1. Chrome 90 Defaults to HTTPS URLs
According to a recent post on the Chromium Blog, the Chrome 90 update will force the address bar to use HTTPS by default. Even if you don’t type or click on a link with HTTPS, it’ll still redirect you to the secure HTTPS version of the website you’re trying to visit (if that website supports it).
This is a great move from Chrome, as it will not only improve the privacy of the users, but it will also ensure faster loading speeds for websites that have HTTPS enabled.
2. Blocking Third-Party Cookies
Google wants to end third-party cookies. To achieve this goal, Chrome will now use browser-specific technologies and APIs to guarantee the privacy of its users, while still showing personalized advertising.
3. A New Way to Scroll
If you’re the type of person who opens so many Chrome tabs that the icons can’t even be recognized anymore, Google now aims to solve this issue by letting you scroll through your tabs.
Now, your tabs won’t shrink in size like they normally would. Instead, you’ll be able to scroll left and right to find the tab you’re looking for.
4. An Improved PDF Viewer
With a simple keyboard shortcut in Chrome 90, you’ll be able to see the properties of a PDF file inside your Chrome browser. Knowing this information can help you get more information about the file you’re previewing.
5. Improvements in Video Conferencing
To help people with slow internet connections, Google will make video conferencing less demanding. Theoretically, users with 30kbps connections will benefit from this.
And this less demanding video conferencing is possible via the support for AV1 encoder and optimizations using WebRTC, allowing for improved connectivity and compression. All of this is a massive relief for people who’ve previously been experiencing lag when using Zoom, Google Meet, and other video conferencing apps.
6. The Ability to Copy and Paste Files
Google wants to make it easier for users to upload files, and aims to make them copyable and pasteable. In simpler terms, you’ll be able to copy and paste files directly from your device’s file manager to a website on Chrome. This prevents you from having to drag and drop your files into a website, or browse for them.
7. Improved AR Features
Furthermore, Google intends to make AR features look better in Chrome. It’s currently testing the API which is reported to work similarly to ARCore’s Environment HDR, allowing for more realistic lighting and shading effects.
Google also aims to use more information from the real world in online VR, via a new Depth API. This should improve the AR functionality more, allowing it to mimic the real world.
When Can You See These Features?
It looks like a lot of exciting new features are coming our way with Chrome 90.
If you can’t wait for the stable version, you can download the Chrome 90 Beta on your desktop computer or your smartphone and start enjoying it straight away. We don’t know whether the stable version will have all the features listed here, as Chrome typically takes some features out that aren’t yet ready to release.
It’s not yet confirmed when the full stable version is going to get released, but it may come out sometime in mid-April.
