Google Chrome 102 is out now, here’s everything that’s new

There are a lot of features directed at developers, helping them further close the gap between web apps and native applications

After releasing stable Chrome 101 just about a month ago, Google is now ready to promote Chrome 102 to take its spot. The new Chrome release is chock-full of features mostly directed at developers, but that isn’t something bad—instead, it means that web apps will only grow more powerful the next few months and years, with Chrome providing tools to make them feel even more native. Here are all the most interesting bits and pieces we found in Chrome 102.

New intelligent shortcut on Chrome for Android

A new intelligent third shortcut to the right of the address bar has started popping up for many people in Chrome 101 on Android, and it's safe to assume that Google is only further expanding the experiment to more people in Chrome 102. The shortcut will either show up as a button for voice search, sharing, or opening a new tab, depending on what you're generally more likely to use. You can also manually tweak the shortcut by long-pressing it, though.

If you'd like to give this a go, but it hasn't rolled out automatically to you just yet, tweak the chrome://flags/#adaptive-button-in-top-toolbar-customization flag.

Chrome for desktop finally lets you reorder tabs with keyboard shortcuts

You can use your keyboard for quite a few things on Chrome, like switching between tabs or navigating back and forth in your browsing history. Another direly needed keyboard shortcut is finally joining the selection of currently existing ones. You can now reorder tabs using your keyboard. If you're a Linux user, this is likely an old hat for you, but this ability is only coming to Chrome for Windows and macOS with version 102. In order to move a tab, you need to hit ctrl+shift and page up or page down, depending on which direction you want to move the tab. On Mac keyboards, you'll need to use ctrl+shift+fn with arrow up or down.

Online store information and ratings on Android

First off, here is one of the few user-facing changes that Google is working on for this release. Google is experimenting with giving you more information about online shops you may have never visited before, making it easier for you to gauge if a store is legitimate or not, giving you quick access to Google ratings in the page info screen to the left of the address bar. Initially spotted in the Dev version of Chrome 102, this feature doesn’t seem to be fully ready for launch just yet and is likely tied to regional restrictions, but it should still be in active testing in this release. Don’t be surprised if you run into it when using Chrome 102. It’s possible that the feature is controlled through the chrome://flags/#page-info-about-this-site flag, though we haven’t been able to replicate it just yet by turning this on.

Open files in web apps on desktop

After a long testing period that started with Chrome 92, Chrome 102 is closing the gap between native applications and web apps even further. Installed web apps can declare that they’re able to open certain files from your computer (like a photo editing web app for jpeg or Photoshop files, for example), and can then show up in your system’s “Open with” dialog. You will no longer have to drag and drop files onto web apps, at least once the majority of developers support this.

CTRL+F might soon get even more powerful

Chrome 102 introduces a new HTML attribute called “Hidden=until-found.” This can be used for hidden text that might be collapsed in a help or FAQ section. When the attribute is used, it’s possible to find text in hidden website sections using site search (either in the three-dot menu or using CTRL/CMD+F). Since this functionality is based around an HTML attribute, websites will have to support it specifically, so it might not arrive on pages you frequent right away.

Single-page web apps could soon be easier to navigate

The Navigation API that first went into testing in Chrome 96 is going live for everyone with Chrome 102. Google says that the API formerly known as app history API introduces a robust method for intercepting and initiating navigation, making it possible to create less finicky single-page web apps. Those apps are supposed to feel more native, as they don't entirely reload the webpage when you navigate to a new place, but instead rewrite the currently visible view, much like regular applications do. Slack, Gmail, Google Drive, and other web apps like them come to mind.

With this new API, it could get easier to navigate back and forth in these applications using your browser’s navigation buttons, with those apps apparently previously relying on a less robust system.

Control your slides right from your video conferencing service

Video conferencing has become the norm these last few years, but the web is still catching up to make things as seamless as possible. Google Chrome 102 is shipping a new feature that will make presentations much easier, making it possible to go to the next or previous slide from the meeting window instead of the presentation itself. This will allow you to keep your peers in view while you share another Chrome tab. If you’re curious how this works, be sure to visit the demo website for this feature and test it out on Chrome 102. It will likely take some time until all browsers out there support this, so be prepared to wait a little until this actually crops up in your favorite meeting platform.

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You can see, there is quite a lot going on in this release, and these aren’t the only things Google is currently working on. Be sure to check out our deep dive into all the new features the company is working on for Chrome, regularly updated with what’s happening.

Chrome 102 is now rolling out to desktops as well as Android and Apple devices, but if you want to speed up the process on the latter, be sure to grab it from APK Mirror.