Isaac Bowen: Flickr
Chrome has become on its own merits the most widely used browser in the world, if we talk about the desktop version. It may not be the most efficient browser (especially on Macs) but it offers us performance that meets most user needs, thanks to its flexibility, large number of settings and some other secret that we are going to show you in this article. In this article we are going to show you 30 tricks so that our day-to-day interaction with Chrome is much more efficient, resulting in our productivity.
Perform mathematical operations
We do not always have a calculator at hand, and it is likely that we are lazy to pick up the mobile, unlock and look for the application to perform a simple multiplication. From the search bar we can write the mathematical operation that we want to solve. Google will show us the result together with a calculator in case we need to perform more mathematical calculations.
Search within web pages
For this we must add the website that we usually consult on a regular basis within search engines. Once entered we write the web in which we want to carry out the search, we press the tab key and we write the terms to search. Google will only show us the results that web page.
Download YouTube Videos
Although this feature is not exclusive to Chrome, it is worth mentioning for the freedom of power download any YouTube video without having to use any third-party application. For this we must add "ss" to the url of the video, ssyoutube.com/ ... that we want to download. Another website will open where we can specify if we want only audio, video and in what format.
Manage stored passwords
If we usually change passwords regularly, it is recommended, we must update the passwords in Chrome so that when accessing the service we do not have to enter it manually. To modify them we just have to go to Settings> Passwords and forms click on Manage passwords.
Show search results in another tab
If we are doing a Google search through the omnibox (where we write the web addresses), and we want the results open in a separate tab, we must press Alt (Windows) / Cmd (Mac) + Enter.
Pin frequent site tabs
If we usually use our browser to access Facebook, Twitter, Gmail or any other service, we can set the tabs so that every time we open the browser we do not have to write or search for the bookmark. To do this we just have to go to the tab of the web in question and click on Set tab. Pinned tabs only will be represented by the web favicon, so that it is very easy to identify them.
Search our Gmail account
If we want perform email searches without entering Gmail, we must enter the following address as a search engine: https://mail.google.com/mail/ca/u/0/#apps/%s In this way, writing in the search bar gmail.com or mail.google.com along with the email we are looking for will return only the emails from our account that match those terms.
See the pages visited in that session
When we start browsing the internet and open Chrome, andIt stores a record of all the web pages we have visited. To access it without having to go through the history, we must press and hold the back button, so that it shows us a list with the last web pages we have visited since we have opened Chrome.
Manage downloads
When we start to download a file, or several, the lower part of the browser shows us the progress of the download. To be able to manage in a faster way we can write chrome: // downloads / in the address bar. In this tab We will find all the downloads completed and in operation.
Search for text
When we are looking for information through Chrome, we may want to expand our knowledge about a term or any other issue. To do this we just have to select the words and click on the right button selecting from the menu the option Search with the required text.
Check the access that the web pages have we visit to our computer
As in mobile telephony, some web pages nthey need us to grant them permissions To be able to access the microphone, our data, location, camera ... To be able to check the needs or requirements of a web page, we just have to click on the web favicon, the icon that represents the web. As they are shown, we can modify the permissions that do not interest us.
Save browsing session
Thanks to the option Add open pages to bookmarks, We save all the web pages that we have open at that time, to be able to continue later at home or our workplace, without having to reopen them again. This option is found within the Bookmarks option.
Detach a tab and open it in a new window
When we are performing a search that forces us to have many tabs open, a solution to try to maintain order is separate it in a new window. To do this, we just have to click on it and drag it down to open a new Chrome window with only that tab.
Open photos or videos
When we are at the house of a friend who does not have an application to open photos or videos, or simply does not know which applications can do it, we just have to drag the image or video was where the last open weight is located so that Chrome is in charge of opening it or playing the video.
Recover accidentally closed tabs
Surely you have ever pressed the button to close a tab just before saving it in bookmarks, sharing it or whatever we want to do with it. Fortunately, Chrome allows us recover the tabs that we have recently closed, that is, during the current browser session. To do this, we must go to History> Recently Closed, where all the tabs that we have closed in that same session will be displayed.
Zoom in or out of a web view
Sometimes the web does not adjust well to the resolution of our computer, which forces us to reduce the view by enlarging or reducing it. To do this we just have to press the Ctrl key and the + key to enlarge the size or the - key to reduce it.
Rename the markers to make them clearer
When we save a web page in the bookmarks or in the favorites bar, the first thing that usually appears is the name of the web followed by the title of the article we were looking for, which does not allow us to easily find the marker in question. To avoid this, the best we can do is edit the name of the marker, adding the information that will help us to identify it more quickly. To do this, we just have to go to the marker in question and click on the right button selecting the Edit option from the menu.
Add a guest account so that nobody gets into our mail, Facebook ...
Surely on some occasion you have seen yourself in the position of having to leave your laptop to a friend or acquaintance so that they can see their email account, Facebook, Twitter or whatever. To prevent it from getting into your accounts, the best we can do is create a guest account or simply open an Incognito tab so that neither he nor we can access our respective accounts. To create a guest account we have to click on our user and select Guest.
Chrome running slow? Find the reason
Chrome has never been a good friend of macOS, in fact, despite the best that are introduced in each new version, Chrome is still an alcoholic of resources, so it is not recommended to use it on MacBook. Leaving this issue aside, if we see that our browser is starting to get stuck and it is not a computer problem, we can go to the Task Manager and check which tabs are eating our resources to be able to close it quickly. This option is found within the More tools option.
Move between tabs with keyboard shortcuts
If we are used to using keyboard shortcuts to depend as little as possible on the mouse, we can use keyboard shortcuts to move between the tabs. To do this we just have to press the Ctrl (Windows) / Cmd (Mac) + number key. In this case the number represents the tab number as they are open in the browser.
Enable Chrome Dark Theme
If you have taken a good look at the captures, you will have seen that i use google chrome dark theme, not available in Chrome directly and it's called Material Incognito Dark Theme. To download Material Incognito Dark Theme you can do it directly through this link, from the browser itself. Being an integrated theme in Chrome, the process cannot be reversed, so we will have to restore the original Chrome values if we want to return to the original color.
More keyboard shortcuts
Chrome offers you a large number of keyboard shortcuts. Next, we show you what most useful and representative that will help to navigate in an easier way.
- Ctrl (Windows) / Cmd (Mac) + T: Open a new tab.
- Ctrl (Windows) / Cmd (Mac) + W: Close the current tab.
- Ctrl (Windows) / Cmd (Mac) + Shift + T: Open the last tab.
- Ctrl (Windows) / Cmd (Mac) + L: Select the web address in the search bar.
- Ctrl (Windows) / Cmd (Mac) + Tab: Moves a tab to the right of your situation.
- Ctrl (Windows) / Cmd (Mac) + Shift + Tab: Moves a tab to the left of your location.
See the code of a website
This option only it is valid if you are a developer or if you want to investigate about the code of a web page, such as the number of the mobile version, if it is responsive, the size of the images ...
Close all tabs at once
This option allows us to close all tabs that are open in our browser at once, without having to go one by one. To do this, we just have to go to one of them and click on the right button selecting Close the other tabs.
Set home pages in order
If every time we open Chrome we want the website of our favorite newspaper or blog that we visit the most to open, we just have to place them in the order in which we want them to open. To do this we go to Settings> When you open the browser and click on Set pages.
Synchronize extensions, bookmarks, passwords and more with other computers
If we use Chrome with our Gmail account, all the computers with Chrome that are configured with our same account they will show us the same extensions, passwords, bookmarks, history, settings, themes ... In the synchronization settings we can specify what information we want to be synchronized with that specific computer.
Chrome as a notepad
In addition to being one of the best browsers on the market together with Firefox, it also allows us to use it as if it were a notepad. To enable this function we just have to write in the address bar: data: text / html,
Lower the volume of Chrome
If you use Chrome on Windows 10When clicking on the Windows sound icon, the volume level of the browser will also be displayed, a volume that we can raise, lower or deactivate according to our needs.
Play with a T-rex
Not everything is working, reading or browsing with Chrome. The Google browser also allows us to enjoy the jumps of a small T-Rex jumping on cactus. To do this, we must deactivate our internet connection and enter any web page. Chrome will inform us that there is no connection and will allow us to play with this friendly dinosaur.
Save a bookmark by dragging it to the favorites bar
When we want to save a bookmark in the favorites or bookmarks section of Chrome, it is not necessary to press any button, we just have to drag it to the favorites section. We will see how the mouse is accompanied by the favicon of the web that we are going to save.