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There are cases when content can't be embedded into an application, such as a credit card payment verification, and developers need to direct users to an external page. They can do this by using the device's default browser, WebView, or Chrome Custom Tabs (CCT) depending on their need. None of these are ideal in terms of user experience, however, as they would either have limited functionality or show the site's URL on the screen. Google is looking to solve this with the introduction of Trusted Web Activities (TWA), which are essentially full-screen web pages integrated into an application, without displaying the URL or other browser-related interface elements.
Like clockwork, the latest beta release of the Google app began rolling out just about the time the developers are headed out for the weekend. We've yet to see any live changes on this release, but there are some interesting additions to be found in a teardown. The floating sports tracker bubble appears to have some enhancements coming just in time for the Fall schedule, there are small additions to Collections and Google Assistant for Households, and a previously spotted General settings screen is growing larger
Whenever I get a new phone, one of the first things I do after installing all of my apps is head into the Facebook app settings and enable the 'Links open externally' toggle. However, Facebook may finally be adopting Chrome Custom Tabs, three years after Google first announced them.
If you open links in some Android apps, and you have Chrome enabled as your default web browser, the page might be opened in a 'Chrome Custom Tab.' Instead of starting up the whole app, only a minimal browser UI is shown, with a large close button that takes you right back to the previous app. This feature requires the app open links a certain way, and as such, there have always been some apps that don't support Custom Tabs.
Chrome 58 has graduated to beta status, moving one step closer to the stable channel. This time around, Google has been working on new features for Progressive Web Apps (and normal sites), improvements to Chrome Custom Tabs, and more.
Chrome 57, which is currently in Beta, brings all the normal tab controls to Chrome Custom Tabs. Chrome 58 is taking that a step further with the ability to open Custom Tab links in a new Chrome tab - a notable improvement over how Custom Tabs currently handle links.
Chrome Custom Tabs were introduced back in 2015, as a way for applications to open pages in Chrome without the slow process of actually opening the Chrome app. Custom Tabs load quickly, retain the color of the host app, and can open the page in the full Chrome browser easily.
Back in April, after Google pulled the option of having tabs and apps merged in Recents, it became apparent that the Chrome team was trying to work out how to move forward. The team placed a new flag in Chrome Dev 52, #tab-management-experiment-type, with five 'flavors' of tab management: Asine, Basil, Chive, Dill, and Elderberry. In Chrome Dev 54, this has now come to a head, with Elderberry being the only option remaining.
Google has nearly completed the process of removing the merged apps/tabs option from Chrome after the option was pulled from the recent beta build. But what comes next? The Chromium bug tracker hinted at a new feature called Herb in Chrome v52, and indeed, there are several flavors of Herb in the new dev update.
Google started offering Chrome Custom Tabs in v45 as a way to open links, and some app developers have started taking advantage of the faster rendering and Chrome data integration. Now, Google appears to be taking matters into its own hands to make links load faster when you use Chrome Dev. Some users are seeing Chrome Custom Tabs loading for all apps when Chrome Dev is set as the default.
The Google App's version 5.10 update rolled out to the beta channel yesterday with a new waiting animation, but one change that was lurking behind is the option to open links from search results and Now cards in Chrome Custom Tabs instead of redirecting to the full Chrome browser (or your other default browser).
A new version of Google+ started rolling out yesterday, and now we've got all the details on what's new. There are a few subtle UI changes, some navigation improvements, and a big change to link handling that some users started to see in the last build.
When Google+ 7.0 rolled around last week, the major change that everyone spotted was the auto-hiding bottom tab bar. However, upon inspecting the apk, our resident teardown master Cody noticed a couple of strings that alluded to the addition of Custom Tabs. The feature didn't appear to be live back then so he scratched it off at something that was still being implemented.
Introduced at Google I/O this year and implemented in the stable version 45 of Chrome, Chrome Custom Tabs aim to make browsing from third-party apps as fast, unintrusive, and seamless as possible. Instead of developers relying on System WebView to load links from their applications, they could implement Custom Tabs to open these links in a faster page that sits on top of the app and uses Chrome's rendering and data saving capabilities, has access to its saved passwords and autofill information, and benefits from its security updates.
If you're running Chrome Beta or Dev editions, then today's changes probably seem like old hat to you. But for everyone else, the stable version of Chrome 45 is a pretty big deal, because it brings Custom Tabs to essentially everyone who's running Android today (on a modern handset, anyway).
If you follow and read RSS feeds on your Android device, chances are you're using Feedly or, at the very least, you've heard of it. You'll also be happy to know the app is getting a sweet new update that will make your experience more enjoyable.
Google announced an upcoming Chrome feature called Custom Tabs at I/O back in May. Today, that feature is finally launching on the Chrome Beta channel, and we've got the APK.
[I/O 2015] Chrome Custom Tabs Will Add Easy And Rich Web Content To Any App With Chrome Capabilities
At the Google I/O 2015 keynote address, Google is moving fluidly between broad Android improvements for the upcoming M preview build and more specific improvements for the company's apps and APIs. One of the first reveals was for a new Chrome feature, Chrome Custom Tabs. This is basically a more robust alternative to embedding a web view in an app, adding a minimal and customized window of Google Chrome on top of the active app.