Here are some features of Chrome that will help you get the most out of your browser.
Shortcuts.
Action Shortcut (Windows) Shortcut(Mac)
Open a new window Ctrl + n ⌘ + n
Open a new tab,
and jump to it Ctrl + t ⌘ + t
Open your home page
in the current tab Alt + Home ⌘ + Shift + h
Open the previous page Alt + Left Arrow ⌘ + [
Close the current tab Ctrl + w ⌘ + w
Close the current window Ctrl + Shift ⌘ + Shift + w
Minimize the current window Alt + Space then n ⌘ + m
Go to the top of the page Home Shift + Space
Quit Google Chrome Alt + f then x ⌘ + q
Google Chrome tips & tricks
Omnibox
The Omnibox is that strange little box at the top, and it’s not just for website addresses; it’s also a calculator, currency converter, and other useful tools. You don’t even need to press enter to see results; the Omnibox will give you one right away.
- Simple mathematical problems
- Currency conversion
- Unit conversion
You can, of course, use it as a search engine, and more complex commands can be executed by pressing Enter (e.g. setting a timer)
Commands to be bookmarked
Many Chrome features can be accessed by typing “Chrome:/…” into your browser’s address bar. You can, however, bookmark these commands for later use.
- Ctrl + Shift + O will bring up the Bookmark manager.
- In the top right, select the bottommost three-button menu (.
- Click the Add bookmark button.
- Under Name, enter the name of the bookmark.
- Enter the command in the URL field.
- Save the file.
Restart Google Chrome.
Enter “Chrome:/restart” into your Omnibox, and Chrome will restart immediately. Except for incognito tabs, this closes and reopens all Chrome windows and tabs. It will also close any other profiles you had open at the time.
Personalized search engine
The Omnibox can be used to search for things other than Google. It’s simple to replace it with any website you want. This is a great way, for example, to quickly search your emails without having to open Gmail first.
In the Omnibox, type chrome:/settings/searchEngines.
Under the Default Search Engines section, click Add.
Enter the name here.
Enter the keyword (this is what you’ll type into the search box).
Copy the website’s URL.
Save the file.
To search, enter your search term in the address bar and press the Tab key on your keyboard.
Tab groups
Tab groups, a new feature in Chrome, help you manage your tab clutter.
- To select a group, left-click on one tab and then shift-click on another (Any tabs between these two will also be selected).
- Right-click on any of these tabs to open it in a new window.
- Add a tab to a new group by clicking the Add tab to new group button.
- To finish adding the tab group, name it.
After you’ve created a tab, simply left-click on the group name to close and reopen it.
Adding a tab to an existing group:
- Select the tab by right-clicking it.
- Add a tab to the group by clicking the Add tab to group button.
- Choose the group to which you want to be added.
Experimental Features
You’ll want to try out Experimental Features if you want to try out the latest Chrome features before they’re released. For this, you’ll need to download Chrome’s Beta version.
- Install Google Chrome Beta.
- Launch Google Chrome Beta. Select Experiments from the drop-down menu.
- Click the drop down menu next to the feature you want to test.
- Click the Enable button.
Google Chrome Task Manager
Those who are familiar with the task manager in Windows will feel right at home here. Task Manager provides an easy way to determine which webpage is causing issues by displaying how much memory and CPU power Chrome is using.
Shift + Esc will bring up the task manager.
Save files to Google Drive directly.
Instead of downloading files and immediately uploading them to Google Drive, you can cut out the middleman with this handy Google extension. After you install it, you’ll be able to save the file to Google Drive instead.
When you save a file after you’ve configured it, you’ll notice an additional option. To use the extension, when downloading a file, select Save to Google Drive.
Windows File Explorer
Chrome can function as a basic file explorer on Windows computers. Simply enter “C:” into your address bar and press the Enter key on your keyboard. You will be shown a basic version of Windows File Explorer.
Block third-party cookies
First-party cookies are used when you are asked to enable them. They are provided by the website you are visiting and can be allowed or denied the first time you visit that site. Third-party cookies are set by other websites that provide content for the site you’re visiting (e.g., ads or images), and blocking them is a little more difficult.
- Click the three-button menu in Chrome’s upper right corner.
- Select Settings.
- Navigate to Security and Privacy.
- Select Cookies and other site data from the drop-down menu.
- Block third-party cookies are selected.