14 DAY TRIAL // Google is currently developing a new feature for Chrome browser that would allow users to enable a focus mode when navigating the web.
Details are very scarce at this point, but a recently-introduced flag spotted in the Canary version of Chrome confirms the focus mode would be specifically aimed at desktop platforms, including Windows, Linux, Mac, and Chrome OS.
While the flag is already there in Google Chrome Canary, it doesn’t seem to work for the time being, so the feature is most likely in its early days and it could take a little bit longer until it makes it to the stable version of the browser.
Canary is Google’s testing platform for Chrome browser, and all new features, including experiments that never make it to the production builds, are first released here for feedback.
The purpose of focus mode
As for what the focus mode could do once it goes live in Chrome, we can only speculate at this point since Google hasn’t shared too many details.
Focus mode, for instance, can be used in Chrome browser to block notifications and let you browse the Internet without any distraction. This means it could work similarly to the Focus Assist feature in Windows 10, which automatically blocks notifications when running apps or games in full screen.
Additionally, the focus mode could also put the emphasis on text, such as on news websites where you’re reading articles. This could make it more or less similar to a reading mode, though this time the focus mode wouldn’t hide the other components of a website.
Since the feature is still in its early days, we can’t say anything about a potential release, but I expect Google to enable the experiment in Canary in the coming weeks. At that point, we should be able to turn on the feature and see what focus mode is all about.
Via TechDows