10 Google Chrome Tips and Tricks

10 Tips and Tricks for Google Chrome

I use Google Chrome every single day so I’m always excited to learn and share tips and tricks! In this blog, I hope to share some ideas for Chrome that you may find extremely useful!

Today’s topics: Utlizing your Omnibox, searching Drive and Gmail from within your Omnibox, pinning tabs, creating Groups for your tabs, reopening a closed tab, muting tabs, two of my favorite Chrome Flags, the new QR code generator, and video play settings!

1) Utilize Your Omnibox

The Omnibox is the address bar where you type in the URLs. But, it can do more than many users realize! The Omnibox works just like the Google search bar so you may type in questions such as “What is the weather”, type in math problems, or even set a timer!

Omnibox

1) Search Google Drive or Gmail from Onmibox

I like to set up my Omnibox to search my Drive and Gmail. Here’s how:

  1. Right-click in your Omnibox and select “Manage Search Engines” or go into your Settings.
  2. Add Gmail and/or Drive as search engines by copying and pasting the following URLs

Type in the keyword you will use to activate the search Omnibox. Note: The keywords are case sensitive.

Create keywords to activate the search

Now, when you access the Omnibox and type in the keyword it will start the search and locate items that match your search in your Drive or Gmail! I love it!

You may actually search any site as long as you add it as a search engine.

2) Pin Tabs

If you pin your tabs you can make sure you won’t easily exit out of them. All you do is right-click on the tab and select “Pin”. Now the tab will appear as a smaller version in Chrome. To unpin, simply right-click and select “unpin”.

Right-click and select “Pin”

3) Tab Groups

The tab Groups feature allows users to right click on a tab and then add the tab to a Group. Once established, Groups may be expanded and collapsed. In this example, I added a tab to a new group titled “Joli’s Websites”.

Right Click on a Tab and Select Add Tab to New Group

Next, I color coded the Group by selecting the color purple.

Color Code Groups

Lastly, I added other websites to the Group by right-clicking and selecting “Add Tab to Group”.

Add websites to Groups as needed

You may then collapse and expand the group of tabs as needed.

4) Reopen your last closed Tab

Whoops! You accidentally closed a tab. No worries! If you are using a Chromebook press Control+Shift+T. If you are using a Mac try Command+Shift+T.

Clientmoji
Control+Shift+T reopens last closed Tab.

5) Mute Tabs

If I’m helping a students in a Goole Meet and another student is recording in another tab they may end up recording me. To solve this, show students how to mute a site open in a tab. If you mute the tab,it will remain open but the background noise will be eliminated. Simply right-click on the tab and select “Mute” and do the same to unmute.

Right-click and select “mute site”.

6) Flags

If you are looking to speed up your browser and enhance your overall Chrome experience, you may want to check out Google’s Flags. Flags are still in development mode and experimental so there is a note of caution informing you to enable Flags at your own risk before. If you want to check Flags you may find them here.

7) Hover Cards

One Flag I have enjoyed is the Hover Card which provides you with thumbnail images of the tabs in your browser. To enable Hover Cards visit chrome://flags/#tab-hover-cards and enable the setting. Then, relaunch Chrome! I find this very useful as I gain access to a quick thumbnail image of the website.

Enable Hover Card Images
Example of a Hover Card for a Tab

8) OmniBox Google Drive Suggestions

If you have already set Google as your default search engines, you may now enable on #omnibox-drive-suggestions to search your Google Drive for items matching the keyword you type in the omnibox.

In this example, you will notice that I start to type in Valentine, Google will locate items in my drive that may match what I am searching for.

Screenshot of Omnibox Searching My Drive

9) QR Code Generator

QR codes are scannable barcodes that allow users to access information quickly. In my last blog, I discussed the new QR code generator in Google Chrome along with 20 integration ideas! Make sure to checkout the blog here!

New QR code reader in Chrome

10)Video Play Settings

Did you know you have video play settings built into Chrome? When you have a video playing you will notice the music notes appear in your brower. Click on the notes and you will have access to video play settings!

Video Play Settings

What are your favorite Chrome tips? I’d love to hear from you!

Passionate about all things edtech.

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