Google is testing a new way to expose some of the experimental features it is testing in the Chrome browser to users. The new feature is called “Chrome Labs”. Currently, it displays Tab Search and Reading list features through the toolbar menu and allows users to enable or disable or set them to Default state right from the toolbar itself without visiting the flags page. It is more of a UI for granular control on some of Chrome’s advanced features that are not yet ready from prime time.
Remember Chrome labs that were present in Chrome a decade ago even before the availability of chrome://flags? They’re now making a comeback, sort of.
What is Chrome labs?
According to the flag description, it allows users to glimpse and access the various user-facing experimental feature through its toolbar menu.
At present newly introduced Chrome labs includes
- Reading list
- Tab Search
The labs’ menu displays a feature’s enabled or disabled state and allows users to manage them without needing to navigate to about://flags. page.
Enable ‘Chrome Labs’ in the Chrome browser
- Launch Chrome browser
- Visit chrome://flags page
- Search for “Chrome Labs”
- Click on the dropdown arrow and select “Enabled”
- Restart the browser
Click on the labs’ toolbar icon to make out whether the features are worth turning on or not. Of course, the Chrome Labs feature is as usual is available as a flag in Chrome Canary version 89.
What’s your take on Chrome Labs? Let us know in the comments below.
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