Google is rolling out a sequence of person interface updates for its Chrome browser on Android tablets because it prepares for the launch of its Pixel Tablet subsequent yr. The replace began rolling out to a small variety of customers final week however ought to attain the bulk within the coming days. It contains modifications to how Chrome handles tabs on Android, new drag-and-drop performance, and an choice to have the browser at all times request the desktop (quite than cell) model of a web site. 

For starters, Google is revamping how Chrome’s Android pill app handles tabs. It’s including a grid interface that makes it simpler to see previews of tabs earlier than deciding on them and says it’s quickly including an identical tab grouping function to what’s accessible on desktop. There’s additionally a shortcut to rapidly swap between the present and beforehand opened tab and one other to rapidly reopen a tab in case you unintentionally shut it. 

There are additionally a few options that seem to have taken inspiration from Apple’s current updates to its iPad working system. Most notably, Chrome’s Android app is getting an choice to request the desktop model of a web site by default to keep away from these awkward conditions the place you’re looking a mobile-optimized web site on a laptop-size pill display screen. The drag-and-drop performance that appeared in Docs, Sheets, and Drive earlier this yr is now additionally coming to Chrome, permitting you to pull photos, textual content, and hyperlinks from the browser into different apps. 

Google has been criticized for the state of Android’s pill app ecosystem for years, however it appears the corporate’s need to make its upcoming Pixel Tablet a hit — to not point out the continued emergence of large-screen foldable units — has lastly prompted it to make a critical effort to enhance issues after first teasing the gadget in May.