Google revealed on Wednesday that it is adding five new features to the Chrome browser for mobile devices, all of which are intended to improve the search experience. Google is seeing more competition from startups like Arc. These include updated addressbar shortcuts for simpler navigation, trending search recommendations, live sports cards for fans, and more customized search suggestions based on users’ browsing preferences. The features will be available soon for iOS and Android smartphones.
One of the new features is Chrome Actions, which makes it easier for users to complete various actions without having to navigate to the settings. Users will now be able to search for a local business and instantly access shortcut buttons like “Call,” “Directions,” and “Reviews” when the feature makes its way to local search results.
Google is planning to release an iOS version of this later this fall, but it is currently available in Chrome for Android smartphones.
Additionally, Google has improved the Chrome address bar for Android and iPad tablets. With the new design, users can take full advantage of the larger tablet screens for a better browsing experience by opening the Chrome address bar while still seeing the webpage they are currently on.
In addition, new shortcut recommendations based on previous searches will be available in the Chrome browser on iOS and Android devices. According to the company, if a user searches for “schedules” in Chrome and frequently visits the City Metro website, the website will now show up higher in the search results the next time the user types in “schedules.”
Trending searches, which were formerly exclusive to Android smartphones, is another helpful tool. At last, Google is adding trending search recommendations to the iOS Chrome address bar, enabling users to view the most popular queries throughout Google Search.
In order to notify users when their preferred sports team is playing and to automatically update users with the most recent scores and highlights from previous games, Google also included live sports cards to Chrome’s Discover Feed on mobile devices. By choosing the three-dot menu in the Chrome mobile app, users may change the feature.