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I use Chrome pretty much all the time these days. I switch to other browsers when they receive new features, but I’m mostly locked into Chrome at this point.
One downside to Chrome that has always irked me is that your tab groups don’t sync from your smartphone to your desktop and vice versa. It drives me mad because I’m logged in on both devices and have a shared history, but that final step wasn’t available—until now.
Chrome Finally Rolls Out Synced Tab Groups
I know, it’s a small thing. But when you use one browser across your devices, you want maximum ease of use, and having my workflow disrupted from one device to another is, well, irritating.
Now, Google is bringing synced tab groups to iOS, Android, and desktop versions of Chrome, making sure that when you leave the browser, your tabs and work will be instantly available on your next device.
Google gives the example that “you’re casually looking up restaurants and activities on your phone as you start to plan out your itinerary for an upcoming trip. You realize you need a bigger screen to dig through all of your research, so you create a tab group to keep everything organized.” The tab group is then available on your desktop browser, synced, and ready to go.
I particularly use tab groups on my smartphone when I’m researching and creating ideas, and this example is exactly how I want tab groups to work. So, yes, I’m pretty thrilled the feature is finally receiving a full implementation. I say full because you could previously open your shared device history and re-open the tabs in the group. Chrome already separated open tabs into segments or browser windows on your device. But now, it’ll be easier and faster, and you won’t lose any open work in the transition.
Everyone Gets Tab Groups
Note that I said about tab groups in Chrome on iOS? That’s because Google is also rolling out proper tab groups for iOS users!
The long-requested feature is rolling out to iOS users, allowing them to group related tabs and add colors and names for quick identification. It’s been a long time coming for iOS users, and in conjunction with the tab groups, will make Chrome a whole lot more productive between devices.
Both tab group syncing and iOS tab groups are beginning rollout, so expect them on your device anytime soon.
