Google unveiled the launch of the new version of Chrome 85 which brings changes in the management of tabs, 10% faster page loads, PDF enhancements and a host of developer features.
Of the main changes that stand out from this new version of Chrome 85 is that It already supports groups of tabs which can be collapsed and expanded.
Another change in Chrome is for tablet mode as a new touch screen interface with larger tabs is integrated which are more convenient to organize and hide (this new interface will be available first on Chromebooks).
In addition, web browser now offers up to 10% faster page loads by using a new compiler optimization technique known as Profile Guided Optimization (PGO).
Google originally introduced PGO with Chrome 83 for Windows users using Microsoft Visual C ++ Build Environment (MSVC), and it is now implemented on Windows and Mac devices using Clang.
On the other hand, in Chrome 85 will allow you to fill out PDF forms and save them with which if the file is reopened, it will be possible to continue where it left off. Tagged PDF files are more accessible to users with disabilities, such as people who use a screen reader, and help the software to process and extract data automatically.
Another important change for users is that they now have Integrated support for AVIF images. The AV1 image file format compresses images using the AV1 codec and dramatically reduces the size of images without significant loss of quality.
In testing by Netflix, they found that AVIF can significantly reduce file size while maintaining a high level of image detail.
As AVIF also supports modern features like High Dynamic Range (HDR), and sites like Netflix, YouTube, and Facebook have shown interest in using it, Google decided to add built-in support. file format.
Also highlighted in this new version is the mixed content download blocking Mixed content downloads are files delivered over an insecure HTTP connection when they are first launched from HTTPS websites.
Google Chrome started displaying warnings on the Chrome console to warn developers that these downloads would be blocked in future versions. With this version, Chrome will display a visual warning when downloading mixed audio, video, image, and ext files. These files include .png, .gif, .jpg, .mp4, etc.
Google Chrome it will also block mixed content files which are deemed unsafe because they can be abused to spread malware or other malicious activity. These files include .pdf, .doc, .docx, .xls, etc.
Starting with Chrome 86, Google Chrome will start blocking all mixed content downloads.
In addition, Chrome 85 introduces app shortcuts for progressive web apps (PWA) so that users can quickly access their most used tasks. When enabled, if a user presses and holds or right-clicks a PWA icon, the operating system will display various tasks that can be started automatically using this web application. App shortcuts are now active in Microsoft Edge 85 too.
Finally another of the changes that stands out is that the browser now comes with a QR code generator to help you easily share websites.
And is that when the user is directly on a page, they will see a new context menu option entitled "Create QR code for this page." When you select it, the browser generates and displays a QR code that you can then share with others.
If the camera of a mobile device scans this QR code, the page will open automatically.
How to install Google Chrome 85 on Linux?
If you are interested in being able to install this new version of this web browser and you still do not have it installed, you can download the installer that is offered in deb and rpm packages on its official website.
I use elemenray os, and when I updated to version 85 I noticed that it had rendering problems in some pages, I thought it was a driver issue but in firefox it doesn't happen to me and with the previous version 84 it doesn't happen either.