Google Chrome Labs is being tested as a new feature in the latest version of Chrome Canary. On enabling Chrome Labs, users can access it through the toolbar menu to see user-facing experimental features. These can be used on Mac, Windows, and Linux, but only through Chrome Canary as of now. The two new features under Chrome Labs currently are Reading List and Tab Search that you can enable, disable, or set to Default from the toolbar itself.
Enabling the Chrome Labs feature on Chrome Canary adds a flask-looking icon on the corner of the toolbar menu. The Reading List feature lets users right-click on the tab or click on the bookmark star icon to add a tab to a reading list. These tabs can be accessed from the Bookmarks bar. The Tab Search feature, meanwhile, adds an icon to the tab bar that can be used to search for a tab from the ones open.
Chrome Labs is how the search giant is promoting certain experimental features, as well as increasing their visibility. While users also have the option to head to the chrome flags page to check out the features, Chrome Labs is an easier, more structured way of keeping track of new experiments.
How to use Chrome Labs
Make sure you have the latest version of Chrome Canary. Type chrome://flags/ in the address bar. Search for Chrome Lab in the Search flags option and select Enabled. After this, relaunch your browser.
On restarting Chrome, you’ll notice a new flask-like icon next to the address bar at the right. Upon clicking on it, you’ll see the current list of experiments available, currently limited to Reading List and Tab Search. These will be set to Default, click on Enabled in order to use the features. You’ll be required to relaunch Chrome again in order for the features to show up and reflect.
As noted by gHacks, Google is not the only one that has worked on improving the discoverability of experimental features in the browser. In the past, Mozilla and Vivaldi have added such pages to their browsers, in order to promote their use.
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