Google Chrome Today Introduced Three New Features
Google does a lot of different things these days, but the company is probably still best known for search. As such, Google continues to improve its flagship product by adding new features to help users perform more precise searches.
On Friday, the company updated Chrome on iOS, Android and desktop with several new features designed to improve search. The updates are fairly subtle and you may or may not notice them, but keep an eye out for these three changes:
Let other people report your searches
Google wants to help you find the things you need before you even start typing. When you sign into Chrome and open a new tab (desktop only), Google Search will suggest queries that other people are searching for based on your past search history. For example, Google says that if you search for “Japchae” one day, you’ll see suggestions for other Korean dishes.
I’m not sure how I feel about this. Google has always suggested popular and potentially relevant search queries as you type, but it’s a little weird when the company guesses what you want to find before you even touch the keyboard. Of course, this is based on your past searches, but I never open Google without knowing what exactly I want to find.
Images in suggested search results have been expanded
You may have noticed that when you start searching for something specific (like “Isanti Dining Table” in Google’s own example), you’ll see images appear next to the search results. However, Google previously didn’t populate images for more vague queries. Now the company has expanded this feature to place images next to broader search queries. So if you’re looking for a desk but don’t have a specific style in mind, you’ll still see different options that can help you make a decision. The feature will appear in Chrome search results on iOS and Android , so if you benefit from visual search, this option should improve your Google experience a bit.
Search suggestions will appear regardless of the strength of your connection.
Google is also expanding its on-device processing capabilities to search for suggestions. Going forward, if you’re in an area with poor service, Chrome will use your device’s resources to generate search suggestions. Plus, this feature will help you get more relevant search suggestions even in incognito mode.