ZDNET’s key takeaways
- An X post shows a new search menu in Chrome.
- The new menu allows navigation of nesting options in the browser’s settings.
- The features remain in the testing phase, with no general availability announced.
I’m a longtime Chrome user, but I’ve never been a fan of the browser’s user settings menu, which has grown into a dense collection of nested submenus that can be difficult to navigate. That may change soon.
The change is still in progress
X (formerly Twitter) user, Leopeva64, posted a short video and several still images showing a potential new feature in Chrome Canary, which Google uses to test new Chrome web tools and features. Posts show the search bar pinned to the top of the settings menu for instant access. By entering the name of the sub-menu or feature you want to access, the new search bar can save a lot of time usually spent clicking around, trying to remember exactly where it is located.
According to Leopeva64, other possible new features include a visual update that groups similar menu options into tiles for faster navigation of your most accessible settings, as well as pinning menu footers to keep them visible when clicked.
Chrome Extensions is also open for a possible refresh with a move to a dedicated submenu called Manage Skills to help keep all your installed extensions organized and make it easier to remove those that are no longer needed.
Also: How to take full-page screenshots in Chrome on any device – it’s easy and free
Google Lens may get a new submenu called “Ask Google about this page” to search for items you see on an entire page, not just a single image.
There’s no official word yet on when these features will leave Canary’s test environment and become available in the regular Chrome menu. I’ve reached out to Google for a comment, but at the time of writing I haven’t received a response.