Google is adding a number of new features to Chrome that will make it easier to use, especially for research and educational purposes. The browser’s tab transfer system between devices will no longer be limited to just opening the same web page on another device. Chrome will also remember where the user scrolled through the page when they sent the tab to another device. In this way, the user who starts reading a long article, academic document or research text on the phone will not have to find the same section again when he/she switches to the computer. Google also states that unfinished forms will be preserved after the device change.
In Chrome, it is already possible to send a tab from a phone to a computer or from a computer to a phone. With the new regulation, this feature will also preserve the user’s current status on that page, instead of just transferring the address of the page. Remembering the scroll position can save time, especially on long documents and web pages with many sections. In addition, the ability to fill out a form on a mobile device and complete it on a desktop may be useful for users who do not want to enter long text on a small screen. Thanks to the system that works in the reverse direction, an operation started on the computer can be continued from where it left off on the mobile device.
Gemini in Chrome will analyze more media types
Along with the changes to tab transfer, Google is also expanding Gemini’s capabilities within Chrome. The artificial intelligence system was previously able to analyze and summarize content such as documents, websites and YouTube videos, and present some information in a visual format. With the new update, the scope of media types supported by these functions is expanded. The company aims to extract more information from audio and video content, especially for educational purposes. In this context, not only videos on YouTube, but also videos and podcast content hosted on different platforms can be reviewed by Gemini.
According to the information provided by Google, Gemini will be able to determine the main points in the content after an audio or video file is played. Users will be able to use Gemini in Chrome to find specific information in a long podcast recording, extract important parts of a lecture recording, or have an obscure passage explained more simply. For example, it may not be necessary to listen to the entire recording again to search for a specific event in a long podcast about history. Similarly, it will be possible to include only sections related to a particular concept in a recorded lecture video. The practical benefit of these features may become especially apparent to students and research users working on long audio and video content.
Another feature added to Gemini’s Chrome integration will be the ability to create interactive tests. Artificial intelligence will be able to prepare various questions for the user based on the content in the open tab. Thus, instead of just studying notes or course material, users will be able to turn information from any suitable website into a short quiz. This approach offers a different working method, especially for users who want to check how much of the learned information is remembered. However, since the accuracy of the questions and answers produced will depend on how accurately the artificial intelligence system interprets the content, the source text will need to be checked separately, especially in academic studies.
Google is initially rolling out the interactive testing feature in English to desktop Chrome users in the US and India. The company states that the feature will be expanded to other regions and mobile devices in the coming months. New media analysis tools and improvements in tab transfer enable Chrome to take on more roles in research and work processes than just being a browser that displays web pages. However, the practical value of Gemini-based features will depend on how consistent content summaries and extracted information are. The feature of switching between devices, which preserves the current position in the tab and the unfinished forms, is a more concrete innovation that can directly benefit daily use, independent of artificial intelligence functions.