Google has released a new version of the Google Chrome web browser, which it says provides the most significant performance improvements in years.
Chrome 87 is the last update of the year, with Google saying it now does a better job of “prioritising your active tabs vs. everything that’s open.”
The result is a 5x reduction in CPU usage as well as extending battery life by up to 75 minutes, depending of course on the device in question. The company says start-up time is now 25% faster, while pages will load 7% faster. All while consuming less CPU power and RAM.
On the mobile side of things, the Android version now offers speed improvements when moving back and forth between already accessed pages. Google says page-loading in these circumstances will be near instant.
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Elsewhere, Google says it’s now adding a ‘tab search’ functionality, which will help users quickly pin down which of their open tabs they wish to access.
“You’ll now be able to see a list of your open tabs—regardless of the window they’re in—then quickly type to find the one you need. It’s search … for your tabs! The feature is coming first to Chromebooks, then to other desktop platforms soon,” the company writes in a blog post.
In another useful update, Google is expanding the functionality of the URL bar known as the omnibox. After Chrome 87 has been installed, users will be able to type commands like “edit passwords,” or “delete history” and summon those menus. These are just two of the forthcoming actions.
Lastly, Google is also making it easier for users to continue previous searches for things like gift ideas and recipes. The blog post adds: “To help you jump back into activities like planning a meal, researching a holiday gift, or winding down with a video, we’ll soon add cards to your new tab page in Chrome. Clicking on them will take you to recently-visited and related content on the web, and save you time in the process.”
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
