Google Chrome 115 was just released on all platforms about two weeks ago, but Google likes to roll out features independently of major version updates. Today the company announced changes coming to the search functionality in Chrome for Android, iPhone, and iPad.
The search bar in the mobile version of Chrome already gives you a few suggestions as you type, and if Google is set as your default search engine, you might see information cards alongside plain text search results. Now, the search will also show you more related content, in addition to actual auto-complete suggestions. The company explained in a blog post, “Let’s say you’re reading an article about Japan as you plan for an upcoming trip. When you click on the address bar, you’ll see a new section labeled ‘Related to this page’ with suggestions for other searches — like local restaurants or tourist attractions in Japan.”
The related suggestions don’t stop there, though. You’ll also see trending searches as soon as you tap the address bar, before you start typing anything. This might be useful if you were about to search for a major ongoing event or other popular search, but it might also be a bit distracting. Google says it’s now available on Chrome for Android, and it’s coming to Chrome on iPhone and iPad “later this year.”
Google is also updating the tap-to-search feature on Chrome for Android, which has been available for years, and allows you to tap on a word or phrase in the page to see a search preview at the bottom of the screen. The blog post said, “Now, you can find related searches using Touch to Search, too. Say you’re reading an article and you come across a topic you want to learn more about. Using Touch to Search, you’ll now see a carousel of related searches so you can quickly find more information about it.”
Finally, the number of search suggestions that appear when you start typing in the address bar is changing. You’ll now get 10 suggestions instead of 6 options, with the most relevant suggestions appearing closer to the top of the list. That has been available on Chrome for Android for a while now, but it should now be available to iPhones and iPads as well.
Google is hoping that the changes will help you more easily find the information you need. The new suggestions might clutter up the address bar search, but at least they go away once you’re done typing and just want to see the page.
Source: Google
