Pressing F12 will open a dev console that allows you to view web code and quickly identify elements simply by highlighting the mouse over each line. Under the hood, Chrome has some awesome features that make it very developer friendly: hardware acceleration for rendering 3D CSS effects, Google's own NaCl (Native Client) that allows secure execution of C and C++ codes within the browser, and an in house JavaScript engine that improves load times with every release. Contrary to popular belief, it does not mean you can freely browse the web for illegal use as your ISP can still see your traffic activity. Incognito opens a new window that disables history recording, tracking cookies, and reduces the amount of traceable breadcrumbs from your usage. One popular feature is, of course, Incognito mode: Chrome's response to Mozilla's Private Browsing feature. In addition to tabbed browsing, Chrome can be used as simply or as complex as you want, thanks to an impressive number of built-in tools, modes, hotkey functions, and more. Despite the limited customiseable options, Chrome is minimalist for a reason, and that results in a clean browsing experience with maximum use of screen estate for websites.

That means no toolbars or any undesired overlays, which at one point was a widespread standard practice. Users coming from older browsers might have to get used to not having a dedicated File menu layout but we found ourselves getting quickly adjusted.Īs you install extensions, active icons will appear to the right of the address bar, but beyond that Google maintains strict restrictions on adding visible add-ons. The self sustenance comes from 'channels' Once you install the Chrome browser, Google will automatically roll out updates silently in the background and keep your software updated with the latest versions.Ĭhrome's overall UI has remained stable since version 1.0: a minimal two row window with tabs resting above the address bar (Omnibox), 3 browser controls (Back, Forward, Stop/Reload), a star-shaped toggle for bookmarking, and settings icon. It is now one of the more widely used browsers thanks to a vast ecosystem of extensions and add-ons, a robust Javascript engine, and a rapid-release development cycle that keeps it on the competitive end of the curve. Chrome is the lightweight flagship browser that originated from an open source project by Google called Chromium and Chromium OS.

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