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Matt Elliott/CNET
Chrome for iOS received an update yesterday, and Google’s mobile browser now boasts pull-down gestures, improved search suggestions, a new widget, and support for password managers. Let’s take a quick lap through the new features to see how they work and can make your mobile browsing experience easier and more efficient.
Chrome for iOS follows the trend of other mobile browsers and now lets you pull-down on a page to reload it, making it easier to navigate the Web on your iPhone with one hand. It’s welcome news for straphangers, dog walkers and others. But wait, there’s more! In addition to the standard pull-down-to-reload gesture, Google added two other gestures to open and close tabs. Pull down and to the left to open a new tab. Pull down and to the right to close the current tab. When you begin to pull down on a page, a banner appears at the top with the close, reload and open new tab options. These new gestures show up only on the iPhone; iPad users are likely using two hands anyway and will need to continue to tap the refresh, new tab and close buttons.
Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET
Google also improved Chrome for iOS’s search suggestions. Now when you enter a search term, the answer to your query may be listed in the suggestions, saving you from having to click through to a page. When you search for weather conditions or a stock price, for example, the answer shows up in the search suggestions as you type.
In addition, Chrome for iOS gets its own Today view widget in the update. iOS 8 users can add the Chrome widget to the Today view of the Notification Center. The widget supplies a button to open a new tab and another to open voice search. Below the buttons, it offers to open a link if you have one copied to your clipboard.
Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET
Lastly, Chrome for iOS has added support for password managers, letting you use 1Password, Lastpass and others to fill out forms when logging in to sites that require such credentials.
