Google is making Chrome's omnibox even more useful

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Google has made numerous changes to Chrome's Omnibox, gradually making it more and more useful. The latest addition to this browser staple is great news for anyone who needs to frequently access the same handful of site.

Spotted in the Android version of Chrome, Google seems to have noticed that many users visit the same sites time and time again. And this being the case, it makes complete sense to make it easier to get to these favorite sites – so that's precisely what's happening, and it is particularly good news for Android users.

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There's nothing to stop you from bookmarking the sites you visit most often of course, but even after years of tweaking, the bookmarking system on Android – and iOS, for that matter – leaves a little to be desired. And so Google is giving the omnibox a boost, adding links to frequently visited sites for one-tap access.

The change sees the addition of handy icons to jump straight to your favorite sites, and it is this element which is new rather than site suggestions per se. Android Police report: "A few users are starting to see these circular tiles with the tab favicon in them, with the most pertinent results left-justified. The results appear before any text is entered".

Ease of access

So how do you access this great new feature? Sadly, it appears that Google is either in the process of testing it with different groups of users or is in the middle of a slow, staged rollout.

It has been seen in all versions of the browser – meaning the stable build, as well as those in the Beta, Dev and Canary release channels -- but it seems to be enabled via a server-side switch.

This means there's nothing you can do to enable the most-visited sites shortcuts if you don't see them yet. However, if you do have the feature and decide that you don’t like it, it is possible to disable it. Just pay a visit to chrome://flags/#omnibox-most-visited-tiles and disable it from there.

Via Android Police

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Sofia is a tech journalist who's been writing about software, hardware and the web for nearly 25 years – but still looks as youthful as ever! After years writing for magazines, her life moved online and remains fueled by technology, music and nature.

Having written for websites and magazines since 2000, producing a wide range of reviews, guides, tutorials, brochures, newsletters and more, she continues to write for diverse audiences, from computing newbies to advanced users and business clients. Always willing to try something new, she loves sharing new discoveries with others.

Sofia lives and breathes Windows, Android, iOS, macOS and just about anything with a power button, but her particular areas of interest include security, tweaking and privacy. Her other loves include walking, music, her two Malamutes and, of course, her wife and daughter.

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