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We’re reaching a point where phones can start doing things that you can do on your computer. A good example is a new update coming to the mobile Google Chrome browser. According to ChromeUnboxed, Chrome for phones now support opening multiple windows.
This is something you could do with some clever workarounds. Alternative Android skins allow you to open more than one Chrome window, but the feature’s never been natively supported. It’s been a shame, as mobile processors have made great strides over the years. Phones are more than capable of running more than one instance of the same app.
A new Chrome update will let your open multiple windows on phones
Since we’re using our phones for more and more stuff nowadays, it can be necessary to have more than one instance of Chrome open. Sure, you can use multiple tabs, but switching to and from tabs can be a nightmare especially if you’re on a spree getting business done. This is where being able to quickly swap between windows will come in handy.
This feature, according to the source came with the latest update to the stable version of Chrome 108. At this point, this update is still rolling out, so you might not see it just yet. We were able to use this on our Pixel 6, but it requires an extra step.
How this feature works
For starters, it worked for us, but it wasn’t quite optimized. How it’s supposed to work is you’re supposed to tap on the three-dot menu and see the Manage windows option. When you tap on it, you’ll see a list of your windows with an Add window button right below.
When you select that option, you’ll see the app enter split-screen mode with one window on top of the other. You’re able to use them both at the same time, but if you want to use them separately, just expand one of them to full screen.
Then, when you open the app overview screen, you’ll see both windows presented as separate cards. So, you’ll be able to switch between them at your leisure.
However, when we opened Chrome cold, we didn’t see the option. In order to get it to work, we needed to open Chrome in split-screen mode and tap on the New window option in the three-dot menu. From that point on, the Manage window option was available. We were able to see it even if Chrome wasn’t open in split-screen mode.
What’s neat is that both windows can have their own tabs open. Also, you’re not restricted to just two windows. It seems like you can open as many as you want. You’d just have to keep in mind how much RAM and processing power your phone has. If you’re using a 6-year-old phone, you might not want to have 10 windows open.
This feature is still rolling out, so we should expect it to become more refined as time goes on.