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Google’s adding Drive file shortcuts to the new tab page in Chrome
For your most high-priority files
If you’re constantly hard at work on a document or spreadsheet in Google Drive, you’re well aware of how frustrating it is to reopen these files every time your browser closes. Last year, Google made it a little easier to access files from the Omnibox in Chrome, but it could always be faster to access. With the latest update to the new tab page, you can load into documents directly without relying on a single tap on your keyboard.
Here's how to get rid of those 'suggestions' on Chrome's new tab page
Rolling out to some people on stable Chrome for desktop right now
Chrome for Android and iOS has been showing you article suggestions as part of its Discover feed on the new tab page for ages, and now, desktop Chrome is in for a similar treatment. As discovered by 9to5Google, Google has started rolling out various kinds of cards that help you continue browsing for recipes and products. Luckily, you can easily deactivate these cards if you don't see value in them.
Firefox Preview Nightly introduces a bottom sheet for tab selection
Making the new tab page less essential
Mozilla has been working on a brand-new version of Firefox for Android for more than a year already, and while we thought that the general design and navigation were already finalized for the time being, the company is more open to experimentation than we anticipated. It's currently testing a complete revamp of the tab switcher in the Nightly version of Firefox Preview, giving it a dedicated spot in a new bottom sheet.
Google added the option to customize Chrome's new tab page with a very familiar-looking selection of wallpapers last month. But if you thought Google was done working on the new tab page, you'd be wrong. About Chromebooks recently discovered a new change in Chromium Gerrit that'll allow users to import their new tab backgrounds from Google Photos as well.
It's no secret that Google may be planning a "Material Design 2" refresh for Chrome, possibly timed to roll out on or near the browser's 10th birthday in September. The new-tab button is one of the more visible elements that's being tinkered with, and now Google is testing a few different positions for that button via a new flag.
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- As seen by About Chromebooks, the feature has been fixed and updated. The "Done" button now works, and the new wallpaper picker is live on Chrome Dev v68.0.3440.25. There's now a full-screen preview for each wallpaper, and the "Daily Refresh" option will use the Backdrop server to automatically go through new images. It also looks like Google is going to making this default soon. Hopefully it arrives sooner than later.
Chrome's new tab page has been plain white for as long as I can remember, with users seeking more customization opting for various other solutions. However, it seems like Google has finally seen the light, having added a "Customize background" button in the latest version of Chrome Canary on desktop. Too bad it isn't functional yet.
Many weren't happy with the change that shows recommended sites and articles in Chrome 54 - Android Police team members included - and while I personally do not mind them, I can see why you would prefer not to have Google recommend stuff you may not like.
Read update
- On newer Chrome versions, simply set the #enable-ntp-remote-suggestions flag to 'Disabled.' However, you can no longer revert to the old UI. For more ways to customize Chrome's New Tab page, see this post.
The recent Chrome 54 release brought an updated New Tab screen, which replaces the Bookmarks and Recent tabs buttons at the bottom with an 'Articles for you' section. I was not a fan of that change, and judging by some of the comments on that post, neither were most of you. Thankfully, tipster Matt informed us that this can be easily disabled.