14 DAY TRIAL // Google is currently testing a new feature for the Android version of Chrome browser that would make it easier and faster for users to switch from one tab to another.
Basically, what Google wants to do is add a new toolbar at the bottom of the Chrome for Android screen that would just display the icons of the websites loaded in the browser.
These aren’t thumbnails, but the favicons of each website, and tapping any of them instantly switches the browser to that page. This means you no longer have to open the tab view where you can jump from one website to another, but do it quickly by simply tapping the icons.
Still a work in progress
XDA explains that the new toolbar would also come with dedicated options to launch a mini tab switcher with a grid layout, but also with a plus symbol to add a new tab on the fly.
A commit for this feature shows Google lists it as a work in progress and the development team is working on the underlying code powering it.
For the time being, however, this feature is still in the works and isn’t even available for testing in the Canary version of Chrome. Most likely, Google will include it in the experimental browser at some point in the future and users will be able to try it out by enabling a dedicated flag.
But as with every other experiment that Google is spotted testing, don’t hold your breath for it because the company could very well kill it off completely before launch if the development team isn’t pleased with the way it works. This the reason the Canary version of Chrome is so important for the future of the browser, as it allows Google to try out new features before they are available for everyone.