The fact that most browsers have a huge number of settings is probably not necessary to explain. So one of the most popular Chrome web surfing tools from Google Corp. also boasts a very interesting set. There are even some hidden Google Chrome browser settings that the average user knows almost nothing about. And it would be worth paying attention to, since it is with their help that you can get access to non-advertised functions and even optimize the application for your needs.
Google Chrome: hidden browser settings. What is the point?
As a rule, developers of software designed to work with the Internet do not advertise additional tools, indicating that this is a full-featured browser that includes a lot of features for different purposes.
But the hidden settings of Google Chrome, which a normal surfer might not even be aware of, can be very useful not only in terms of automating some actions, but also in matters of optimizing the operation of the application itself. In "Chrome", most of them can be accessed through the address bar, in which special URL-links are registered. They do not lead to the wilds of the Internet, but their use causes a lot of hidden elements. It is this approach that helps to access all that the main menu is completely inaccessible, and there is no other way to access, except to enter special addresses. But first things first.
Google Chrome Hidden Features : Complete Address List
To begin with, let's look at the list of addresses itself, which will be useful to both the ordinary user and the software developer. A little distracting from the topic, it can be noted that web development tools are in every browser, just nobody really knows anything about them. For some reason, it is believed that the most powerful in this regard is Mozilla Firefox. This is not true.
A far from complete list of access addresses for almost all hidden functionality looks like the one shown in the photo below.
Some of them are intended for the average user, some are designed for developers and testers. Let's see what exactly can be extracted from the Google Chrome browser. The hidden settings of this application (professional reviews confirm this) are very, very interesting.
Memory usage
First, the most basic. Naturally, many users are interested in fine-tuning Google Chrome, at least in terms of the load on system resources. And the consumption of RAM or disk memory, not to mention the load on the central processor, comes first.
Information can be obtained by accessing the address chrome: // memory, where it will be seen how much memory is used by the page or tab. We make a reservation right away that all addresses begin with the chrome: // prefix (in earlier versions, the about: prefix was used without a double right slash), therefore, we will consider exclusively the main endings.
Plugins and Extensions
Add-ons and plug-ins connected to the browser can be viewed in two main sections. In the first case, plugins are written in the address, in the second - extensions.
As expected, here you can manage all the modules, including their activation, deactivation, installation or removal. But this is the simplest thing that is.
Maths
What is really interesting is the ability to calculate the simplest mathematical operations directly in the address bar.
Agree, few people know about this. This is the so-called omnibox. By the way, in it the result of calculations is displayed without using the press of the enter key, or, if simpler, without accessing the Google.com search engine. Reviews call this feature very useful.
Speed up Google Chrome
Now a few words on how to improve Chrome performance. There are tools for this (fine-tuning Google Chrome is impossible without this).
First of all, judging by the reviews of specialists, it is worth paying attention to access to the section opened using the address ending flags. This is probably the most interesting section of hidden settings. To achieve maximum browser performance, it is recommended that you enable GPU page processing and secondary source mode. You should also use the accelerated operation of SVG filters, smooth scrolling and a special Native Client function.
In the section accessed by entering the twisted ending, it is recommended to activate the asynchronous DNS client, pipelining over HTTP and SPDY / 3.
As the reviews say, in the flags section you can still find a lot of interesting things. For example, in Chrome, the hidden settings are such that using the FPS Counter tool, you can view the actual frame rate that is currently displayed. Quite simply, you can turn off the sound for the selected tab or automatically save passwords, logins or any other registration data for sites.
Spellchecking
There is also a universal component that allows you to automatically check data entry for errors.
In other words, if you start to write something on the page or enter a search query, the spelling will be changed to the correct input, and it can be very convenient, especially if you have to enter large text arrays.
To developers
To test some browser features, you can even cause critical crashes in manual mode using the inducebrowsercrashforrealz ending. Artificial freezing of a page is determined by the shorthang parameter.
Also useful: credits development section, display of information about a problem (kill) with an explicit message, display of graphic data on static parameters (histograms), full information about connections (net-internals), Google services and terms of their provision (terms), viewing the source code (view-source: “page address”), build number and browser version (version), information on graphic acceleration (gpu), viewing the contents of the cache (cache) and special features (accessibility).
Instead of a total
In general, as can be seen from all of the above, a rather interesting thing is the Chrome browser. Hidden settings and features that few people know about can be useful in many situations, including speeding up the browser itself, loading pages, and optimizing the consumption of system resources, not to mention the most mundane things.
Of course, the ordinary user is unlikely to need most of the sections described, however, for developers and all those who are involved in testing programs of this level, the field of activity is very wide.
Well, if you take into account that with the help of some sections you can make very fine-tuning your browser and all its functionalities with the maximum use of all hidden resources, then this application can be considered one of the best in its field. Here it’s worth considering that a new version of the browser will soon be released, which received a modification number of Google Chrome 54. What can I expect from it?
It is believed that this will be a breakthrough in the Internet technology market, since the new version will have to work much faster than all browsers known today, and it is supposed to reduce the consumption of system resources to such a minimum that no program has dreamed of. However, most likely, some changes will affect the hidden parameters or tools themselves. But this, as they say, is already a matter of time, because it’s not so long to wait until the official release. In general, time will show how justified by users or developers will be their bright hopes and expectations.