Samsung Galaxy devices with Android Marshmallow get better browsing and multitasking

Samsung has already shown off the new Edge panel for devices like the Galaxy S6 Edge and Edge+ which comes as part of the Android Marshmallow update. Today, it detailed some of the other, perhaps more important, additions coming to Galaxy phones with Android 6.0 which started rolling out two days ago.

As part of the update, Samsung is rolling out a new browser called Samsung Internet 4.0 which — among other things — has a new ‘secret mode’ for private browsing. Secret mode works with fingerprint authentication, ensuring that only the owner or rightful user of the phone can see sensitive information.

You can also save specific pages and bookmarks while in secret mode which are kept in a separate space, and are only accessible by you and not by anyone else. So you could be shopping for gift ideas for a loved one, or planning a surprise getaway, and they’d never know, even if they checked your browsing history.

Secure Web Auto Login protection, which launched with version 3.0 has also been upgraded to make use of the fingerprint authentication, making sure that only the rightful users have access to stored login data. In future, as more biometric sensors are added to the company’s devices, it will be able to use data from those to authenticate the user’s identity as well.

Internet 4.0 has some improvements to the VR experience too.

With the Samsung Internet 4.0 able to interact seamlessly on mobile devices and the Gear VR, it will be easier than ever for anyone to enjoy the immersive experience of virtual reality. Users can share bookmarks and video history between the Gear VR and Galaxy phones and tablets, for added convenience, whatever device they choose to use.

As well as the new browser, Samsung has developed a new feature called Cross App which essentially lets different apps work together a little more seamlessly. It’s been designed mostly so that messaging and chat apps can share images, videos and browser links without having to hop in and out of the app.

Users will be able to share media from right within the messaging app. What’s more, you’ll be able to open a web page URL from within the chat/messaging app without slowing down, and minimize the website just be flicking it down. As bonus, you’ll also be able to play videos and audio files within the chat or watch on full screen.

Of course, in addition to all this, Samsung users get access to all the improvements offered by Marshmallow including Doze mode for better standby battery performance and App Standby which can shut down apps if they’re idle.