The threads on Reddit and Google Chrome help forum filled with requests from users to let them disable Tab groups/grid view in Chrome on Android. Finally, Google has listened to user uproar and making changes to the Tab Group feature in Chrome 94.
Grouping of tabs available to users in Chrome on desktop and Android for some time. Interested users can organize a multitude of tabs open in Chrome into distinct groups. This clears away clutter and you can identify tabs in groups.
While the Tab Groups feature is optional, users need to create themselves. Chrome can automatically creates groups for links opened from the same domain.
While desktop users haven’t shown much hate towards the feature, Chrome users running Android did.
The Tab Group Feature launch followed by removing related flags on Android annoyed some.
The thread on the Chrome subreddit with 860 upvotes and the bug for the issue on “allow disabling tab grouping”, starred by 2037 users, reveal how bad users want to avoid grouping tabs.
Google is finally acting on feedback and is running an experiment in Chrome beta to address the annoyances.
The experiment currently running by Google in Chrome 94 for Tab Groups on Android ensures
- Links open in a new tab will no longer create groups as you browse.
- The long-press menu offers another option to open links in a new tab to avoid creating a group from that menu.
How to test Tab Group feature changes in Chrome on Android
Here’s how you can test or see this change in Chrome on Android
1. Download and install Chrome beta, if you’re not using it already
2. Launch Chrome
3. Keep it open for 5 minutes or more
5. After that, quit and relaunch Chrome.
While this is an experiment, that can be seen in Chrome 94 beta, if Google gets positive feedback on this, no doubt they will ship the changes to please users.
Do you group tabs on Android? What’s your take on the changes? Let us know in the comments below
More on Chrome Tab Groups:
Chrome on Android gets Tab Group Sharing feature
Google Chrome adds an option to save Tab Group
