Google Chrome Canary version on Android has new a flag, which when enabled if an update is available instead of taking you to Play Store, you’ll be displayed with the inline flow where you don’t have to leave Chrome until the update is ready to install.
Google Play Inline Update flow for Chrome on Android
Generally, on Android, to update an App, you need to visit Google Play Store, download and install the update (if available), Google wants to lessen the time their users spend on Play Store for downloading the update, the company is testing new “Inline Update Flow feature” for Chrome browser.
The experimental feature available behind flags page, when activated, allows the user to keep using Chome while the update is being downloaded, and once finished, he will be asked to restart Chrome to install the update, you’ll find this experience similar to the desktop version of Chrome.
Google provided this description for the feature in flags page: “When this flag is set instead of taking the user to the Google Play Store when an update is available, the user is presented with an inline flow where they do not have to leave Chrome until the update is ready to install”.
Enable Inline Update flow for Chrome on Android
1. Ensure you’re using latest Canary, visit chrome://flags
2. Find ” Enable Google Play Inline Update Flow” flag
3. Select “Enabled” and restart the browser.
If an update is available, you’ll be alerted in the menu (the icon turns to red) to update Chrome, informing a newer version is available.
Now if you click update, a dialog appears (check the below screenshot) with download size information and letting you know you can keep using Chrome while update is being downloaded.
If you proceed, new version will be downloaded in the background, now and then during the update, Chrome shows “downloading” message on the screen, once downloading is complete, you’ll be asked to restart Chrome, you can notice this prompt in Chrome menu as well at bottom of screen, then update will be finally installed from Google Play Store.
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