Following a Mac, Windows, and Linux release last week, Chrome 57 is now rolling out to Android with a number of user-facing and developer features. Chrome Custom Tabs now feature the full set of page controls, as web apps gain access to Android’s app drawer, notifications, and other system functions.
In past versions, the overflow menu in Chrome Custom Tabs only featured limited functionality, like sharing, copying, and opening in the full browser. With version 57, the full and identical controls are available, including bookmarking, downloading, request desktop site, and more.
Progressive Web Apps added with “Add to Home screen” now have significantly more features and access to Android. Notably, they will appear in the app drawer and in system settings, with their own ‘App info’ page. They can also receive incoming intents to open specific types of links, while notifications will no longer be sent through Chrome.
Additionally, with the new Media Session API, notifications can show more controls. With sites being able to provide more metadata to the browser, notifications can feature background artwork for device lock screens, as well as title, artist, and album info. Other possible actions include seeking and skipping controls.
Other features this version include:
- More frequently updated article suggestions on the New Tab page
- Use recently visited search engines as your default search engine
- See Physical Web suggestions, based on your surroundings, in the address bar
Chrome 57 for Android is rolling out now via the Play Store.
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