Apple isn’t the only major technology company with tablet news today. On Tuesday, Google revealed a number of new features coming to Chrome on Android tablets ahead of the Pixel Tablet’s launch next year. And if you already own an Android tablet, you can take advantage of all these new features now in the latest version of Chrome.
One of the obvious priorities of this design refresh was to improve the experience of viewing and navigating between tabs in Chrome.
First, Google added a new side-by-side design that should make it easier to find the tab you are searching for. You can swipe left or right at the top of the screen to switch between tabs, and to help prevent you from accidentally closing tabs, Chrome will hide the close tab button on inactive tabs when they become too small. If you still find a way to close a tab by accident, Chrome’s one-step restore can bring it back as quickly as it closed.
If you often keep multiple tabs open in Chrome on your tablet, the visual tab grid is going to be your new best friend. Rather than swiping through the tiny tabs at the top of the browser, you can pull up a grid that features full previews of every tab.
Other improvements in Chrome on Android tablets include the ability to drag and drop images, text, and links to other apps, and the option to set Chrome to always request and display the desktop version of whatever site you’re visiting.
Finally, Google says that tab groups are coming soon to Chrome on Android tablets, but didn’t share a release date. Speaking of release dates, Google’s Pixel Tablet is coming out in early 2023, but we don’t have a precise date for that yet either.
Related coverage: Google Pixel Fold leak reveals new details about the display
