Everyone’s beloved RAM hog got another update, but this time it’s not eating up your PC resources or peddling more AI.
Google has been teasing it in beta, but now my MacBook and Windows can multitask with multiple tabs without using the horizontal screen real estate. It’s a clever update that stacks tabs vertically.
In my 15 years of using Google Chrome, I never thought that such a simple feature would take this long to ship.
There’s only one way to make tabs smoother
Stack your problems
This Chrome update has been out for a while, but it rolled out slowly to some Mac and Windows users. So even if you’ve updated Google Chrome, you may have missed this feature.
You can now arrange tabs vertically, annotate PDFs in Chrome, and autofill with Google Wallet.
While all three features are useful, I am especially interested in arranging my tabs vertically.
I often open 20 to 30 tabs while researching content for listicles and feature stories. Opening so many tabs in the typical horizontal tab position makes my life difficult. Smartphone users don’t suffer the same problem because of browser cards.
I have accidentally shut tabs because my 13-inch MacBook Air didn’t have the screen real estate for so many at once, and Google Chrome overlays the close button on the squished tab.
Vertical tabs solved this problem for me, and I am never going back to horizontal tabs.
It might feel a bit unnatural at first because I instinctively looked at my top bar. It’s the sort of feature that forces you to unlearn 15+ years of Chrome’s horizontal tab arrangement.
After you update Google Chrome, go to Settings > Appearance > Tab Position. Here you can toggle it from horizontal to vertical.
Alternatively, right-click the top bar and click Show tabs vertically. This instantly changes the tab orientation, so you don’t have to dig for it in the settings.
With your tab bar in a vertical format, you can open tabs without squishing them together or losing track of your browser tab titles.
You can even right-click on the tab bar and tap Expand tabs. This takes up more screen space, but it lets you scan tab titles and find what you need.
In Expanded tabs mode, you can stack pinned tabs as big buttons that are easier to click when you’re juggling tabs to finish a deadline.
Vertical is easily the best orientation for tabs when you have too many of them open, and this mode lets you use your mouse scroll wheel to scroll through the tabs.
Adobe is expensive
I prefer my PDFs in Chrome
Adobe Acrobat is a menace on Windows, and I have stopped using it to open my PDFs.
I have shifted to Google Chrome to open my PDFs, even though Chrome can chew through RAM usage. It’s still a faster experience than Acrobat.
However, Adobe Acrobat lets you fill and sign PDFs. Google Chrome didn’t get that feature for a long time. Now you can fill PDFs by opening them in Google Chrome.
PDF annotation tools let you insert a text box on a PDF to fill in names and dates. The Draw button lets you sign (in squiggles).
I might only use this feature to fill out PDFs and sign embargo letters that don’t require a serious digital signature.
I have had my fill
Google, please fill in the blanks
This feature might not get you excited because it requires you to give Google more data about your life.
The Autofill with Google Wallet feature stores your IDs and documents in one place and autofills them when you’re filling out online forms.
You can find it inside Settings > Autofill and passwords. It lets you store your driver’s license, passport details, vehicle number, along with credit and debit cards.
While this is somewhat useful, I wish Google added a feature to add Frequent Flyer numbers. I have many FF numbers across multiple airlines, and it’s annoying to look for them inside emails.
It’s also information I am not too protective about, so Google can store it and save me time on airline bookings.
Amongst all the AI updates that have been rolling out, I didn’t expect Google to polish the Chrome experience for power users.
Vertical tabs can elevate the laptop Chrome experience for multitaskers, especially on a small display.
However, Google Wallet and the laundry list of AI features it’s crammed into the browser can be a bit alarming.
Some people on the Android Police team are ditching Chrome altogether for this nosy behavior.
