On Saturday, Google set tongues wagging when it reminded us that its all-conquering web browser, Google Chrome was turning 10 years old. All we got was a tweet of a pixelized birthday cake, but the big news was the promise of a surprise that would come on Tuesday, September 4, Chrome’s official birthday.
In case you couldn’t tell…it’s our birthday. Plus, we’ve got a surprise for you this Tuesday. #GoogleChrome pic.twitter.com/nkEEjFEHCB
— Google Chrome (@googlechrome) September 1, 2018
Since Google first released Chrome, and it started dominating how we use the internet, it has only ever been the recipient of small, under the hood, updates so the tease of a Chrome-related surprise caught everybody’s attention. Now that we’ve had a couple of days to digest the big Chrome update we thought it’d be a good time to go through what has changed.
The big Google Chrome update
An Easter egg inside an Easter egg
First things first, before we get into the nuts and bolts of the Chrome ten-year anniversary update, let’s look at a cool little Easter egg Google has hidden away in the update code. We’ve all played the little runaway dinosaur game that pops up whenever Chrome can’t connect to the internet.
The No internet page sports a little T-rex and if you hit any key or the mouse, the dino will run off and you have time his jumps to get him over cacti and, later, other flying beasties. To celebrate Chrome’s tenth birthday, Google has added a little something to the game. If your internet is too reliable to access this little secret, you can just put chrome://dino/ into the address bar on Chrome and hit enter.
The tenth anniversary Easter egg hidden in the original Chrome Easter egg is the addition of all you need for a good birthday party. Yes, our little dino friend wants to get in on the celebration too and Google has given him a birthday cake to eat, a party hat to wear, and even party balloons to help get him into the party spirit.
Chrome’s Omnibox and Tabs
Ten years ago, Google Chrome introduced two huge innovations that changed the way we use the internet. The first was Chrome’s omnibox, which turned the simple address bar into a much more intuitive tool. The omnibox allows users to enter search terms as well as web addresses.
The other big innovation was the introduction of tabs. Thanks to Google Chrome, all other web browsers now allow users to open multiple tabs in the same web browsing window. Tabs allow us to use the internet for many different reasons all at the same time. Both revolutionary features have received a significant update on their tenth birthday.
The omnibox, once Chrome has been updated to the latest version, will include short form answers to search queries. This means that you’ll see basic information relating to your search query (like the weather for example) before you hit enter. Other information that will be subject to these short form answers will include celebrities, word definitions, and sporting events.
Chrome’s tabs are getting a redesign in-line with Google’s wider Material Design policy. This means that once you’ve updated your version of Chrome they’ll look much more rounded and sleeker than they do now. You’ll also be able to use the omnibox to help you find a particular tab that you have open.
Improved Chrome password manager
In a move that will worry password manager apps like Lastpass and Dashlane, Google is improving Chrome’s password manager. The update will offer users a strong password whenever they sign up to a new site. The password will then be saved and will be available for use on Chrome for both mobile and desktop. Once you’ve updated to the latest version of Google Chrome, you’ll also have access to an improved form filling feature, which will more accurately fill in things like passwords, addresses, and credit card details.
Looking to the future
Chrome has always been one of the smartest browsers and Google has been working hard to squeeze more and more AI into the Chrome experience. A huge focus of Chrome’s 10-year celebrations is how AI will affect your Chrome experience going into the future.
Until now, Google’s AI has been trying to help users stay ahead of the bad guys. The focus has been on preventing us from ending up on phishing or malware infected sites. Obviously, Google wants this to continue, but the search giant also wants its browser to be a step ahead too, offering more and more useful information before it has been asked for.
Google has web experiences like planning a vacation or searching for a song in its sites and hopes Chrome will be able to offer a much simpler experience for users looking to take care of multiple tasks all centering around a single search term. Flights, hotels, sightseeing, and more could all be much easier to take care of, as could finding out who sings a song and when they’ll next be performing near you, if Chrome keeps improving in-line with Google’s vision.
The new Chrome update will be available on desktop for both PC and Mac and on mobile for Android and iOS.
