These 10 things you did not know about Google Chrome can make you more productive with your computer time.

As a Google Chrome user, you might think that searching for a term is pretty straightforward. You search and find what you need, right? Well, yes, but, if you stop and think, or if you just happen to start fiddling with your browser, you may find that the Chrome browser does so much more.

Browsers have evolved far beyond the simple search window. Indeed, the cloud sees to be present here as well. Browsers have become multi-functional. Yes, if you think about it all the important internet things are now available in the browser. You’ll find communication tools, productivity tools and so much more. It’s almost as if the browser has become a mini OS system.

And while most browsers have many of these features, people often prefer Google Chrome. One of the reasons for its popularity is because this browser has a clean, polished interface but at the same time has extreme versatility. Chrome’s ability can multiply as much as you want it to when you consider the near-bottomless library of extensions available to users. This gives Chrome extreme functionality to those people in the know.

So to help you understand a bit more about Chrome and what it can really do, we have listed 10 hidden tricks that could give you better functionality when browsing the web.

1. Incognito Windows

Surprisingly, many people don’t know about Incognito mode. This is a private window mode where your browser does not keep track of the browser history, nor does it store the cookies from the browsing. This is a great feature for when you don’t want the world to know what you are doing online.

2. Drag Multiple Tabs at Once

Did you know that you can drag and drop more than one browser tab to different screens or browser windows? Just hold the Ctrl key and click on the tabs you want to move so you can move them all at once. If you want to move several tabs at once on a Mac just hold down the Command key as you select.

3. Open Accidentally Closed Tabs

Here is a feature we all need. If you have ever mistakenly closed a tab, you know how frustrating it can be to find the page you were on. Thankfully, Chrome forgives you and helps you get it back. Just right-click on another tab and select Reopen Closed Tab. You can also hit Control Shift and T to do the same thing.

4. A Simpler Way to Search Words or Phrases

The updated Chrome allows for even more convenience when searching for a word or term. Simply highlight a word and drag it to the Omnibox for a web search. Conversely just right-click on a highlighted word and a pop-up option will appear where you can do a quick Google search.

5. Drag a URL to the Bookmarks Bar

If you come to a website and you want easy access to it at a future date, just add it to your Bookmarks bar by highlighting the ur and dragging it to the bookmarks star. You can always edit the name later.

6. Easily Add Links to The Desktop

Chrome allows you to add a clickable link to your desktop. Just click the three vertical dots in the top right-hand corner and select More tools then Add to desktop. A pop up will appear where you can name the file.

7. Open Specific Pages at Start

If you use the web you probably end up going to the same pages whenever you log on. You can choose to have Chrome open these websites every time you start up. In the settings menu got to the section called “On Startup” or you can type chrome: //settings/startup in the omnibox and select the option that allows you to open a specific page.

8. Create a Special Computer Profile for Your Kids

Kids need supervision, especially when surfing on the web. Chrome allows you to set a separate profile for kids. Best of all you can monitor and control this kid profile so you always know what your child is reading online.
Create the profile by going to Settings then People and Manage other People. Choose “Add Person”. Make sure you click the box next to “Control and view” and click Add. This sets the supervised accounts. A few minutes later, you get an email link leading you to the supervised user’s page. When there you can block certain sites, turn on SafeSearch and view the users’ web activities. You can log your child on by clicking Settings, Manage Other People and then clicking on their profile.

9. Chrome Is a Simple Multimedia Browser

Chrome makes for a great multimedia organizer. Have you ever come across some type of multimedia file, and realized you don’t know what it is? Well, you can take a quick peek by dragging it into your Chrome browser window.

10. Download Files Where You Want Them

This may be for the more experienced computer user. However, if you are like me you may need quick access to files you downloaded without having to open Windows Explorer to find them. One way of doing this is to have files automatically download to a designated folder on your PC. To change this location from the downloads folder go to the Chrome Settings (the three vertical dots in the upper right-hand corner), scroll down and click Advanced Settings then Downloads. From there you can choose where you want the files to download.

See! I told you there were a ton of fun and useful things that you can do with Chrome. And most of us don’t even  know-about-google-chrome features  like these, much less how they can help you be more productive.  If you need help setting up your computer to work the way you want it to, be sure to call us at Little Computer People. We will be glad to send out one of our mobile PC techs to help you with your PC configuration needs.