Summary
- Chrome for Android sets browser standards with cross-device sync, tab grouping, and smooth interface.
- A new feature update in Chrome Canary for Android makes tab group sharing easy with a new Share button.
- This is a departure from the Invite label seen earlier, but the feature is merely inching closer to release because it is still flag-controlled.
Google has transformed Chrome for Android into a versatile browser, setting the standards for other popular browser apps based on Chromium. It doesn’t have everything we want yet, but performs remarkably well with cross-device sync, a smooth interface, and tab management features like tab grouping. Chrome’s Canary builds meant for developers gave us a look at tab group sharing a while ago, and another recent sighting reveals Google hasn’t forgotten about the feature just yet.
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Back in January, we reported on browser researcher @Leopeva64 on X (formerly Twitter) spotting a new option to invite people to participate in viewing and using the tab groups you created in Chrome for Android. The feature doesn’t sound like a big development, but it could be a nice alternative to a tsunami of links in an email or chat message when you want to share your product purchase research with other people, or want to discuss interior decoration ideas with your spouse. Potential applications are limitless.
The feature should be available on both desktop and mobile eventually, but from the former, the researcher recently discovered that invitations to collaborate on the tab groups auto-expire in 48 hours. Those who accept it and join can edit all the tabs within that group. Chrome also gives you the option to Stop sharing at will.
Small changes make a big difference
Many months rolled by since the first sighting, but Leopeva just spotted the feature in Chrome Canary for Android once again this week. The latest version ditches Invite labeling for a more familiar Share option, and places the button more prominently in the tab group card toolbar. This should help with feature visibility, but it doesn’t work yet.
chrome://flags/#data-sharing
Interestingly, tab group sharing is still flag-controlled on Chrome, and Leopeva reports seeing the same flag for data sharing on the desktop version as well as Chrome for Android. That’s sufficient evidence to suggest the feature will be released on both operating systems, but when that might be is still up in the air.
