Born in 2008 Google Chrome is the best known and most used web browser in the world, able to guarantee fast, dynamic and secure web browsing. Compatible with any fixed and mobile device, the application allows you to take advantage of quick connections with your Google account, customizing the online experience according to your needs, with lots of extensions to increase its basic functionality.
Here how to use Google Chrome at its best and exploit all its potential.
Google Chrome: how it works and how to use it
Google Chrome is a web browser, or an application that allows you to browse the internet by connecting your PC with web pages and other clients connected to the network. Released for the first time in 2008, today it is the most used system in the world, installed on over 60% of devices connected to the internet, followed in second place by Mozilla Firefox, Chrome allows you to take advantage of the integrated services of the Mountain View company, using their Google account to implement various Google platforms and applications such as Drive and Gmail
In addition to allowing quick and easy online browsing, Google Chrome provides users with several additional features, including synchronization with YouTube, saving passwords for use on the web, storing payment cards, downloading and sharing files. , including the consultation of web pages even in offline mode. Furthermore, by installing some extensions it is possible to increase the native functionality of Chrome, making it a real personal assistant for telematic activities on the network.
How to install Google Chrome and system requirements
Before installing Google Chrome on your device it is necessary to check the system requirements, however the browser is compatible with almost all operating systems and latest generation electronic devices. For example, it is possible to use Chrome with Windows PCs, starting from version 7 onwards, with Intel Pentium 4 or higher processors, as long as they can support SSE2 technology. On Mac OS at least version X Yosemite 10.10 is required, or for Linux Ubuntu 14.04 64-bit.
As for mobile devices, on iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch it is necessary to have an iOS operating system from version 11.0 onwards, while on smartphones, tablets and smartwatches it works with any Android version later than 5.0. To install Google Chrome on mobile devices just download the app on the Google Play Store, App Store or Windows Store. On the PC you need to download the .exe file, run it, grant permissions and follow the wizard step by step.
How to set up Google Chrome on the home page
Once the browser is installed it is possible set Google Chrome as the default system, in this way every time you look at the home page you will see the search screen. To do this on Windows just:
- Enter the settings
- Open the applications section
- Click on the System item
- Predefined app
- Select the present web browser
- Opt for Choose an app
- Set up the Google program
With Mac OS PC you only need to open Chrome> click on the three dots> More> Settings> Set Google Chrome as default browser.
To change the home page just click on the three dots, go down until you find the Search engine section, using the drop-down menu to choose between Google, Bing, Yahoo! and DuckDuckGo.
In this screen you can perform other interesting configurations, such as hiding the toolbar, setting the zoom of web pages, customizing the size and font of the characters, continuing to start from the closed page or always opening a new one.
How to save passwords with Google Chrome
A rather useful feature of the browser allows you to save passwords with Google Chrome, fill in forms automatically and synchronize login credentials on different devices. To activate the synchronization just save the passwords in your Google account, after which there will be a customized Chrome database. To authorize the procedure and automate it, it is necessary:
- Open the browser
- Click on the profile picture
- Select the Password item
- Activate the option Ask to save passwords or access the settings from the symbol with the 3 dots, by clicking on Activate synchronization
The operation allows you to store any password, including those for accessing websites as an administrator, for example WordPress or Joomla, login codes on e-commerce such as Amazon or booking portals such as Booking.com, web applications and services of internet banking.
At each access Google Chrome will show a message, asking if you want to save the password or not, repeating the procedure during all the first logins. From the second time, the credentials will be loaded automatically, avoiding having to remember dozens of different codes.
How to block ads, pop-ups and malware on Google Chrome
Through Google Chrome it is possible to block some pop-up windows, which open for example to show annoying advertisements and other services, such as subscription and sharing requests. These windows can be shown or not by the browser, in fact to block them you just need to open the settings> click on Advanced at the bottom> Privacy and security> Content settings> Popups and redirects> select Blocked, by moving the adjacent selector.
Alternatively, you can authorize or block the pop-ups of some specific websites, just repeat the previous operation but indicate a portal and finalize with Block. If unsolicited pop-ups are still shown, you can install the extension Chrome Software Cleaner, which allows Windows to remove unwanted ads and windows.
With Google Chrome it is also possible to locate any malware, just go to settings> click on Advanced> choose Clean your computer and Find, eliminating threats with the Remove option.
How to clear history from Google Chrome
Web browsers store a lot of data every day, however some information can be deleted from the databases. For example, it is possible to delete the history from Google Chrome, removing visited web addresses and tracking cookies. Just proceed by entering the browser settings> click on the items Other tools> Clear browsing data> set the time interval> choose the data to be deleted> confirm with Clear data.
By cleaning up the history however, the extensions are not deleted, installed and integrated into the browser, nor the history of activities related to the Google ecosystem. The latter can be deleted from your Google account, by clicking on the profile icon, Data and personalization, Activities and history, My activities, by touching the three dots, selecting Delete activity by, choose Always and finally Delete, or locate the single element and delete only that, using the Delete by topic or product functionality.
Google Chrome: How to delete auto-saved usernames
When the autosave feature is set, paired usernames are also stored in addition to passwords. To delete them, click on the personal profile> choose the Password> Other> Remove item, deleting both the security code and the username connected to it.
The operation is almost identical even from Android mobile devices, while on iPhone and iPad you need to tap the gear symbol> select Password> Edit> Saved passwords, choose the website> finalize with Delete.
How to update Google Chrome
During the download and installation of the browser, the latest version is loaded, however periodic updates are released, increasingly advanced, optimized and safe programs. For this reason it is important to update Google Chrome regularly, an operation that usually occurs automatically when you shut down or restart your PC or phone.
To carry out a manual update, just click on the three points at the top right, selecting Update Google Chrome and Restart, while in the absence of this option it means that the procedure has already been carried out automatically.
How to use microphone and camera with Google Chrome
In recent years, voice searches have become increasingly used, especially preferred on mobile devices to textual ones. Google Chrome is compatible with this system, both on smartphones and iPhones and on PCs, it is only necessary to activate the microphone symbol and communicate a question or a website to reach. Similarly, you can use the webcam or video camera, a service available on some portals and platforms such as Google Hangouts and Skype.
How to browse privately with Google Chrome
When you visit websites and search on the internet, the browser shows results in line with your past preferences, offering a service optimized according to your needs. However, it is possible to browse incognito with Google Chrome by activating the private mode. Just click on the three dots at the top right, selecting New Incognito Window, or right-click on the Chrome icon.
In this way the browser does not show personalized results, nor are browsing data stored in the history, tracking cookies or other data. Of course, you are neither invisible nor totally anonymous, so websites, administrators of public and private networks, including the internet service provider, can track their movements or, in the case of illegal acts, trace the IP of their computer. One of the few options of incognito browsing is the lack of history storage.
How to share location with Google Chrome
A particular feature, which uses GPS technology, allows you to share your location through Google Chrome, an operation that may not require explicit consent from third parties. To block this option, you must access the browser settings, click on Advanced, privacy and security, Content settings, Location and activate the Ask before access item, in this way you can decide each time whether to authorize geographical sharing or not.
The best extensions for Google Chrome
Extensions are plugins that allow you to increase the functionality and performance of the web browser, small programs that are not very heavy to install and integrate with Google Chrome. Among the best extensions there is for example Facebook Notifications, with which it is possible to receive notifications of the social network directly in the toolbar, while with Silver Bird those of Twitter. Lazarus allows you to fill in online forms in a semi-automatic way, memorizing some data and recurring phrases.
Another rather interesting extension for Google Chrome is Google Translate, which allows you to translate texts and words with a simple click on the toolbar, or LastPass takes care of password management, improving security when accessing websites and portals. . YouTube Options optimizes music streaming on the video sharing platform, hiding comments and eliminating advertising, Gmail Offline allows you to read emails even without a connection, while Disconnect avoids tracking via coockie.
To install an extension, just go to the Chrome Web Store, the official site where you can download plugins for the Google browser.
Here you can search based on the desired functionality, such as offline mode, free, compatible with Android or Google Drive, based on the evaluation of other users or by category, choosing between games, shopping, weather, sports, photos and many other classifications . The download of the extension takes place in a few moments, you just need to click on Add and confirm the operation, checking the license and the author for security reasons.
How to disable Google Chrome
To uninstall Google Chrome, for example to replace it with another web browser, it is advisable to make a backup, saving important programs and data in the cloud or on disk, so that they can be used again with another application. The operation can be performed in a few moments from your Google account, by downloading the files to Google Drive, DropBox or Microsoft OneDrive. Finally, just click on Start, select the gear icon, choose App, Google Chrome and Uninstall.
With a version older than Windows 10, then 8 or 7, you need to open Uninstall a program, from the main search bar of the operating system, select Google Chrome and proceed to remove and delete the browsing data. To disable the browser on a Mac OS PC, open the applications folder, hold down the Chrome icon and move it to the Trash, deleting the data using the Finder.
Google Chrome: how to use it and all its features
