Google’s fast-pacedChrome releasesbring an unrelenting stream of new versions to us every month, and the same is true for this month, too. FollowingChrome 119’s stable release at the beginning of the month, the company is now moving Chrome 120 to early stable at the very end of November. This version is packed with new features, and some of them may end up changing the way advertising works on the web forever.
Chrome 120 is the beginning of the end of third-party cookies
Google and other browser makers are in the process of phasing out third-party cookies, with less intrusive tracking alternatives meant to replace them. While Google was forced to postpone the rollout multiple times, the company is now finally able to stick with its latest schedule. With Chrome 120, Google will test disabling third-party cookies for one percent of the browser’s global traffic, which is meant to help web developers preview what a world without third-party cookies would look like.
The full move to this third-party cookie phase-out will begin in January 2024, which is when Chrome 120 will still be the stable release and reach a bigger absolute number with that one percent test. Over the second half of 2024, the company wants to deactivate third-party cookies altogether.
Chrome 120 introduces password sharing for Family Groups
Chrome 120 will roll out the option to share your passwords with other people in your Google Family Group. Asspotted much earlier in the development process, login credentials saved to the Google Password Manger will have a new share button that will make it easy to send details to someone in your trusted circle. There are some limitations, though. you may only share one password at a time, and there won’t be a bulk sending option. The password also can’t be revoked or changed by the receiver. The feature will come to all platforms except for Android.
Chrome 120 brings refinements to its transparent navigation bar on Android
Google introduced a newDrawEdgeToEdgeflag in Chrome 114 in May, allowing the browser to display website content underneath Android’s navigation bar. Back then, the system still had some issues, like wrong cutouts for the top of the display. With Chrome 120,Google is introducing a handful of new flags related to this, and it looks like the feature is as good as ready for prime time. There are next to no strange rendering problems to be seen anymore. You still need to enable the flags manually for the time being, though.
Chrome 120 has a big new tab redesign in store on Android
Chrome’s design language is always evolving in order to match Google’s Material You guidelines ever better. In the latest move to make the browser feel even more at home on Android, Google is testing a fewredesigned options for the new tab page, hidden behind thechrome://flags/#enable-surface-polishflag.
The gist of all of these is that the search bar is either growing or taking on a slightly different shape, with the background dunked into a darker hue and your recently visited websites and searches highlighted in a brighter box rather than just floating on the background individually.
Chrome 120 adds a responsive toolbar on desktop
Chrome is adding more and more buttons to the toolbar surrounding the omnibox on desktop, making it harder to fit all the options at a glance at smaller window widths. To combat this, Google is adding a responsive toolbar option which automatically adjusts how many items you can see at a time on smaller window sizes. Buttons that don’t fit anymore are moved into a menu behind a chevron icon at the right. This is particularly useful when you consider that Google will make it possible topin multiple sidebars to the toolbox in the future, an experimental feature that’s also coming to Chrome 120.
Chrome 120 tests automatically organizing your tabs
We all know it: Sometimes we just open way too many tabs. Google wants to help out with a new feature that automatically organizes your tabs into groups for you.The feature is live behind a flag in Chrome 120, but it’s clear that it’s still early days. It looks like right now, it only automatically sorts a handful of tabs, and the button isn’t fully visible in the design. Still, it’s an exciting prospect.
Chrome 120 adds a revamped Safety Check on desktop
Google Chrome helps you stay secure online with a slew of different tools and safeguards. Among them is also Safety Check, which runs a few tests on your browser, checking for unsafe password and extensions as well as updates and recommended security settings. Since you have to dig deep into settings to start it, it’s likely not used as often as it should be. That’s where a revamp with Chrome 120 comes in.
Apart from a visual redesign that makes much better use of the available space in settings with new tiles, the new Safety Check will also run proactively in the future. Safety Check also includes more recommendations, like potentially dangerous permissions for websites and an option to turn off intrusive notifications. These are presented differently in Chrome 120, too.
Chrome 120 says no to Android 7 Nougat
Android 7 was released in 2016 shortly before the very first Pixel, which makes clear just how ancient it is at this point. Today, Android 7 is used by less than three percent of all phones out there, increasingly posing a security risk. That’s why it likely isn’t feasible to support it anymore, with Chrome 119 being the last version of the browser to work on it. Chrome 120 will only be available on newer releases. Chrome 119 users on Android 7 will get a warning that they need to upgrade their OS or phone.
Chrome 120 might prompt you to choose your default search engine
Google has to comply with the EU’s new Digital Markets Act (DMA), which entails many requirements for companies that are deemed gatekeepers. One of these obligations is reminding users that they have a choice, and as thus, Chrome 120 will start showing a reminder that you may switch to a different default search provider. Google says that only one percent of affected users will see this choice screen initially, with the company aiming to reach 100 percent by Chrome 122 in early 2024. Given that the DMA only comes into effect in March 2024, Google is well ahead of the deadline. If you want to change your default search provider earlier than that (or if you don’t live in the EU), you can do so atchrome://settings/search.
Chrome 120 lets you save directly to Google Photos on iOS
Sometimes, it seems like Google prefers iOS over Android, withoptions like a bottom baronly ever popping up on the Apple OS. A similar thing can be said for a new option that allows you to save images from the web straight to Google Photos on iOS. The utility of this feature is just a little questionable, though. By default, Photos already syncs all images you save to your iPhone, so the option to sidestep local storage may not be all that useful for people who use default settings or who don’t need instant access to saved images on other devices.
Chrome 120 lets you track packages on iOS
Google already lets you track your packages via Gmail, but not everyone with an iPhone uses Gmail. That’s likely why the company is also adding a package tracking feature to Chrome for iOS. The company is still light on details, but we presume that only those packages are tracked that you initially look up on supported websites. You will see the shipping status in Chrome’s new tab page. In the beginning, package tracking will only be available in English in the US and only for tracking data from USPS and FedEx.
The Chrome Web Store has a new design
While the Chrome Web Store isn’t part of the browser itself, it’s still a vital part of the experience. It’s the place where you can get your favorite extensions and themes. After a long beta period,the company revealed a more modern redesignof the Chrome Web Store. It’s now more in line with Google’s other products and feels a lot more like the Play Store, with rounded elements and top-based navigation. Along with the redesign, Google also introduced new extension categories such as AI-powered extensions and a new Editors' spotlight section. The redesign is gradually rolling out and should reach everyone over the coming months.
Get Chrome 120 right now
Chrome 120 is rolling out in early stable this week, meaning that Google is first bringing it to a small percentage of global users before rolling it out more widely next week. To get it, be sure to check for updates inSettings → About Chromeon your desktop to see if you’re lucky enough to be included. You can also use the beta channel for the time being.On Android, you can try your luck in the Play Store or join the beta channel for now by downloading the dedicated release.
