Skip to main content

Tab Groups could be a dream for multitaskers working in browser tabs

Chrome OS
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Google may be considering a change to how Chrome handles tabs, making it easier and more effective for multi-taskers to manage multiple tabs that are running on the browser. A new code change request and subsequent bug discovered by Chrome Story suggests that Google is working on a new Tab Groups feature that would allow users to organize tabs by various different tasks.

Recommended Videos

Though not a lot of details are known about this propose feature, the Chromium project bug log described Tab Groups as a feature where “users can organize tabs into visually distinct groups, e.g. to separate tabs associated with different tasks.” From the description, it appears that Tab Groups could also help users de-clutter all the opened tabs inside the Chrome browser, similar to how Apple’s new Stacks feature inside MacOS Mojave helps users keep their Mac desktops clutter-free by allowing users to group related files into a “stack.”

“From our understanding, this feature would allow users to create a sort of ‘folder’ to house a select group of tabs and keep them in one place,” 9to5 Google speculated on how Chrome’s Tab Groups will work. “Alternatively, it could also be a bookmarks-esque feature which keeps commonly used sites in one location for easy access.” For users who open multiple tabs simultaneously, Tab Groups could allow you to group all your news sites into one grouped tab, productivity services — like Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides — into another group, and bookmarks into a third group. At this time, it’s unclear if and when Google will start commence testing of Tab Groups inside its Canary, beta, or developer channels of Chrome.

At present, there are third-party Chrome extensions — like Tab Group — that offer similar functionality to what Google’s Tab Groups proposes, but this would be the first time that we’re hearing of a native system to help manage and organize tabs in Chrome. A native solution would allow Chrome users to gain the same experience without the risk associated with relying on a third-party service. Even if an extension is developed by a trusted source, it could later be sold to another developer. That developer may have different privacy requirements or could change the code so that the extension functions or behave differently than the original version.

Chuong Nguyen
Silicon Valley-based technology reporter and Giants baseball fan who splits his time between Northern California and Southern…
NotebookLM’s new Mind Maps could help you learn more efficiently
Google video of NotebookLM mind map feature.

NotebookLM users have a few new features to play around with starting this week, including a visual summary feature dubbed "Mind Map."

For anyone who isn't familiar with NotebookLM, it's an AI tool from Google designed specifically for summarizing, searching, and analyzing libraries of information. The idea is that you provide it with a selection of documents and files, and it will help you interact with them using natural language.

Read more
Chromebooks are about to get a lot smarter, and more accessible
Acer Chromebook Spin 513 top down view showing display and keyboard deck.

Google recently announced that Gemini will soon replace Google Assistant everywhere, from your phone and smartwatches to smart home speakers. ChromeOS has now joined the transition bandwagon, starting today.
The company has kicked off the stable rollout of Chrome OS M134, and it marks the silent exit of Google Assistant. “When triggering Assistant, you will automatically be directed to the Gemini app on your Chromebook,” Google says in a community update note.
Google says the feature update will be rolling out in a phased manner, so you might not be able to access the Gemini interface immediately after installing the latest software. Just to clear any confusion here, Gemini has been accessible on Chrome OS, but with the new build, it replaces the Google Assistant.

Once the transition takes effect, users will see the sparkly Gemini icon in the top-right corner of the launcher window. For now, support for the “Hey Google” hotword for summoning Gemini is absent, even though it works fine on mobile platforms where Google Assistant is in the phase-out process.
Another noteworthy aspect is that Chrome OS will offer Gemini as a Progressive Web App (PWA), instead of a native application experience. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, considering you get access to a whole new world of capabilities with Gemini.

Read more
Gemini’s new feature might make it your new favorite group project partner
EMBARGO: 18 March 2025 9am PT - new Gemini features.

Google has released new content for its Gemini assistant called Canvas -- a split-screen feature that lets you chat to Gemini on the left and see your changes appear in real-time on the right.

The idea is to make editing and iteration a smoother experience -- instead of scrolling up and down the chat to copy sections of output you're not happy with, you can just highlight the text in question on the right and tell Gemini what to change. The assistant will then edit the specified section and update the document, rather than generating a whole new version or spitting out additional paragraphs you need to splice together yourself.

Read more