Google announced the release of the new version of Chrome 85, which brings changes to tab management, 10% faster page loads, PDF improvements, and a host of features for developers.
One of the main changes highlighted in this new version of Chrome 85 is that it now supports tab groups which can be collapsed and expanded.
Another change in Chrome is for tablet mode, as it integrates a new touchscreen interface with larger tabs that are more convenient to organize and hide (this new interface will be available first on Chromebooks).
In addition, the 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.
Furthermore, Chrome 85 will allow users to fill out PDF forms and save them, so if the file is reopened, users can pick up where they left off. Tagged PDFs are more accessible to users with disabilities, such as those who use screen readers, and help software process and extract data automatically.
Another important change for users is the addition of built-in support for AVIF images. The AV1 image file format compresses images using the AV1 codec, drastically reducing image size 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 noteworthy in this new version is the blocking of mixed content downloads. Mixed content downloads are files delivered through an insecure HTTP connection when first initiated 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 will also block mixed-content files that are deemed unsafe because they can be misused 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 (PWAs) so users can quickly access their most frequently used tasks. When enabled, if a user presses and holds or right-clicks a PWA icon, the operating system will display several tasks that can be launched automatically using that web app. App shortcuts are now also active in Microsoft Edge 85.
Finally, another notable change 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 installing this new version of this web browser and you don't already have it installed, you can download the installer offered in deb and rpm packages from its official website.