Google Chrome reveals a host of new productivity tools – including a much-wanted split screen boost, and improved PDF annotation
- You can now open two tabs in Chrome Split View without having to rely on OS alternatives
- Annotations, like highlights and notes, are also coming to Chrome’s PDF viewer
- Save PDFs directly to Drive without having to download and re-upload
Google has announced a series of new updates to its Chrome browser in a bid to make it the ultimate all-in-one productivity app, with deeper cloud storage integration and a new split view.
With Chrome Split View, Chrome lets users view two tabs simultaneously in a bid to reduce “back-and-forth tab fatigue,” which can be enabled by right-clicking a tab and selecting split-view mode.
Chrome Product Manager Alex Tsu claims early testing has proven effective, though Google did not quantify the benefits. Of course, similar experiences are already available in operating system-level split-view setups, including on Windows and macOS.
Chrome 145 adds Split View and PDF experience improvements
Split View works by showing two tabs within one single Chrome browser pane, rather than running two separate windows side-by-side. The tab bar at the top also indicates when a tab is running in Split View.
Chrome 145 also introduces a tool to let users save PDF files directly to their Google Drive without having to download and re-upload it. Files will automatically be saved in a ‘Saved from Chrome’ folder – for now, it seems that users might not be able to select exactly where they want to save a PDF, though.
Chrome’s PDF Viewer also gets built-in annotation tools in response to user feedback, including text highlighting and notes. Again, Google hopes that not having to download PDFs will not only boost efficiency, but also save local storage.
On the Google Drive side of things, the company updated its PDF viewer interface in December with renewed menus and toolbars. There’s also an entire Gemini panel available for subscribers to get deeper insights from their files.
“Whether you’re looking for ways to move through your to-do list faster, working hard to get your side gig off the ground, or just spending most of your day in the browser, Chrome’s got your back,” the company wrote.
“We also know your time is valuable, which is why we obsess about all the tiny details to make your Chrome experience as helpful as possible.”
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