14 DAY TRIAL // Google Chrome for Android could soon get an update that will make the browser feel more like the iPhone-native iPhone.
The Mountain View-based search giant is now developing new navigation gestures for the Android version of Chrome, and at first glance, they are inspired from the approach that Apple is using in iOS in its very own Safari browser.
Basically, Google wants to allow users to go back to the previous page or next to a site they previously loaded by simply swiping left or right on the screen within the browser. This makes the navigation experience faster and easier with just one hand, as pressing the buttons in the navigation bar would no longer be necessary.
Google Chrome already comes with gesture support on Android, like the pull to refresh that lets you swipe down on a website to refresh it, and if this developer comment is anything to be believed, more such features would be added in a future update.
Work in progress
There’s obviously no ETA as to when the gesture-based navigation would land in Chrome on Android, but for now, this update is still in the works, and Google needs to thoroughly test it before rolling out to public devices.
At some level, improving the gesture navigation in Google Chrome makes sense for Google, as it aligns the browser with the update that the company rolled out in Android Pie as well.
The gesture-based experience in the new Android version does bring it closer to what latest-generation iPhones offer, and judging from the early feedback, most users seem to like this new direction of Google’s operating system.
Plus, with screens getting bigger and bigger, gestures make it possible for users to run certain tasks faster and with extra convenience, all thanks to a very intuitive experience system-wide.
Via 9to5google