Google Chrome update adds its very own command line feature
Google has added three new Chrome Actions to the roster
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Googleis expanding an experimentalChromefeature that turns the browser’s URL bar into a makeshift command line.
The companybegan testingso-called Chrome Actions last year with version 87, allowing users to perform certain tasks (clear browsing data, translate page etc.) using a series of text commands entered into the address bar.
Now, Google has added three new commands to the library: Run Chrome safety check, Create doc and Manage Google Account.
The first allows users to check for corrupt extensions and cross-reference savedpasswordswith adatabaseof credentials known to have been compromised in data breaches. The Manage Google Account command, meanwhile, can be used to amend personal information, payment methods and subscriptions.
The Create doc command is the most self-explanatory of the three, giving users a quick way to launch a freshGoogle Docsfile.
Enable Google Chrome commands
Google is aiming to roll out Chrome Actions far and wide later this year, but for now the feature remains in beta. To test out URL bar commands ahead of the full release, users will need to enable a pair of Chrome Flags.
To do so, type “chrome://flags” into the address bar and search for “#omnibox-pedals”. From here, enable “Omnibox Pedals Default Icon Colored” and “Omnibox Pedal batch 2” flags and restart thebrowser.
Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter
Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed!
If successful, typing supported commands into the URL bar will generate actions underneath the query, which the user can then select.
With the rise of web applications andremote workingleading to many spending more and more time working in browser sessions, the ability to streamline workflows using quick-fire commands will be a welcome addition.
The arrival of Chrome Actions will also add fuel to the fight between web browsers. Although Chrome remains the dominant force in the market, services such asMicrosoftEdge have been on an upward trajectory over the past year, which won’t have gone unnoticed at Google.
ViaBleeping Computer
Joel Khalili is the News and Features Editor at TechRadar Pro, covering cybersecurity, data privacy, cloud, AI, blockchain, internet infrastructure, 5G, data storage and computing. He’s responsible for curating our news content, as well as commissioning and producing features on the technologies that are transforming the way the world does business.
7 myths about email security everyone should stop believing
Best Usenet client of 2024
Your doctor may have an AI assistant taking notes during your next Zoom call
