Faced with fresh competition from startups like Arc, Google announced on Wednesday that it will add five new features to the Chrome browser for mobile devices, each meant to improve the search experience. These include new shortcuts for local search results, a redesigned address bar for simpler navigation, trending search ideas, live sports cards for fans, and more tailored search recommendations based on users’ browsing history. The functionalities will be available soon for both Android and iOS devices.
One of the new features is Chrome Actions, which allows users to conduct specific actions without having to go into settings. The feature is now being added to local search results, allowing users to search for a local business and easily access shortcut buttons such as “Call,” “Directions,” and “Reviews.”
This is now available in Chrome for Android smartphones, and Google plans to release an iOS version later this fall.
Google also improved the Chrome address bar for iPads and Android devices. The new design allows users to open the Chrome address bar while still seeing the current web page, taking full advantage of larger tablet screens for a better browsing experience.
Additionally, the Chrome browser for iOS and Android devices will have additional shortcut suggestions based on previous searches. The business noted that if a user types in “schedules” in Chrome and frequently clicks on the City Metro website, that website would now display higher up in the search results anytime the user searches for “schedules.”
Another important feature is trending searches, which were previously exclusive to Android smartphones. Google has finally added trending search suggestions to the Chrome address bar on iOS, allowing users to see what hot queries are happening throughout Google Search.
Google has added live sports cards to the mobile version of Chrome’s Discover Feed to notify users when their favorite sports team is playing and to provide automatic updates with the most recent scores and highlights from previous games. Users can personalize the functionality by tapping the three-dot menu in the Chrome mobile app.
