Skip to main content

Your Google Chrome app is getting 5 helpful new features

An Android phone showing Android 15.
Bryan M. Wolfe / Digital Trends

The Google Chrome app for iOS and Android is introducing numerous new features to make searching in Chrome easier than ever. These features are either going live now with the latest Google Chrome app update or launching on the iPhone 15, Galaxy S24, and other devices later this year.

Google is introducing additional Chrome Actions to help you find local places. When searching for a restaurant, you will see shortcut buttons in the search results that allow you to call the restaurant, get directions, and access reviews. Android users can access this new feature in Chrome now, while iOS users must wait for a fall update.

New shortcut suggestions on Google Chrome.
Google

Google Chrome for Android and iOS is also getting a new feature that suggests shortcuts for added personalization. For instance, if you typically search for “tickets” to find available concert tickets on the Ticketmaster website, the Ticketmaster website will now have a higher ranking in your search results.

Redesigned address bar in Google Chrome on tablets.
Google

The latest Chrome update has also added a redesigned address bar for Android tablets and iPads. The refresh aligns with Google’s Material You design language and uses larger displays. Moreover, when using the address bar, the website is always visible below the drop-down when you decide to return to it.

The most recent Google Chrome update has also added trending search suggestions to the address bar in iOS, a feature already available on Android. When you tap the address bar from the New Tab page, trends will show below your recent searches.

Finally, Chrome’s Discover Feed now includes new live sports cards that make tracking your favorite teams easier. The cards automatically update with the latest happenings on the field or court.

While these aren’t game-changing new features on their own, we’re all for anything to make web browsing a bit easier. When you add all of these things together, that’s exactly what they should do.

Bryan M. Wolfe
Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.
Google Gemini is about to get a lot more useful on your Android phone
Google Gemini app on the Motorola Razr Plus 2024.

Google isn’t planning on hitting the breaks on Gemini anytime soon. After first teasing a number of new extensions during Google I/O 2024, a recent APK teardown from Android Authority has revealed a ton of unannounced, useful new features from Gemini that are soon coming to your Android phone. Gemini is expected to get a variety of new extensions that will allow integration into Google services like Keep, Tasks, and Calendar.

Each of the extensions seems to provide useful features, and Android Authority has demo videos showcasing each. With Google Keep, you can now ask Gemini to create new notes and lists, add information to notes, and add or remove items from lists. Google Tasks now lets you use Gemini to create new tasks, including reminders. It’ll also allow you to view existing tasks and show their due dates.

Read more
Google Maps is getting 2 helpful new features. Here’s how they work
Google Maps running on a Pixel 8 Pro, showing the new colors as of November 2023.

Google Maps is getting some useful new features that should significantly improve navigation. This follows a major redesign that Google unveiled during Google I/O 2024 that showcased a cleaner home screen, new pin colors, and a more simplified interface with three new tabs rather than five.

In this case, there are actually two sets of updates: one for Google Maps and another for Waze, which, in case you weren’t aware, is also owned by Google. Starting with Google Maps, users will now get additional guidance on entering buildings and where to park when driving.

Read more
Every Apple Intelligence feature that is (and isn’t) in the iOS 18.1 beta
Apple Intelligence update on iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Apple has released the first developer beta for iOS 18.1, and it’s crucial for one key reason: Apple Intelligence. The suite of artificial intelligence features that Apple introduced at the WWDC a few weeks ago is finally making its way to iPhones. Well, at least a select few of those features.

Right now, Apple Intelligence is only available for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Also, make sure your device location is set to the United States and Siri’s language is set to English (U.S.) to get the best of Apple Intelligence. Right now, there’s a waitlist to enable Apple Intelligence on an iPhone, but as per a healthy few reports we’ve seen online, the waitlist clears in about 10 to 20 minutes. I managed to get the same done on iPadOS 18 in roughly five minutes.

Read more