten about it solely.You can fast-track your Android cellphone into Chrome’s new-and-improved bookmarks setup by making this fast ‘n’ simple tweak:
Type chrome:flags into the browser’s tackle bar.
Type bookmarks into the search field on the display screen that comes up.
Tap the road labeled “Bookmarks refresh” and alter its setting from “Disabled” to “Enabled (enabled w/ visuals).”
Tap the Relaunch button on the backside of the display screen.
After your browser restarts, faucet the three-dot menu icon in its upper-right nook and once more faucet “Bookmarks” in that important Chrome menu. You’ll be greeted with a freshened-up Android bookmark view that does not seem like it was final touched within the prehistoric ages — and, as an added perk, you may additionally discover a brand new and fewer ambiguous possibility for including a website into your bookmarks inside that important Chrome menu.Chrome Android setting No. 5: A wiser Dark ThemeAndroid’s Dark Theme is a pleasant option to make your digital world somewhat simpler in your eyes, particularly within the night hours or anytime you are in a dim setting (like, as an example, an undisclosed underground bunker).But oddly sufficient, utilizing the system-wide Dark Theme toggle does not truly have an effect on the net. Most websites nonetheless present up vivid as day and in a harsh distinction to the mellow dim vibes the remainder of Android offers you in that context.Well, here is the repair:
Type — yup, you guessed it! — chrome:flags into your browser’s tackle bar.
Now sort darkish into the search field on the display screen that comes up.
Find the road that claims “Darken websites checkbox in themes setting” and alter its setting to “Enabled.”
Smack that splendid Relaunch button on the backside of the display screen. (Don’t fear. It likes it.)
Now pull up any ol’ web site you need, and you may see the positioning magically reworked right into a darkish theme to your viewing pleasure. JR And bear in mind this: If you ever need to disable that transformation, you may mosey your approach into the Chrome Android app’s settings and choose “Theme” to discover a change that’ll allow you to toggle it on or off as wanted.Chrome Android setting No. 6: Richer reactionsLast however not least is a barely foolish however nonetheless doubtlessly helpful Chrome Android possibility. And it goes hand in hand with the primary two methods we went over in the beginning of this saga.Are you prepared? This closing hurrah of ours is an expanded system for browser-based screenshots — one which makes it delightfully simple so as to add an expressive response into any picture you seize for further impact.See? JRWant to offer it a whirl? Here’s how:
One final time, sort chrome:flags into that keen and ready tackle bar of yours.
Type reactions into the search field on the high of the display screen.
Find the road labeled “Lightweight Reactions (Android)” and alter its setting to “Enabled.”
Last however not least — let’s all say it collectively now! — faucet the Relaunch button on the backside of the display screen.
When Chrome comes again up, simply gallop over to any ol’ web site you want, choose the “Share” possibility in the primary Chrome menu, and search for the newly current “Add emotion” risk.Pound that pet, then decide the emotion you require (and word that you could scroll horizontally on the listing of choices to uncover much more symbols) — then use your fingers to maneuver and resize it and even duplicate it, should you’re actually feeling merry. JRAll that is left is to hit the checkmark icon within the lower-right nook of your display screen after which ship your creation as a vigorous animation to no matter colleague you select to bless along with your expressiveness.For everybody else in your office, concurrently: You’re welcome — and I’m sorry.Ready for much more superior Android information? Sign up for my free Android Shortcut Supercourse to study tons of time-saving methods!
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