Key Takeaways
- Chrome Custom Tabs in Android apps allow users to browse web pages without leaving the app they were opened in, all while providing Google account sync through the main Chrome app.
- Although Chrome’s Custom Tabs import your saved data, like passwords and payment methods, there are instances where you need to open a page in the main Chrome browser.
- Google is working on a dedicated “Open in browser” button for Custom Tabs in Chrome, making it easier to move one of these custom tabs out of their originating app and into the full Chrome browser.
Chrome’s Custom Tabs are a popular choice for Android apps to display web-based content within their own interface. It offers a browser-like experience without the need for third-party apps to include an entire browser in their code just to load websites, and according to Google, its extra features like password and history sync make it better at preventing users from “abandoning the app” when compared to using Android’s default WebView to render the same web pages.
The Custom Tab experience is powered by the Chrome app, so if you’re signed into your Google account there, saved passwords, payment methods, and addresses all show up just like they do on the main browser.
The last CCT experience change was first spotted back in March as a flag that would introduce a bottom bar to the UI, and the flag became functional in June.
Regardless of CCT’s functionality, there are instances where you need to open a page in the main Chrome browser. This can include instances where you need incognito browsing, download management, or extensions.
Currently, if a user wants a Custom Tab webpage to open in Chrome, they need to tap the three dot icon on the top right, and press Open in Chrome browser. Although the process isn’t convoluted, considering that it’s just two taps, it isn’t particularly discoverable, so Google still seems to be working on a dedicated button to open Custom Tab webpages in the main Chrome browser.
Chrome researcher @Leopeva64 has spotted Google working on a dedicated “Open in browser” button, which will reportedly be placed on the top right, sandwiched between the address bar and the three dot icon, as seen in the embedded tweet below.
It’s worth noting that the button will not automatically appear for all platforms using CCT. According to Chrome’s changelog, the state of the new button can be controlled by app developers. “The state of the dedicated Open in Browser button can be controlled via Intent Extras similarly to how the Share button is controlled,” reads the changelog.
You can expect Google apps that implement CCT, like links within the Discover feed, Gmail, and other services, to implement the button, though there isn’t an exact timeline for when we might start seeing the new UI.
