Google Chrome: Tricks And Hidden Browser Features

Google Chrome: Tricks And Hidden Browser Features
  • Google Chrome: Tricks And Hidden Browser Features : Millions of people around the world have made Google Chrome their favorite browser for surfing the web. To further improve your experience, here are tips and tricks that make it even more ergonomic.

Google Chrome

The popularity of Chrome is well established. Its clean, neat user interface and its versatility are among its best qualities. While there’s still a lot of debate about which web browser is best , there’s a reason why many Chrome alternatives , including Microsoft Edge and Opera, are based on the open-source Chromium project. project .

While Chrome’s capabilities multiply dramatically when you consider the nearly bottomless library of extensions, there are a host of hidden features . , all built into Chrome, that you might not be aware of. Especially since Google is adding new features all the time. So what are the best hidden features of Google Chrome?

Open Google Chrome Task Manager

Just like your Windows PC, the Google Chrome browser has its own task manager, which you can use to monitor the various processes it undertakes and the number of resources each takes up. To get there :

  1. Click on the three dots icon in the upper right corner.
  2. Select More Tools  then Task Manager (or press Shift + Esc).
  3. Google Chrome Task Manager

This is what Task Manager looks like on Google Chrome. You can select a task and click Stop Process if needed.

Google Chrome Task Manager

The pop-up will show all currently open plugins, extensions, and tabs, along with how much of your browser’s resources each is using. If any of them seem to be slowing down or freezing your browser, you can close that window directly from here.

Open accidentally closed tabs

We’ve all accidentally closed a tab and freaked out. Don’t worry, it’s possible to quickly bring this tab back to life with a very simple keyboard shortcut. As soon as you have closed your tab by mistake, do the combination:

  1. On macOS:  ⌘ + Shift + T  
  2. On Windows: CTRL + Shift + T

Reopen Closed Tab on Google Chrome

Otherwise, you can also rely on Windows or macOS to help you. If you accidentally close a tab, right-click on the menu bar (not on the tab itself) and the context menu will offer the option to reopen a closed tab.

On mobile, Chrome gives you a second chance with a little pop-up message at the bottom of the screen. If you’re quick enough, hit undo and the tab will return. Alternatively, you can tap the three-dot menu and choose Recent Tabs from the menu to see a list of your most recently closed tabs.

Open pages on every startup

Do you have websites that you access regularly? Google Chrome allows them to be configured to open each time the browser is started. Here’s how to activate it.

Click on the three buttons in the upper right corner and then on Settings .

In the On startup section , click  Open a specific page or set of pages . Finally click on Add a page to put the URL link to a particular site. In short, add the pages you want to see each time you start Google Chrome, then validate.

Pin tabs

This possibility allows you to free up space when there are too many open tabs in Google Chrome and you don’t want to close them. Just pin them and they will shrink to the far left of the browser. It’s not the most hidden of options, but here’s how to enable it.

Right-click on each relevant tab.

You will then find the always pinned tab in the upper left corner.

Pin Google Chrome

Mute noisy websites

Google Chrome now allows muting sound on noisy sites . This functionality is also accessible in the contextual menu of the tabs. It’s about those sites you frequent that crank out cookie-cutter videos or sounds. If you’ve had enough of them, here’s how to stop them from roaring your speakers.

Right-click on the tab in question.

Click Mute Site . The setting persists each time you open the site.

Export saved passwords to Google Chrome

If you don’t use a password manager like 1Password or LastPass, you’re probably using the one built into Google Chrome by default. This allows faster access to your favorite sites and web platforms without having to remember all your passwords. But how to recover them if necessary? Google Chrome now makes it very easy to export your passwords . To save your passwords on Google Chrome, follow these instructions:

At the top right of Google Chrome, click on the three small dots .

Click Settings , then  Autofill (on the left) and Passwords . 

To the right of Saved Passwords, click the three little dots.

Export Google Chrome Passwords

Click (twice) on  Export Passwords

Export Google Chrome Passwords

Save the Google Chrome Passwords.csv file wherever you want.

Prevent accidental closing of web pages

It’s happened to everyone before. One mistakenly click on the closing cross and Google Chrome closes with all your pages open. It hurts even more when there is work in progress or a form being filled in, which would require you to start all over again. But with Google Chrome, you can prevent the browser from accidentally closing .

Add website shortcuts to the desktop

Alternatively to opening pages on startup, you can configure shortcuts that open a specific site. The icon on the desktop will appear as that of a classic application, with the logo of the website in question. To create a shortcut in Google Chrome:

  • Go to a website.
  • Click the three dots in the upper right corner , then  click More tools  and  Create shortcut .
  • Google Chrome create shortcut
  • Click Create .

Google Chrome create shortcut

That’s it. Your website shortcut will be saved in Chrome Apps by default, but you can drag the icon wherever you want (on the desktop, for example).

Google Chrome create shortcut

Play Chrome T-Rex Hidden Game

Even with Google Chrome, you can kill time with so many hidden games . One of the best known? The T-Rex game. Because it can be annoying not being able to open a webpage for one reason or another, Google has thought of what it takes to keep you waiting. To access the T-Rex game on Google:

  • Cut your connection to the Internet.
  • Open any web page.
  • Press the  Space bar on your keyboard and start playing (Space bar to jump).
  • Google dinosaur game
  • Control a computer remotely with Google Chrome

Did you know ? Like some specialized applications such as TeamViewer or VNC, Google Chrome allows you to take control of a PC remotely . Follow this link to learn how to use Chrome Remote Desktop. This feature can be useful for troubleshooting purposes or in case you want to access your office PC from home, for example.

Enjoy the best extensions

Google Chrome wouldn’t be as popular without the plethora of extensions found on its store. Thanks to them, the navigator becomes a real Swiss army knife. Discover our selection of the best Google Chrome extensions to better enjoy the browser .

Putting pages to sleep to save RAM memory

It’s not a native feature, but it’s still worth mentioning. Thanks to an extension, you can pause several open pages after a predefined time. This trick is useful for those who often have dozens of pages open.

This can be taxing on system resources. To do this, see  our tutorial to see how to save up to 95% RAM memory with Google Chrome  by putting pages to sleep without closing them.

That’s it for this selection of the best hidden Google features. We’ve seen just about everything: hidden video games, practical shortcuts, tips and tricks… Now find our tutorial for Google Chrome on Android: how to install the same extensions as on PC?

Also Read : Best Antiviruses

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