Chrome Flags: A Complete Guide to Enhance Web Browsing

Chrome Flags - A Complete Guide To Enhance Your Browsing Experience

We are all fans of Google Chrome, aren't we? One matter that is mutual among all of u.s.a. is the thirst for hidden features. We all love finding subconscious features in Chrome, merely at that place are some experimental features not everyone is aware of. One such experimental feature isChrome Flags. About of y'all might not accept heard of Chrome flags but if you have, welcome to the Geek Lodge. For people who take no idea what Chrome flags are, we will tell yous everything you need to know and how to enable them.

Everything You Need to Know About Chrome Flags (2021)

Here, we have explained everything about Chrome Flags — from its definition to how to use it and what are the best Chrome Flags that you can enable on your device. Yous tin can aggrandize the tabular array below and move to a relevant department with ease.

What are Chrome Flags?

Chrome flags are a set up of experimental features and settings that are buried in Chrome for developers and tinkerers. These experimental features include functionality that Google is working on simply hasn't enabled it yet for general consumers. The characteristic listing on Chrome flags is pretty extensive only information technology should involvement yous if y'all honey tinkering with new features. Chrome flags permit you improve your browsing functioning and also lets you use new in-development features.

They also pack avant-garde options like hardware and GPU acceleration, which should be great for programmer testing. What we just mentioned is merely the tip of the iceberg, as the features and options of Chrome flags are indeed overwhelming. If yous are a developer or someone who merely likes to experiment with new under-cooked features, and then you lot'll honey Chrome Flags.

How to Enable Chrome Flags?

Earlier we come to how you tin can enable Chrome flags, it's of import to know that some of these features might be a little buggy and the changes might crash your Chrome settings and data. As Google puts it in its warning annotation, "your browser may delete all your information or your security and privacy could be compromised". Yous can ever press the "Reset" button to sort things out on Chrome on your PC.

Alternatively, y'all tin run chrome://settings/reset in the address bar to instantly reset Chrome. So, that's it with the warnings, here's how you lot can enable Chrome flags:

1. Even though about of us take been oblivious to the existence of Chrome flags (Well, not anymore!), information technology is pretty like shooting fish in a barrel to discover them. Like nigh other Chrome settings and options, you lot can notice Chrome flags by just typing "chrome://flags" or "nearly://flags" in the Omnibox (address/search bar).

2. One time 'Chrome flags' is open, you'll see along list of features that you can enable or disable. You tin easily search for specific features by typing in the search box.

3. All the avant-garde features have a short description below it along with the platforms they are available in. You can enable any feature yous like by simply hit the "Enable" button or changing information technology from "Default" to "Enabled" or "Disabled".

4. After you select the "Enable" or "Disable" option, you lot will exist presented with a "Relaunch Now" button that will save your changes and restart Chrome with the changes in place.

5. If you feel that your Chrome experience has get unstable but can't find the flag that might have caused it, you tin apply the "reset all to default" button to restore all the Chrome flags settings.

All-time Chrome Flags to Use in 2021

1. Consumer-Axial Chrome Flags

There are a ton of features and options under Chrome flags and information technology's tough to know which amongst them would come up to skillful use for day-to-24-hour interval usage. That's the reason we have differentiated the consumer-centric Chrome flags from the programmer-centric ones.

While well-nigh of the flags are bachelor on Windows, macOS, Linux, Chrome OS, and Android, there are some flags that are available only on specific platforms. So, if you lot want Chrome flags for Android then head over to our linked article. Farther, observe the all-time Chrome Flags for all platforms in our another dedicated article. Well for now, here are some great consumer-centric Chrome flags you lot can use:

Annotation: Chrome Flags consists of features Google is already testing, so they might exist removed without prior notice or they could even get in to the next Chrome update. Likewise, enabling as well many flags may result in Chrome instability. Then only enable the flags which are meaningful to you.

Force Dark Manner for Web Contents –Apart from the night UI on Chrome, Google has also brought a full-fledged night mode for web pages every bit well. Information technology works simply similar the Dark Reader extension. And the all-time part is that the earlier result of inverting the images has been resolved. So at present y'all don't need an extra extension for making spider web pages dark as a hidden Chrome Flag has taken care of it.

Chrome Labs – Since you are testing Chrome Flags, it's essential that y'all enable this flag to quickly enable or disable some central Chrome Flags. Chrome has added a new experimental menu on the toolbar that lets you access flags such as Reading List and Tab Scrolling. Just go to chrome://flags/#chrome-labs and turn on the flag to find a new Flags tool on the height-correct corner. Annotation that, currently the flag is available on Chrome Beta.

Price Tracking – Price tracking built right into Chrome is certainly 1 of its best features. That said, information technology's hidden behind a flag and merely available on smartphones. The flag tin exist enabled from chrome://flags/#enable-tab-grid-layout. Under the drop-downwardly carte du jour, select "Enable Cost Notifications". Now, restart Chrome and movement to the recent tab switcher. Here, tap on the three-dot carte and you lot will find the "Track Prices" choice. Bear in heed, you will accept to keep the tab open for which you desire to monitor the price.

Chrome Commander – Similar to macOS' Spotlight Search, Google has brought Commander on Chrome. Just press "Ctrl + Enter" and a Search bar will appear on the top. You can now type whatever keyword such as new doc for opening a new Google Doc, incognito for opening a new incognito window, and more. It also looks into your bookmarks and shows the outcome. I think it would prove to be a handy tool for both general and pro users. You can enable flag from chrome://flags/#commander.

Permissions Scrap Experiment – This is one of my favorite Chrome Flags. Information technology brings a new permission dialog to Chrome which is much quieter. Also, you at present get three options instead of just "Permit" or "Block". The addition of "Merely this fourth dimension" permission on Chrome is absolutely bully. If you want to examination the new Permission dialog on Chrome and so open up chrome://flags/#permission-chip and enable the flag. This is available on the stable build.

Secure DNS Lookups – Another crawly Chrome Flag that you must enable is Secure DNS Lookups. Many users, including me, have been using the HTTPS Everywhere extension to ever force HTTPS connectedness while using the internet. And at present, Google has brought a flag that does the same thing. And so only enable the flag and Chrome will try to use a secure HTTPS connection for any website that yous are visiting. By the mode, Mozilla has already fabricated DNS over HTTPS a default feature on Firefox.
UPI/VPA Values – Since Google Pay has gotten pretty popular and UPI has almost become a primary fashion of payments in Republic of india, Google is bringing an option to autofill UPI/VPA values in payment forms. After enabling this flag, Chrome volition be able to recognize UPI ID or VPA and offer y'all to relieve or autofill your VPA address in the payment box. That'southward awesome, right?

Hover Cards – Hover Cards is a new way to identify and navigate through tabs. It's especially helpful when you are dealing with lots of Chrome tabs. Basically, if you enable this flag and so a preview prototype of the tab will show in the form of a hovercard. I am using this characteristic on my Chromebook and it's absolutely great for seamless navigation.
Tab Groups – Tab Groups is again a flag for those users who are tab hoarders. It basically lets you organize tabs into visually distinct groups. For instance, y'all can organize a grouping of tabs in a common colour so that you can easily motility to that certain group of tabs. Y'all can assign colors based on their unlike set of tasks.
Extension Toolbar Card – Earlier, Chrome extensions used to sit down inside the Settings carte du jour, just now it's located beside the address bar. And if you lot are using as well many extensions, Chrome becomes cluttered and you can't actually navigate properly. In such a case, y'all can move all the extensions into a unmarried toolbar menu. The address bar looks clean, more effective, and has permission controls also.
Global Media Controls – In social club to make media controls on Chrome accessible, Chrome has brought a global flag that will allow you to play/interruption/change tracks from a unmarried location. If you enable the flag, you lot will find the toolbar on the top-right corner.
Pull to Refresh Gesture – This is one of my favorite Chrome flags in this list. You can enable this gesture on your laptop and swipe downwards on the trackpad to refresh the webpage. On my Chromebook, information technology works satisfyingly well.

Quieter Notification – We know how notifications have become well-nigh a nuisance on Google Chrome. Virtually every website abuses the notification permission and incessantly prompts a dialog box to let notifications. Nevertheless, with the Quieter Notification flag turned on, the notification prompts gets blocked completely. How awesome is that?

Enable Reader Mode – While Safari has an excellent Reader Manner, we do non have such a feature on Google Chrome. However, there is a subconscious Chrome flag that lets you enable Reader mode on Chrome. You get a barebone reader mode which simplifies the web page and removes unnecessary ads. Certain, information technology's non equally skillful as Safari'south Reader Way, but information technology does work.

Focus Mode – Focus Manner is some other Chrome flag that I personally utilise. It lets y'all isolate a tab in a carve up window just similar PWAs (Progressive Web App). For case, when you want to bargain with a Chrome tab in a divide window then this mode can allow you exercise it. The best part is that you lot do non have to brand a PWA first. Just correct-click on the tab and cull "Focus".

File Organization API – File System API is for allowing websites to access your native file managing director. Nevertheless, users take found out that, later you enable this flag, websites are non able to discover the incognito mode. And that'southward why this flag is important. If you want to block websites from detecting incognito mode then enable the File System API flag.

Parallel Downloading – Parallel Downloading has been in the Chrome Flags repository for a very long time. It seems Google is not working on this feature to make it office of the stable channel. Nevertheless, this flag accelerates download speed past breaking the files into smaller chunks, similar to how IDM and other download managers piece of work.

Enable FTP – Sometimes, information technology must take happened that the local FTP protocol is no longer working on Chrome. If you enter an FTP URL, it directs you to the Google search results page. To avoid such cases, enable the FTP flag so that you can always access FTP locations of your smartphone or other devices.

Treat Risky Downloads – First of all, this flag is non for anybody. Withal, if you are introducing the internet and web browser (in this instance, Chrome) to someone who is new to this whole internet earth and then consider enabling this flag. It prevents downloading files that can be executed on your figurer like EXE, DMG, DEB, and more. Chrome does this so that amateur users don't download malware or adware unintentionally. The flag likewise blocks downloads that are originating from insecure pages. In case yous desire to learn how to enhance Google Chrome security then head over to our linked article.

Anonymous Local IP – This is a flag for advanced users who want to protect their identity online. Chrome allows you to conceal your local IP address with multicast DNS hostnames. It modifies the IP address to modest networks of hostnames to anonymize your identity. All the same, it but works when the webRTC framework is existence followed.

Polish Scrolling –When y'all accept a lot of tabs open up in Chrome, the experience tin get a little sluggish peculiarly while scrolling. Thanks to the "smooth scrolling" implementation, (which is still in the testing stage) you lot tin can get a smoother scrolling feel.

Automatic Spelling Correction – At that place are a number of spell checker extensions on Chrome but Google is testing an inbuilt spelling corrector. This feature enables automated autocorrection while y'all type.

Scroll Prediction – This flag reminds me of UC Browser, which predicts where you are going to scroll or click and loads it in advance. The "Coil Prediction" flag when enabled predicts where you would roll to next in a spider web folio and renders the page in accelerate for smoother scrolling.

2. Developer-centric Chrome Flags

Nosotros practice use Chrome flags to heighten our spider web experience but the truth is it'due south aimed at developers. Apart from the flags we just mentioned, there are some flags, which cater solely to the developers. These Chrome flags are open to everyone, so you tin can give information technology a effort if y'all feel like experimenting. So, here are the best Chrome flags for developers:

Override Software Rendering List – This Chrome flag makes sure that GPU and hardware acceleration is used instead of the default software rendering. When this flag is enabled, the organisation forces the usage of GPU resources while overriding software rendering. This flag should come up in handy for developers wanting to exam their apps or websites with GPU acceleration rather than software rendering.

Experimental Javascript – Developers tin can use experimental Javascript features using this Chrome flag. This should come in handy for developers who desire their apps or websites to be up-to-date with the latest web standards.

Experimental Web Platform features – Developers can choose to use the latest experimental web platform features that are still nether evolution using this flag.

QUIC protocol – Google has been working on the QUIC (Quick UDP Net Connection) protocol since 2012 and you tin enable the experimental QUIC support with this flag. Information technology's basically a faster and modern way to communicate between web servers and websites. Nonetheless, information technology works only while dealing with QUIC-enabled servers.

Advantages of Chrome Flags

We all face functioning issues on Chrome while using a modestly powered PC or a low-terminate Android device and that's where the advantages of Chrome flags really come to the forefront. Thanks to the various Chrome flags nosotros mentioned above, we can bring a lot of performance improvements to our Chrome feel. The performance improvements include ameliorate page rendering, faster folio & image loading, and more.

The flags are also a benefaction for developers who can test their apps before release and make certain that information technology works every bit well in diverse environments. Chrome flags are certainly a win-win for both consumers and developers. Tried Chrome Flags? How has your experience been like? Likewise, tell us your favorite flags in the comments section beneath.