Google Chrome is one of the most popular web browsers today simply because it’s easy to use. Even if you’re not that tech-savvy or if you’re used to the layout of other browsers, you’ll find it easy to adjust to Chrome’s clean, minimalist interface and master its controls.
What you might not know, though, is that Chrome comes with several functions that make it even more user-friendly. We’ve listed these tricks below:
Use Incognito
Incognito is similar to Mozilla Firefox’s Private Window. Essentially, it lets you view webpages and do other tasks, but it won’t store cookies and keep your browser and search history. The only thing it will keep are the bookmarks you create as well as the downloads you make. Incognito is a great feature to use if you share your computer with someone else and don’t want them to know what pages you’ve been viewing. It’s important to note, though, that your internet service provider as well as the websites you visit will still be able to track your IP address.
Save a webpage as PDF
One of the best ways to view websites offline is to save them as a PDF file. Fortunately, Google Chrome allows you to easily do this. Simply open the page you want to save then press Control+P to bring up the Print window. On the “Destination” section, click the “Change” button, scroll down to “Local Destinations”, then choose “Save as PDF”. Click the blue “Save” button, choose where you want to store the PDF, then hit “Save”.
Manage your favorite sites
Like many people, you probably have several websites that you visit on a regular basis. If this is the case, you’ll want to use a few tricks that will make it easier for you to access your favorite sites. One thing you can do is to adjust your settings so that Chrome automatically pulls up these websites as soon as you open the browser. Simply type chrome://settings/startup on the Chrome omnibox, enter the URL, then click “OK”. If you’ve already opened your favorite website/s, click the “Use current page/s” button then hit “OK”.
Another trick you can use is to add your favorite sites to your list of preferred search engines. By doing this, you no longer have to use Google Search or go to the site’s homepage to search for a specific webpage. For instance, if you frequently use Wikipedia, go to chrome://settings, scroll down to the Search section, and click the “Manage search engines” button. Look for Wikipedia, set the keyword that you want for it (let’s say “wikipedia” or simply “Wiki”), then click “Done”.
Once you type “wikipedia” or “wiki” on the omnibox, a text on the far right corner will tell you to “Press tab to search Wikipedia”. Press the tab, type the keyword you want to search for, then hit “Enter”. Chrome will automatically do the search within Wikipedia only (not the entire internet) and immediately pull up the specific page you want to access.
Check out this post to get more Chrome tips and tricks!
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