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THE MOST POPULAR BROWSER IN THE LAND.
THEY SAY YOU can tell a lot about a person from their browsing history, but this is also the case when it comes to their browser of choice. While some may be happy with the overly simplistic default that is Internet Explorer, power users are likely to be left wanting so much more. Google Chrome first hit the web in 2008 as a humble little browser for Windows PCs before later coming to Apple, Linux and smartphone devices. Since then, Chrome has quickly become the most popular browser on the market, making up more than 50% of web traffic worldwide. As a powerhouse of the internet, over the last ten years Google Chrome has introduced a range of tools and features that have since become standard in other browsers. In this guide we’ll show you how to get set up, before running through the features that will make your browsing experience as productive as possible.
THE BASICS
GETTING STARTED. To set up Google Chrome, visit www.google.com/chrome/ and follow the prompts. Once installed, Google will ask whether you’d like to set Chrome as your default browser. If you were previously using another program such as Internet Explorer or Firefox, you can also import things like bookmarks and passwords by clicking the More icon (represented by three vertical dots in the top-right corner of the browser) and choosing Bookmarks then Import Bookmarks and Settings. You can also change what’s shown when you first open Google Chrome from the Settings screen.
SYNC. When you first open Chrome, you’ll be encouraged to sign in using an existing Google account. Signing in allows Chrome to store bookmarks, browsing history, passwords, settings and any open tabs securely in the cloud, thus providing a seamless experience across your devices. To enable syncing, click the profile icon displayed in the top-right of the browser and select Turn on sync before logging in with your Google username and password. In settings you can change what is and isn’t stored in the cloud along with enable optional encryption.
TABS. A feature present in almost any browser, tabs allow you to quickly move between the different websites currently open in an organised and orderly fashion. To open a new tab, click the plus icon shown at the top of your browser or press Ctrl-T (command-T on Macs). Tabs can be rearranged one by one or by selecting multiple tabs using the Ctrl key. If you accidentally close a tab, don’t panic, just click the More icon and select History to see a list of recently closed tabs, along with sites open on your other devices.
NOTIFICATIONS. Stay informed with updates from your favourite websites while away from your browser by enabling notifications. For example, you may want to be notified when someone comments on your Facebook photo, or when a new story is published on a popular tech site. The first time you visit a website with notification capabilities, a small popup will appear asking if you’d like to enable or disable the function for that particular site. To adjust which websites can send notifications, scroll to the advanced section of settings and select Content Settings.
STEP IT UP A LEVEL
PASSWORDS. With the growing number of cyber attacks happening on the world wide web, having a unique and lengthy password for every online account is crucial. But keeping track of your growing list of passwords can quickly become a small nightmare. You’ll be happy to know then that Chrome comes complete with a password management tool, letting you store your website login information securely in the cloud. When you first log into a site, a small popup will appear asking if you’d like to save your username and password for future visits. You can see a full list of saved accounts in the Passwords page of settings.
AUTOFILL. For readers who double as avid online shoppers, Chrome’s form-filling abilities will be a massive timesaver. When you first enter things like your home address, email or phone number into a website, Google will request to save it. If you approve, Chrome will then become capable of automatically filling in personal information whenever presented with a similar website form in the future. You can adjust what information Google stores by clicking your profile icon and selecting Addresses. Google also gives you the option to save your bank details for seamless online purchases.
MUTING. Autoplaying videos are a modern-day frustration experienced when browsing the web, with more and more sites playing videos unexpectedly and without provocation.
Chrome allows you to see where sound is coming from via the small audio icon displayed next to the title of any tab. To revoke a website’s sound privileges, right click on the offending tab and select Mute Site. Chrome will continue to mute future visits to that website until you decide to unmute it.
PROFILES. If multiple people use your computer, Google makes it easy to quickly alternate between accounts. To add a new user, click your profile icon in the top-right corner of the browser and select Manage People. A new window will appear where you can then create additional profiles. Note that users won’t be required to enter a password when switching accounts, so this feature shouldn’t be used on non-personal computers. guest mode is also available which deletes all browser activity at the end of a session.
PINS. There will be some websites that you visit on a regular basis throughout the day. Included in Chrome is the ability to pin individual tabs to sit permanently in the corner of your browser for easy reference. To pin a new site, just right click on a tab and select Pin Tab.
CASTING. If you’re in possession of a Google Chromecast – Google’s premier entertainment streaming device – you can mirror your browser directly onto the TV. Accessed from the More tab, click Cast to see a list of devices capable of streaming your browser. In this menu click the down arrow to alternate between sharing your browser’s screen, desktop or a file from your computer
GOING PRO
PICTURE IN PICTURE. If you’re someone who struggles to focus on something for more than a few minutes, then you’ll appreciate Chrome’s picture in picture tool. While watching a video, double-right click on the movie to see the option to turn on picture in picture mode. The video will move to the corner of your browser so you can continue to view other tabs. While this feature isn’t available on every website, popular sites such as YouTube support it. REMOTE DESKTOP. Something you might not expect to be part of a web browser, Google Chrome includes the ability to access your computer remotely. To set it up, add the Chrome Remote Desktop App available here: tinyurl.com/ TLA86-Remote and follow the prompts to install the necessary software on your computer. Once done, you can access your computer remotely from another laptop or mobile device.
OFFLINE EDITING. While Google Docs, Spreadsheets and Presentations work great in the cloud, did you know that you can also edit your documents offline. Before disconnecting, you’ll need to install the Google Docs Offline extension available here tinyurl.com/
TLA86-Offline and then enable offline access from the settings screen of Google Drive.
CUSTOM SEARCHES. While Chrome’s address bar doubles as a Google search box, you can also conduct searches of popular sites like eBay, Twitter and Reddit. Begin by typing the website’s name in your browser’s search bar – if the feature is available, Chrome will tell you to hit tab before typing your query. To see a list of compatible websites, visit settings and choose Manage search engines. Note that this feature is only available on sites you’ve visited in the past.
IF YOU APPROVE, CHROME WILL THEN BECOME CAPABLE OF AUTOMATICALLY FILLING IN PERSONAL INFORMATION WHENEVER PRESENTED WITH A SIMILAR WEBSITE FORM IN THE FUTURE.
ADDITIONAL TOOLS EXTENSIONS.
chrome.google.com/webstore/category/ extensions One of the cool things about Google Chrome is its ability to integrate with a wide range of third-party apps and services. Available from the Chrome web store, you’ll find extensions capable of performing a range of tasks. Whether it’s ad-blocking, spell-checking or tab management, you’ll find them all here. Useful extensions include read it later service Pocket, coupon finder Honey, and password manager LastPass.
MOBILE APP.
Android: play.google.com/store/apps/ iOS: itunes.apple.com/au Not only for desktops, Google Chrome is also available for Android and iOS devices, making it easy to access your passwords, favourites and browsing history on the go. Notable features include visual tab management, voice search, personalised content recommendations and support for automatic form filling.
TASK MANAGER. Not all websites behave the same. In fact, some sites are worse than others, especially those that force your browser to become non-responsive. It’s in these cases then that Chrome’s Task Manager (similar to the one built into your computer) comes in handy. Accessed by clicking the More icon and selecting More Tools, the task manager lets you quickly end unresponsive sites or extensions without having to restart your entire browser.
CLOUD PRINTING. One of the more experimental features of Chrome is Google Cloud Print – a tool that allows you to send documents to a Wi-Fi enabled printer from anywhere with an internet connection. To set it up, type chrome:// devices/ into the address bar and then click Add printers. Once set up, you can print documents using the print option accessed from the More tab. You can even invite others to use your printer by sharing a unique web link.