Hidden Features of Google Chrome 

Virtual learning is entirely dependent on Chrome, it's hard to imagine work without it. Chrome is very efficient and accessible, usually being the go-to internet browser for most people who have access to the internet. On the topic of accessibility, there are several unknown features of Chrome that make the most out of the browser's efficiency and accessibility. 

Tab groups 

A recent feature of Google Chrome completely changes the way tabs are organized on Chrome. With a simple right-click, you can group your tabs, and label them with a custom name and color. Once the tabs are grouped, you can move, collapse and reorder them on the tab strip.

This feature is great not only for management but also has the potential to make your device run smoother. Google Chrome is notorious for running slow once too many tabs are on screen which could cause other essential apps like Zoom to run slow as well. However, the ability to collapse tabs can make your device run noticeably smoother. This is definitely a feature you should use often.

Picture-in-picture

This feature allows you to watch videos in a floating window, so you can keep track of what you are watching when on other tabs or apps. Simply right-click (two fingers on the touchpad or pressing alt then using one finger on the touchpad) twice and select “picture-in-picture” (I find it easier to right-click once, move the cursor a little, then right-click again) a small box should appear that you can resize to your liking.

This feature is really helpful for assignments that require you to watch a video and answer questions along with it, usually in a separate Google document. It becomes very tedious having to switch between the two tabs constantly, but this feature eliminates this, allowing you to watch the video on the same tab with your questions.

Keyboard shortcuts

These are keys or combinations of keys that provide an alternative way to do something that you'd typically do with a mouse. Using shortcuts is extremely efficient since it cuts down on tedious tasks, it also provides access to features exclusive to shortcuts. Here are some of the most common shortcuts (for Mac devices, the ctrl button is substituted for the ⌘ command button).

Editing text

• Ctrl + c — Copy text
• Ctrl + v — Paste text
  • Ctrl + shift +v — Paste as plain text 
• Ctrl + z — Undo
• Ctrl + y — Redo

Tabs and windows

• Ctrl + t — Open a new tab
• Ctrl + w — Open a new window
• Ctrl + shift + t — Reopen the last tab or window you closed

Other shortcuts

• Ctrl + Show Windows  (Windows Key + Shift + S on PC, Shift + Command + 3 on Mac) — Take a screenshot
  • Shift + Ctrl + Show windows   (Shift + Command + 4 on Mac) — Capture a portion of the screen
• Ctrl + f — Opens a search box for words and phrases anywhere on a page
• Put quotation marks on a certain word in a google search to make the word mandatory in the search results 

Touchpad shortcuts 

• Scrolling — Place two fingers on the touchpad and move them up and down to scroll vertically, or left and right to scroll horizontally.
• Switch between tabs (Chromebooks) — If you have multiple browser tabs open, swipe left or right with three fingers.