Chrome 74

After rolling out to Android, Mac, Windows, and Linux, version 74 of Chrome OS is now available. Notable features include a new unified search that redesigns the Assistant experience. Other additions include PDF annotation tools and folder creation in My Files.

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The ability to have more than one “virtual desktop” is a hallmark of many desktop operating systems including Linux, Mac OS, and even recent versions of Windows. It allows you to separate your (too many) open apps and windows into cleanly divided work spaces. One major OS that’s been missing out though is Chrome OS, but Google is finally starting to change it with the new “Virtual Desks” feature.

Update: We now have a third video showing Chrome OS’s virtual desks and how they’ll actually work.

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Following the Mac, Windows, and Linux update, Chrome 74 is now rolling out to Android. This version allows websites to respect an operating system preference to reduce motion, while “Data Saver” has been renamed to “Lite mode.”

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The latest version of Google Chrome is rolling out to Mac, Windows, and Linux today. Chrome 74 introduces a Dark Mode for Windows, and lets websites respect OS-set “reduced motion” preferences.

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With version 73 now available on Mac, Windows, Linux, and Android, the next beta release of Google’s browser is rolling out. Chrome 74 notably brings Dark Mode support to Windows, and can instruct websites to respect any OS-level user preference to reduce motion.

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In recent weeks, more and more Google apps and services have adopted dark modes. The latest is now Chrome for Android’s UI, but only in the experimental Canary channel. Also in development is a new tab switcher that presents card previews as a grid rather than a list.

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Linux apps have added a new level of utility to Chrome OS, enabling programs that go beyond the typical web and Android apps. However, Chrome OS wasn’t quite ready for certain tasks like video editing due to a lack of audio in Linux apps. That’s changing as of Chrome OS 74, now in the Dev channel, which offers audio playback for the Linux apps support.

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As many websites make their money from tracking and advertising, especially advertising targeted to individuals based on their web activity, Google Chrome’s Incognito Mode can help give users a sense of privacy by temporarily disconnecting from their Google, Facebook, and Amazon accounts. For those who use Incognito this way, you may be shocked to know that Chrome has long had a flaw that can be abused by web developers to detect whether you’re using Incognito Mode. According to a set of new code changes, Google is finally looking to fix this issue.

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Thanks to improvements Google has launched over the years, Chrome OS is now capable of running four different kinds of apps — Chrome apps and extensions, Web apps (including PWAs), Android apps, and Linux apps — each of which is managed differently. This has made app management on Chrome OS into something of a mess, but Google is looking to unify the platform with a project called the “App Service.”

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