A recent Internet poll by statcounter.com has shown that Google Chrome is the most used Internet browser at 63.5% of users switching to Chrome. This is well over double of the second most used Internet browser, Safari, at only 19.4% of users. This may be because, ever since Chrome was launched in 2008, it has added many unique features that other browsers just don’t seem to carry. Many users, however, have either taken these features for granted or have never heard about them. Here are a few examples:

“Guest Mode”: The ability to switch to guest mode adds an extra layer of privacy to your files and information. By clicking your google account in the upper right corner and then choosing “Guest”, the computer hides all bookmarks, tabs, and websites you’ve logged into. This is especially helpful when someone wants to borrow the computer but you don’t want them seeing what websites you are on for privacy reasons.

“Continue Where You Left Off”: Gone are the days when accidentally closing your Internet browser meant losing all of your information. The “Continue Where You Left Off” feature allows you to open Chrome again with the same windows and tabs it had when it closed. To enable this setting, open the browser menu, choose “Settings” then “On Startup”, then “Continue Where You Left Off”. The next time you open your browser, the same windows will be available as before. It even remembers these windows and tabs if your computer crashes or turns off!

“Tab Grouping”: Tab grouping improves organization by creating labels and colors to your tabs. It also enables you to add and remove tabs from a group and move them to other groups. To enable this feature, right click on the open tab you wish to group and choose “Add Tab to New Group” The menu then includes different colors to label the tabs and options such as “New Tab in Group”, “Ungroup”, and “Close Group”. Management has never been this convenient!

“Send to Your Devices”: Google Chrome has the ability to search webpages on another device such as a phone or tablet. To do so, right click on the URL in the search bar and then choose “Send to Your Devices”. This will send the URL of the website to any device where Chrome is installed and synched with the computer. Don’t forget to plug your device into the computer and sign in.

“New Tab Shortcut”: If there is a website or video you visit frequently, you don’t have to type it into the search bar every time. Instead, you can create a “New Tab Shortcut” to have that website appear on the screen when you click “New Tab”. If you click “Add Shortcut” on the New Tab page, you can type in a website and it will add it to the New Tab shortcut. Also, by clicking the three dots to the side of the screen, you can remove this website and replace it with another.

“Change Themes”: By opening the browser menu and choosing “Settings”, “Appearance”, and “Theme”, the option is available to change the aesthetics of the browser. Different themes include changing the color, the artwork, and even the layout on certain occasions. While many of the themes were created by Google themselves, other themes are created by Google users around the world. Of course, you can always return to the standard Google Chrome theme with a click.

“Reset and Clean Up”: If your’e experiencing anything suspicious on the browser such as unwanted pop ups or slower processing speed, you can tell Chrome to look for harmful malware and clean up the computer. By opening the Chrome browser, clicking “Settings”, then “Advanced”, then “Reset and Clean Up”, Chrome will scan the browser and report any suspicious details that were found during the clean up. While it is not guaranteed to fix the malware, it improves the health and safety of the browser.

Features like these are the reason that Chrome remains the most used browser and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. There are always new features to be explored on Chrome to improve efficiency and organization. Maybe you will discover a new feature and share it with the world. So start exploring and enjoy the incredible, complex, multi-tasking world that is Google Chrome!