Google Chrome for Android now lets users preview a link before they open it, here is how it works

Google is rolling out a very simple but significant tool, which has reportedly been in the works for two years. The Android app for Google Chrome will now allow users to glance through the contents of a link before they open it in a separate tab altogether. The new feature 'Preview Page', as the name suggests, lets Chrome users open a link in preview and lets them decide if the page is worth opening at a separate time. This feature will save on user’s time and will let users stay on a page without them having to go down a rabbit hole.

The new feature ‘Preview Page’ was first reported by 9to5Google and is being rolled out to Chrome 89 for Android via a server-side update, as per the report. India Today Tech could confirm it.

Google rolled out the Group Tabs and grid layout option for mobile in January this year. The tool greatly helps users to declutter and organise their tabs. Here is how to use it. The new Preview feature appears between the options Open in incognito tab or Browser and Copy link address within the context menu. The other options include copy link address, copy link text, download link, and share link.

Here is how you can use the Preview Page option:

-- Long press on the link you want to preview without opening the page in a separate tab.

-- When you tap on the preview option, the page from the link will slide up, and the preview will cover the majority of the user’s screen.

The top bar that contains the site’s favicon, page name, and domain. Users will also see a button to open the page in a proper window.

-- You can either open the page in a separate tab by clicking on it or close it by pressing on 'x' in the top-right corner or by swiping down on the pull tab.

Google has reportedly been working on the preview page feature for over two years as XDA developers had first spotted references for a sneak peek option in the pop-up menu in the browser in 2018. Google is also working on a Full Coverage feature for Google Search. The tech giant notes that the feature will make it easier for people to explore all aspects of a story from different perspectives. The Full Coverage feature will first roll out in the US for the English language and will follow in more languages and locations.