We’ve been running our new Quote of the Day segment for a few weeks, but I recently came across an intriguing line from former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, taken from a 2009 TechCrunch interview (via Fortune).

"The most successful by far is Firefox," Ballmer indicated. "Chrome is a rounding error to date. Safari is a rounding error to date. But Firefox is not. The fact that there’s a lot of competitors probably is to our advantage."

For context, Microsoft dominated the browser market at the time with Internet Explorer, which controlled about 74% of the global share. Google had only just launched Chrome in 2008, but competing was tough since Internet Explorer came pre‑installed as the default on Windows PCs, giving Microsoft an enormous advantage.

“It could have been demoralizing,” Google CEO Sundar Pichai admitted at a commencement address at Stanford University. “But with that California optimism, I told the team that the fact he went out of his way to dismiss us meant we were doing something right.”

The executive didn't discount that Chrome showed early success and momentum, but that triumph was short‑lived as user growth plateaued under various constraints. However, Pichai and his team didn't let up.

Fast forward to 2026, Google now runs the browser show with a massive 70.25% hold of the market share. Microsoft Edge comes in at a distant third with 5.14% of the market share.

Microsoft has been placed under fire by companies like Mozilla in the past for allegedly using "harmful designs and deceptive tactics" to give Edge a competitive advantage over other browsers on Windows 11.

The Firefox maker recently accused Microsoft of using 'dark patterns' to force its Copilot AI on Windows 11 users. It outrightly suggested that Microsoft's "intentional" re-direction with Copilot was only prompted by overwhelming feedback from users. "They’re really admitting that they made repeated choices to serve their business over their customers," Mozilla added.

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Earlier this week, it was discovered that Google Chrome "silently" downloads and installs a 4GB on-device AI model to PCs. While the move has drawn backlash from users, Google dismissed claims that the model is any kind of spyware or bloatware.

The company indicated that the "weights.bin" file powering Gemini Nano is designed to protect the user's privacy when interacting with new AI features within the browser because "it powers important security capabilities like scam detection and developer APIs without sending your data to the cloud."

Luckily, there's a new Windows 11 Registry setting dubbed “GenAILocalFoundationalModelSettings” designed to help organizations establish control over how the browser handles local generative AI models (via Neowin). As such, users can use this policy to disable Google Chrome's 4GB Gemini Nano AI model.

Google already indicated that it started rolling out the ability for users to easily turn off or completely remove its model directly in Chrome's settings in February. But as highlighted by security researcher Alexander Hanff (also known as "That Privacy Guy"), "If the user deletes it, Chrome re-downloads it."

The same also applies to Microsoft Edge, meaning the browser can download a local AI model for on-device generative AI features without explicit user consent, potentially eating up disk space and bandwidth.

Now, this new Windows 11 Registry policy supports dynamic refresh, allowing administrators to apply changes without requiring users to restart their browsers. Although primarily designed for office environments, it’s also available to individual users running Windows 11 Pro. Configuration can be done through Group Policy, Registry settings, or enterprise management tools.

Through the policy, you can either select the “Allowed (0)” setting, which will allow Microsoft Edge to automatically download the AI model for on-device inferencing, or select the “Disallowed (1)” option to prevent the browser from downloading the AI model and remove any model that was previously downloaded and installed on your device. It's worth noting that this applies to Google Chrome, too.

To block Microsoft Edge from downloading the AI model for local inferencing, follow the steps highlighted below:

1. Open Registry Editor (REGEDIT.msc).
2. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge
3. Set the value of "GenAILocalFoundationalModelSettings" to 1

You can repeat the same steps if you're using Google Chrome as your daily driver by navigating through HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome\ and then setting the value of "GenAILocalFoundationalModelSettings" to 1. It's the same method.

It's important to make sure you've configured this policy, especially if you're running Google Chrome version 147 or later, because it will download the local AI model by default. The feature is also supported on macOS and is available to Microsoft Edge users starting with version 132. However, it's not supported on iOS.

I'm conflicted. On one hand, blocking AI models means that I won't get access to local AI, which is (usually) inherently safer than the cloud. On the other hand, leaving the feature enabled means it can consume my storage and bandwidth without notice, and I can't ignore the outcry of privacy and security concerns around any kind of AI.

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Google Chrome stands as the most popular web browser, with a 67.97% share worldwide (translating to around 3.62 billion people), at least according to StatCounter. Apple's Safari comes in at a distant second with 17.09%.

In a surprising turn of events, security researcher Alexander Hanff (also known as "That Privacy Guy") released a damning report alleging that Google Chrome is silently downloading and installing a 4GB on-device AI model onto users’ devices without their knowledge or consent (via Tom's Hardware).

Perhaps more concerningly, Hanff flagged a similar issue with Anthropic's AI software, citing that the company's Claude Desktop app installed a Native Messaging bridge across seven Chromium-based browsers on every system it was installed on.

Alexander Hanff described his discoveries as a broader look at the patterns in how big tech deploys AI features across its portfolios and properties. While the news of Google Chrome installing a 4GB AI model has sparked controversy, with many referring to it as bloatware or spyware, the AI model is actually designed to protect your privacy when you're using AI features.

For context, navigating to your hard drive’s Chrome User Data folder (C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data), you'll discover a massive folder called OptGuideOnDeviceModel containing a big file named “weights.bin.”

weights.bin is Google's Gemini Nano on-device AI model and is part of Google's broader strategy to integrate AI tech directly into its Chromium-based browser. Chrome depends on these weights to run AI features locally on your device instead of via the cloud, which comes with its fair share of challenges, including data privacy questions.

While speaking to Android Authority, a Google spokesperson commented on the issue:

Interestingly, the large file does seemingly come with a "warning" that Chrome will download it, suggesting that the browser may have been granted permission to download any files it requires to function.

"Chrome does not surface it," That Privacy Guy added. "If the user deletes it, Chrome re-downloads it."

So, Google Chrome will automatically download the AI model directly to your computer when you first interact with any feature that relies on its new AI-centric APIs. However, your device must meet the following specifications:

• OS: Windows 10 or 11; macOS 13 or later; Linux; Chrome OS on Chromebook Plus devices.
• Storage: 22GB of free space.
• CPU or GPU: Built-in models can run with a GPU or a CPU:
• GPU: More than 4GB of VRAM.
• CPU: 16GB of RAM or more and four CPU cores or more.
• Network: Unlimited data or an unmetered connection for the initial model download.

To find out whether the foundational model has already been installed on your device, navigate to chrome://on-device-internals in Google Chrome’s address bar. You can also check the model's version, installation path, and folder size in the Model Status section.

Windows Central's take

It's quite obvious that users have been split on the usefulness of AI on their PCs for a while now. Some would rather have AI features completely scrapped from their systems, while others have found reasonable use cases to support their workflows and hobbies.

I'm not opposed to the idea of having AI features embedded into my operating system, as it seems that's the direction the world is headed anyway. Still, I'd rather "Big Tech" use more subtle approaches to their AI roadmap. For instance, giving users more control over how AI is deployed onto their devices, with complete transparency, and at the very least, having an option to opt out of experiences that might not necessarily be viewed as paramount for the everyday user.

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Google Chrome still dominates the desktop browser market share with 69.37%, while Microsoft Edge comes in at a distant second with 12.75%, according to StatCounter. Microsoft has been ramping up its efforts to improve Edge's user experience, but it still struggles with adoption.

Feature parity might have been a contributing factor before, but Google Chrome is finally getting vertical tabs, something that has already existed in competing browsers, like Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox, for a while now.

If you're part of the rollout wave, you'll be able to right-click your Chrome window and select "Show Tabs Vertically" to open tabs in the browser's left sidebar by default, where you can select each to switch pages. You can also drag and drop an individual tab, move it up or down, and get the same experience you're used to along the top.

Vertical tabs coming to Google Chrome feel like a bonus for users who often interact with tab groups. While it's still handy for horizontal tabs, I felt it was a little cluttered. This update has me reclaiming my screen's real estate, and it's definitely satisfying.

Aside from the vertical tabs, Google also announced that its Chrome browser is getting an improved Reading Mode. As such, the new full-page interface will present a webpage in a simple, uncluttered format that focuses on the text.

The previous approach to this feature felt quite limited, as it launched your current page in a narrow sidebar alongside the normal web view, which forced users to adjust the borders for better readability.

To access it, right-click a page and select the "Open in reading mode" option. You can also adjust the font, color, line height, and other visual elements to meet your preference.

Many users still seem to prefer Chrome over Edge, citing "faster" performance and its extensive ecosystem of extensions and integrations with Google services (even though most are compatible with both browsers).

Elsewhere, Microsoft also brought back the vertical Taskbar to Windows 11 as part of its broader campaign to improve user sentiment around the operating system in 2026, which, if I'm being honest, should've never been scrapped in the first place!

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A vast majority of users depend on extensions to enhance their browsing, since the add-ons bring new features and more customization options to the experience.

Google recently disabled the popular Chrome extension “Save image as Type” and removed it from the Chrome Web Store. For millions of users who relied on it to save images in formats like PNG, JPG, or WebP, the move came as a rude shock. According to Android Authority, the extension was blocked after it was found to contain an add‑on with malware.

The issue seems more widespread as it has gained traction across social media. Perhaps more interestingly, Microsoft Edge scrapped the extension from its repository a little over a year ago because of the same issue with malware.

Other than indicating that the extension contains malware, which renders it unsafe, Google doesn't provide a clear picture of what this actually means.

However, according to sleuths who looked into the extension's code, it seems that it was swapping out affiliate codes for sites like Amazon and Best Buy to steal commissions from its users.

"I dumped the data the extension stored and found the sites it was accessing," indicated Redditor AdamConwayIE. "It was using karmanow with over 578 sites ready to go. It would load a site in that hidden iFrame with the affiliate code, and this would replace an existing one in your browser."

Any alternative of this Extension "Save image as Type" from r/chrome

But perhaps more concerningly, XDA reported that Google continued harbouring the extension in its Chrome web store for over one year, even after establishing that it contained malware.

It’s an unfortunate incident, but it doesn’t take away from how useful the tool was. I used the extension daily to download images from the web and save them in whichever format I needed.

Before it was disabled and removed from the Chrome web store, "Save image as Type" had garnered up to one million users, 1,700 reviews, and a 4.2 out of 5 star rating.

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Chromium, like it or not, is the dominant platform when it comes to web browsers. Google Chrome, obviously, is the biggest player, but Microsoft Edge builds upon it nowadays, too.

Not just these two, either. Brave is based on Chromium, as are Opera and Vivaldi, and a number of other, less well-known projects.

So too is Helium, a Chromium-based browser that until recently had slipped my attention. It's cross-platform on Linux, Mac, and Windows, and while the latter is still labelled as an alpha, I'm impressed with what I'm seeing so far.

Helium is plain, basic browsing, with privacy and performance in mind

Web browsers want your attention. Microsoft will nag you shamelessly to use Edge and has been stuffing it with features. Google is no better. Some of these features are useful; some you wish weren't there.

In a world where everyone seems to be pushing an agenda — and of course, AI — Helium stands as a breath of fresh air.

While it's based on Chromium, that's about as far as the similarities go with the likes of Chrome and Edge. There's no account, no telemetry or tracking, no AI, and it has adblocking included by default.

What also makes Helium stand out is its commitment to keep popular Manifest V2 extensions alive for as long as possible. The big players have deprecated these, much to many users' chagrin.

This stripped-back, privacy-first approach means the feature set is deliberately small. There is no password manager included, for example. Nor is there any form of sync. If you want to use Helium across multiple devices, you'll have to come up with your own way of doing this if you need it. Third-party cookies are also disabled by default.

To look at, Helium is fairly similar to other Chromium browsers. The address bar and bookmark bar are a little more compact, and if you like vertical tabs, it has those built in, too.

Helium also has a split view mode for snapping two different tabs side-by-side. It is limited to two tabs right now, but I'd say that's probably fine for most people.

You can still use your favorite browser extensions, but there are limitations

One of the biggest limitations to using Helium is that it doesn't have any support for protected content. That is, services such as Spotify or Netflix, because the browser doesn't have the correct DRM built into it.

This isn't necessarily a dealbreaker, since on Windows you can just go ahead and grab the standalone desktop apps for each. But it does highlight a potential roadblock to some user experiences.

But on the other side of the see-saw, you have complete access to any of your favorite Chromium browser extensions that you'd use on any other browser. Helium anonymizes your downloads of these using its own services package.

Helium services are designed to keep what you're using private and, besides extensions, also cover "!bangs" and downloading adblock filter updates. Helium services can be self-hosted if you'd prefer to have total control but not lose the functionality the browser offers.

But so far as extensions go, I've not come across anything from my own personal preferences that hasn't worked exactly the same in Helium as in Chrome or Edge.

A little on those !bangs, too. It's a nice touch that's designed to speed up your browsing. For example, by typing !gh followed by what you want to find on GitHub, you can go directly to the search results without having to first go to the homepage.

Helium might be in alpha but it's already a polished web browser

The likes of Google and Microsoft want you to use their browsers because you're the product. Our attention and our data are important to them. Helium is a different take, and I've seen comments around the web that say it's looking a lot like the browser Brave always promised to be.

With absolutely no syncing, accounts, or telemetry, you have more control over your data. That in itself might be enough for some to give it a try.

But even for the more casual user, there's promise. If you're tired of how bloated and full of stuff your regular browser is, Helium is the complete opposite. The same core experience without the fluff. You can still make it your own, but it's not going to nag for your attention, either. I like that.

Take the alpha for a spin yourself by downloading from the project's website, or check out its GitHub repo for more information.

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There's a new phishing security vulnerability going around, and despite it being tied to a fake Google Account security page, it's affecting a wide range of web browsers and devices, including Microsoft Edge, PCs, and phones.

Discovered by Malwarebytes (via PCGamer), the bad actors are using a convincing Google Account security page that looks like a standard security check to deploy what is being referred to as "one of the most fully featured browser-based surveillance toolkits [Malwarebytes] have observed in the wild."

The attack does not rely on any sort of bug or exploit, which makes it particularly easy to get out into the wild. As Malwarebytes explains, each attack begins with a browser pop-up that asks you to install a Security Check app published by "google-prism.com." Of course, that is not a legitimate Google URL.

If a user opts to install the fake app, it arrives as a Progressive Web App (PWA) that looks surprisingly similar to a native Google app. It will then request specific push notification permissions disguised as the enabling of security alerts, which allows the bad actors to retain open communication even after the PWA is closed.

A legitimate Contact Picker API is fed into the PWA, and the user is asked to select contacts with whom they'd like to share the security update. The contact info is then sent back to the attacker's domain.

The last step, and perhaps the scariest, is a request for GPS location. Malwarebytes says that info, including "latitude, longitude, altitude, heading, and speed," is all sent back to the attacker's domain.

Closing the malicious PWA doesn't put an end to the vulnerability

Assuming a user falls for the trick and installs the PWA, closing it doesn't put an end to the vulnerability.

When the app is open, it can read clipboards to try and find passwords and wallet addresses, intercepting SMS codes used for verification at the same time. When the app is closed, this portion isn't active. However, a "service worker" remains active. Here's how Malwarebytes explains it:

So, while you can stop the clipboard and SMS data harvesting by closing the PWA, the service worker continues operating. With the right notification permissions, it's capable of waking, pushing new tasks, and triggering data uploads.

Bad actors can use your browser as if it's their own

The vulnerability goes from bad to worse, as Malwarebytes explains how bad actors can make it look like their web traffic is coming from your browser on your IP.

This is achieved via a connection to a WebSocket relay with the installed malware acting as a proxy. Not only is this a terrifying prospect in terms of blackmail or conspiracy, but it can also compromise corporate networks.

How to check if your Windows PC has been compromised

Malwarebytes lays out the steps required to check if your Android, macOS, iOS, and Windows devices have been compromised, with steps to help you remove the malicious PWA.

I recommend you run through the steps as soon as possible, even if you don't remember installing anything related to a Google Security Alert. It's better to be safe than sorry.

What do you think about this browser vulnerability affecting Edge users?

Were you affected by this new form of malware discovered by Malwarebytes? Are you concerned about how malware is evolving to not require any bug or exploit? Let me know in the comments section!

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Anyone, myself included, who spends a lot of time writing will use a grammar-checking tool, such as Grammarly or the popular alternative, LanguageTool.

LanguageTool is a free and open-source grammar tool, which is reason enough for many to use it. Alas, the free part is going away, at least when it comes to the browser extension.

Users are now being prompted that they have 14 days of LanguageTool Premium, with a timer counting down how long is left. Everyone using the extension is being given this trial, it seems, though when it expires, you either need to start paying or stop using it.

"We have made the difficult decision to limit the use of LanguageTool’s browser extension to Premium users only. The rise of generative AI has made it more challenging to sustainably monetize our offering. A majority of users use our products for free, and the relatively small percentage of Premium subscribers is all that is subsidizing our continuously increasing server costs. To improve our Premium experience and to sustain our business model, we’ll be making the LanguageTool browser extension available exclusively for paying customers." — LanguageTool

I'll admit to being disappointed as a LanguageTool user. But also a little confused about where the blame of generative AI truly lands. LanguageTool offers AI features in its premium tier while simultaneously claiming most of its users are using it for free.

That suggests to me that those of us who haven't been using the generative AI feature on the free tier are potentially being punished to free up resources for those who are.

Or perhaps it's just the overall server costs that keep climbing, along with everything else. Either way, we're out of options to keep using the browser extension without paying.

To their credit, LanguageTool's team has at least offered some free alternatives its users could migrate to. Additionally, if you host your own LanguageTool server, you'll still be able to keep using the browser extension. The website is also remaining free to use.

But the benefit of the browser extension has always been a simple way to use LanguageTool on any text in any browser tab, checking in real time. I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet, but at least I've got a couple of weeks to figure it out.

Unused RAM is wasted RAM, right? Assuming your PC can handle the load of some extra Chrome tabs at startup, a new feature could help you jump into the web quicker.

Google has a new feature in the works that will make it easier to hop into your browser. Chrome is already testing the option to have the browser open up when you start your PC.

The feature, which is currently in testing in the Canary Channel, is disabled by default. Within the Chrome Settings page, you can toggle the option to "Open Chrome when my computer starts."

Browser expert Leo Varela spotted the change and highlighted it on X.

Chrome already has a few options for startup that control how the browser acts when opened: Open the New Tab page, Continue where you left off, and Open a specific page or set of pages.

The new startup option to have Chrome open when you boot up your PC can be used in conjunction with the preexisting choices.

My headline about Chrome using more RAM is somewhat in jest. While the browser does gobble up RAM, the startup feature seems useful in certain cases. It's also off by default.

At my work PC, I sit at my desk and open a browser immediately. I usually open my browser to the same five websites. It would save me a few clicks to have a browser open when I start my PC.

Microsoft Edge has a similar feature that opens the browser when you sign in to Windows, but that feature has Edge open in the background.

Chrome is already notorious for gobbling up RAM—does it really need a head start on your system resources before you've even opened a tab? Let me know if this 'shortcut' is a feature or just more bloat.

Microsoft may need to send a memo to its ad team. A new ad for PC gaming shows Google Chrome pinned to the taskbar of a computer.

While it's entirely reasonable to assume people who use Windows 11 also use Google Chrome, it's odd to see an official ad from Microsoft highlight the fact. Microsoft aggressively pushes Microsoft Edge. That push is greater than ever now that Edge falls under Microsoft's AI division.

As for the ad itself, it is a brief commercial from around Christmas. It shows several popular games on a variety of laptops. All those devices run Windows 11, which Microsoft and its ad call "The Home of Gaming."

Windows Latest spotted the ad. Chrome appears early on within the video.

Windows is the home of gaming in many ways. As of December, almost 95% of all Steam gamers use some form of Windows. Gamers even appear more likely to upgrade to Windows 11 or run newer hardware that ships with Windows 11 — 70.83% of Steam users are on Windows 11.

The Steam client is now 64-bit on both Windows 11 and Windows 10, thanks to a recent update. While Steam has gained more attention with the rollout and success of SteamOS, the platform is largely for PC gaming.

Technically speaking, macOS has a measurable market share among gamers, but the operating system does not really compete with Windows on the gaming front.

While Windows dominates in terms of gaming market share, many are looking at alternatives to Windows 11, specifically. When Windows 10 reached its end of support, millions of PCs were stuck due to minimum hardware requirements of Windows 11.

Around 90% of Windows games can now run on Linux, making it a viable option for some. But major titles like Call of Duty, Apex Legends, Battlefield 6, Rainbow Six Siege, and Valorant cannot run on Linux due to kernel-level anti-cheat systems.

Only 3% of Steam users run Linux, but that figure is higher than many would have expected just a few years ago.

I used to work in product marketing. While it was never to the scale of Microsoft, I did showcase products in promotional images and videos. It's standard practice to ensure that your desktop or home screen only shows the exact content you'd like. For example, if you made a sizzler reel for Microsoft Teams, you probably wouldn't show Slack in use on your desktop.

The makers of the ad appear to have done that to some extent. The taskbar in the commercial has Copilot, the Microsoft Store, the Xbox app, and the Snipping Tool pinned rather than alternatives. Interestingly, Microsoft Edge also appears.

Promotional videos do not always reflect reality. Unpinning an app from your taskbar before taking a screenshot is pretty common. If you keep an eye out, you'll see marketing and how-to illustrations show sanitized versions of PCs that no one would use in real life. Want a fun game? Go check the bookmarks shown on any content advertising a browser or browser-based piece of software.

It's wrong to assume everyone at Microsoft uses Microsoft Edge. Heck, we know many folks at Microsoft didn't use Windows Phone even when it existed. In fact, staff were "shocked" that game director Daniel Vávra used Windows Phone "voluntarily."

But I would assume that when you're making ads for a company, regardless of whether you're an in-house team or a hired firm, you promote that brand. Microsoft has aggressive campaigns designed to convince people to switch from Chrome to Edge. Showing Chrome pinned to the taskbar of an ad undermines those efforts.

Should Microsoft promote Google products in ads? Do you think Chrome's inclusion was a mistake? Let us know in the comments.

When you work for a site called Windows Central, there's a strong chance you're going to be setting up Windows from scratch a lot more often than the average person.

Whether it's fighting demons on my main gaming PC or setting up review hardware, I do my fair share of fresh Windows 11 set-ups.

I've been doing this a long time now, and over the years, the essential apps I need right away have been whittled down to these seven. Whether it's for work or play, these are the apps I install first on any Windows 11 PC.

PowerToys

I am firmly of the opinion that all the features in PowerToys should just be standard in Windows 11. But if they were, progress would be slower, and the community wouldn't be able to contribute.

PowerToys is open source, and it's a suite of tools I simply couldn't use Windows 11 without anymore. Be it FancyZones for better on-screen window management, the new Light Switch feature, Image Resizer, and several other modules. All are part of my daily workflow.

I especially use Command Palette, preceded by PowerToys Run. I love using a keyboard to launch apps, search, and even do quick calculations. The less time I'm using a mouse, the more productive I am.

Google Chrome

No, I don't use Microsoft Edge. The simple truth is that I've used Google Chrome for so long, I'm just comfortable with it. All my stuff is here, and given I also use it on Android, I'm always synced up whichever device I'm on.

There's not much else to say about it. I went through a spell of trying to use Edge, and I've tried most other browsers, too. I always end up back in Chrome, because it's familiar. It's where I've mostly done my daily work now for over a decade.

I also use a Chromebook semi-regularly, and I'm of an age now where convenience is important to me. Chrome is convenient for me, and so it's what I use.

Steam

I'm a gamer, so I need Steam. That's about all there is to say about it, right?

Admittedly, the games I play on desktop in recent times have skewed more towards those on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, but I still have a healthy Steam library, and so it's an auto-install for me.

Steam's added special sauce is that I can leave my PC on and retire to the front room and stream my games from my gaming PC to my Steam Deck if I want a change of scenery. Or a sofa.

Heroic Games Launcher

The other side of my PC gaming comes from Heroic Games Launcher. It's a third-party, open source app that started out as an alternative to the Epic Games Launcher.

I first came across it on Linux, where there is no official Epic Games Launcher. But it's just better than the official one, anyway, so why not use it on Windows, too?!

You can customize it to match your preferred color schemes, and these days, you can also use it to download your GOG and Amazon Games libraries.

GIMP

Honestly, most of the time I just use the Microsoft Photos app to make tweaks to images, especially with the new and excellent AI features.

But there are still plenty of times I want something a bit more full-featured, be that for work or for personal image editing. For that, as I have for years, I reach for GIMP.

Mostly, I'm too tight-fisted to pay for Adobe. I don't use it often enough to warrant the expense, and when I have used it, I've used about 5% of the features I was paying a vast sum of money for. GIMP is free, open source, and for what I need, plenty powerful enough.

WSL

Obviously, I use Windows 11, but I also enjoy using Linux. WSL is a happy matrimony of both. WSL is easier to install than ever, and it's always one of the first things I put on a new installation of Windows.

The interoperability between Windows 11 and the Linux distro is fantastic. I'm no developer, but I am constantly trying to learn new things, and using WSL with other apps such as Docker Desktop and VS Code is a dream pairing.

Spotify

Working remotely by myself is a pretty quiet affair. Or it is when the kids aren't on school holidays, anyway. I can't work in silence; I actually find it more distracting than a noisy environment. Maybe I'm weird.

So there's always some noise, and that's usually coming from Spotify. Be it music or podcasts, Spotify is where I settled, and of course, there's a Windows desktop app.

I'm not a massive fan of the desktop app, but it does its job, and it allows me to send audio to the Google Nest speaker elsewhere in my office without having to constantly speak to it. Win-win.

How I quickly install these apps (and more)

In the year 2025, going out and installing these apps one by one from websites on the internet is old hat.

There are many easier ways, including Ninite, and even the Microsoft Store is getting multi-app installs at long, long last.

My preferred method is using winget, also known as the Windows Package Manager. It's a standard feature now on Windows 11, and as a frequent Linux user, I feel at home in the terminal.

I don't need to remember any scripts, but if you're new to using winget, I recommend using the website winstall.app. It's a GUI for the apps you can install through winget, and allows you to select what you want and generate a simple copy and paste script.

So, that's the first seven apps I always install on Windows 11. Truly, I couldn't use Windows without each of them, especially PowerToys.

I'd love to know what some of your must-have apps are, too. I appreciate that mine may be a little boring, so I'm opening it up in the comments. Drop in there and share your own must-haves!

Google Chrome's latest update unveils Gemini AI, heralding an era where browsing transforms into a personalized assistant. From managing tabs to suggesting queries, this upgrade redefines efficiency—albeit with a few intriguing reservations about trusting AI for daily tasks.

You get some AI, and you get some AI, EVERYBODY GETS SOME AI!

That's very much the theme of the latest update to the Google Chrome web browser, at least, if you use it, and you're based in the United States.

Google's self-proclaimed "biggest upgrade to Chrome in its history" is all about new AI features, as if it would be anything else. Not all of the features are available immediately, but with the integration of Gemini into Chrome, the foundations are being laid.

Gemini being natively added to the Chrome browser allows users to use it to interact directly with their web content from the toolbar.

Gemini will also be able to work across multiple tabs, interact with your browsing history to "recall" past activity, as well as let you interface with other Google suite apps, such as the calendar, or YouTube, without leaving your current tab.

Google's also setting Gemini up to be an "agentic browser" to complete those "tedious tasks" on your behalf. Examples given are booking a haircut or ordering your groceries, neither of which I think I'd trust my web browser to do for me.

I rarely know what I want to eat day to day, how am I supposed to trust my web browser to handle the shopping?!

The address bar is also getting its own share of the AI love, with Google's AI mode being integrated for search queries. This will be rolled out later on in the month, and will expand beyond the U.S. shortly after.

This particular feature, I just hope you can turn off. I don't use AI mode in search, and I don't want to. Some just flat out disagree with it, which is fine, but personally, I have a very specific workflow. If I'm doing research, I will tend to go towards Gemini. If I'm using web search, I'm typically looking for specifics that I don't want AI interfering with.

One AI feature that I do see being handy is that it will suggest contextual questions to ask about the page you're currently looking at. Not the typical "summarize this page" but an example given is prompting about warranty information when looking at a product. These type of suggestions could be really useful.

Chrome is also going to use AI to help block notifications and unwanted permissions. This I love, because in theory, it'll learn my preferences (which are more often than not a big fat no) and just handle them on my behalf.

I may have sounded a little snarky at the top of this post, but on the whole, I think much of this will add value to the Chrome browser. I already use Chrome on my Windows PC and my Android phone, and Gemini has become my day-to-day AI assistant of choice.

Sure, Google is obviously trying to push more people to use Gemini, but that's fine. Microsoft is doing its level best to do the same with Copilot being in literally every product, after all.

I spend a lot of time every day using Gemini for various tasks, from researching topics for work and personal development, to trying to figure out my next moves for my fantasy Premier League team. Having it in the toolbar versus having to open a dedicated tab will definitely improve my own workflow, and I'm sure plenty of others will fall into the same category.

I'm not ready for AI to do things Google classes as "tedious" like order things on my behalf, and so long as those that don't want it can either ignore it or just turn it off, it is a meaningful upgrade to the browser that adds real value. Or it will be when I can eventually use it. You know, not being an American and all.

Even in 2025, the browser wars are still alive, and as you might have guessed, two of the usual culprits, Microsoft and Google, are at it again. This time, Microsoft is trying to challenge Google Chrome's dominance by packaging its Edge browser as the superior option when users search for Chrome on Bing.

As spotted by Windows Latest, Microsoft appears to be using an ad that features a fully-fledged comparison table between Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge when users search for Chrome on Bing with the intent to install it.

According to the screenshot shared by the outlet, Microsoft promotes Edge as the better and preferred browser, highlighting key features such as a built-in VPN, AI personalization, and the Microsoft Rewards program as its main selling points.

The report further detailed that the new Edge ad appeared while the user was signed into their personal Microsoft account, had an active Microsoft 365 subscription, and was running Windows 11 version 24H2.

I attempted to replicate similar results with a wildly different M4-based MacBook Pro to see if the message is platform-specific at the time of writing. The outcome was rather underwhelming. I only saw the usual promo banner stating, "Microsoft Edge is powered by the same open-source technology as Google Chrome, providing best-in-class web and extension compatibility."

In addition to the comparison table, Windows Latest revealed that Bing displayed a message stating that everything needed to browse the internet is "right here" when searching for Chrome, clearly referring to Microsoft Edge. As highlighted in the banner, "Microsoft Edge runs on the same technology as Chrome, with the added trust of Microsoft.”

The table clearly presents Microsoft Edge as the undisputed winner, checking every box while Google Chrome seemingly falls short of these specific expectations. Edge is also "Microsoft recommended," which essentially suggests that it's the preferred browser to run on Windows 11.

More interestingly, Microsoft opted for a subconscious design to make its case, highlighting the Edge browser logo in blue while graying out Google Chrome.

Perhaps in a bid to get users to ditch Google Chrome for Edge, Microsoft included quick links for popular platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Gmail, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Netflix, since most everyday users would download browsers to access these services. Therefore, presenting these apps right off the bat could potentially get users to choose Microsoft Edge over Google Chrome.

This isn't Microsoft's first rodeo in browser wars. The tech giant has been accused of using deceptive tactics and harmful design elements to gain a competitive advantage over its competitors in search and browsing. However, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed that Google makes more money on Windows than all of Microsoft due to its dominance in the search landscape.

Have you experienced this bizarre incident while searching for Google Chrome while using Bing? Let me know in the comments.

Cybersecurity sleuths at Koi Security recently uncovered perhaps what might be defined as the worst security and privacy nightmare for most users: a popular Google Chrome extension, FreeVPN.One, with over 100,000 installs, has been secretly grabbing screenshots of every website the user visits and sending them to a domain controlled by the software's anonymous developer.

Perhaps more concerning, the extension is touted as "the fastest free VPN for Chrome." The tool also boasts a "Featured" badge, which is an accolade Google awards to software that aligns with its technical best practices while simultaneously maintaining a "high standard" user experience and design.

But as it now seems, FreeVPN.One has been going against this rule and breaching users' privacy for months on end.

Per the report by the cybersecurity experts, the extension silently grabs screenshots a second after each website page you visit loads before transmitting them to a remote server.

The security experts acknowledge that VPN extensions require permissions like proxy and storage to function, FreeVPN.Online is pushing the envelope farther by asking for more permissions that facilitate its deceptive data collection ploy, including tabs and scripting.

This then allows the extension to inject a script into every website you visit, allowing it to grab screenshots. "No user action, no UI hint, the screenshots are taken in the background without you ever knowing," Koi security added. The odd occurrence reportedly started sometime in July via minor updates, which upped the ante by requesting additional permissions.

Per FreeVPN.One's privacy policies, the extension can grab screenshots of your activities while using the internet, but this only happens when the AI Threat Detection Feature is enabled. It essentially grabs a screenshot and related page information, including the URL and page content, which are then transmitted from your browser to the platform's servers for vetting by analysts.

However, the extension's developer indicated that it may "use anonymized usage data" to build the platform's threat intelligence database, regardless of whether you've enable the AI-powered feature or not.

There are some discrepancies with FreeVPN.One's privacy policies, which were updated on July 20, are now missing a critical section about anonymized usage data. "This system is in beta and provided 'as is' without warranties or guarantees of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to accuracy, reliability, or fitness for a particular purpose," the security firm added.

The update also scrapped information about who operates FreeVPN.One. The header previously indicated that the platform was operated by a company called CMO Ltd. The only way to get a hint of this information is through the email provided by contacting the developer. However, the domain associated with the provided email address redirects to a page for Phoenix Software Solutions with a suspicious URL, making the situation worse.

Speaking to The Register, a FreeVPN.One developer claimed that the extension is "fully compliant with Chrome Web Store policies, and any screenshot functionality is disclosed in our privacy policy."

According to the developer:

"All data collected is encrypted and handled according to standard practices for browser extensions. We are committed to transparency and user privacy and welcome readers to review our documentation for further details."

While the developer claims that the extension is compliant with Google Chrome's Web Store policies, Koi researchers aren't convinced by the claims that the tool only grabs screenshots when encountering a suspicious domain.

They further shared their findings, highlighting the tool grabbing screenshots of trusted domains, including Google. However, the screenshots aren't being used or stored but are briefly analyzed for potential threats.

Despite these concerning findings from Koi security, FreeVPN.One continues to be available for installation as of the time of publication. It is unclear if Google is looking into the report and whether it intends to scrap the extension from its Chrome Web Store, as it violates its policies.

Sounds like Windows Recall all over again

Last year, Microsoft unveiled a handful of crazy next-gen AI features exclusively to its Copilot+ PCs, including Windows Recall, Live Captions, and more. However, Windows Recall grabbed the most attention, potentially becoming the tech giant's most controversial feature.

For context, Windows Recall is an AI-powered feature that acts like your PC's photographic memory and captures snapshots of everything you see and do. The experience runs on-device NPU (neural processing unit) and doesn't rely on the cloud for any of its functionalities for privacy, security, and performance.

The feature has raised major concerns among security experts and general users, who've branded it as "a security nightmare," which has turned the operating system into a hacker's paradise.

While Microsoft has ramped up Windows Recall's security with elaborate measures like making Windows Hello a mandatory requirement and isolating it in a "VBS Enclave" (making it unreadable to third-party apps) and filtering out sensitive information like passwords and credit card details, users are seemingly still keeping it at arm's length.

It will be interesting to see how Google handles the critical security and privacy concerns impacting its Chrome Web Store via FreeVPN.One. Let me know what you think in the comments.

If you use Google Chrome, you may run into an issue that prevents the browser from opening on Windows. Earlier this month, Chrome users spotted a strange behavior that blocked the browser.

The issue appears to be related to Microsoft Family Safety, which is a set of tools that can be used to limit screen time and filter inappropriate content. It also includes tools for tracking members of your family and keeping up to date with a joint calendar.

But Microsoft Family Safety seems to be filtering more than inappropriate websites, it is blocking Chrome altogether.

"Our team has investigated these reports and determined the cause of this behavior," said Ellet T, a Chrome Community Manager. "For some users, Chrome is unable to run when Microsoft Family Safety is enabled."

The situation was also flagged on Reddit and covered by The Verge.

While I am usually one of the first to criticize Microsoft for pushing its Edge browser by using questionable tactics, I don't think the current situation surrounding parental controls is the same as Microsoft trying to trick people into using Bing.

As highlighted by Reddit user ericlaw, Microsoft Family Safety blocking third-party browsers is expected. If a parent or guardian is trying to limit time on the web or filter certain content by using Microsoft's tools, it's reasonable for non-Microsoft browsers to be blocked.

If a person could get around content restrictions by using Chrome or another browser, Microsoft Family Safety would be close to useless. Microsoft's site for the tool even says, "Other commonly used browsers will be blocked for this to work."

But a prompt is supposed to appear when a person using a child account clicks on Chrome or another browser, according to ericlaw. That box says, "Ask your parent for permission." An approved user can then grant permission for whatever app or content was trying to be accessed.

The absence of that dialog box is an issue, as the box is required to explain why Chrome is blocked.

I understand why Microsoft is not going to get the benefit of the doubt on this one. The tech giant has aggressively steered people away from Chrome and Google services in the past. Perhaps I'm just in a good mood and assuming the best of the situation.

Antitrust watchdogs have been on Google's neck after it was established as an illegal monopoly in the search landscape. As part of the regulation process, US antitrust officials have proposed that the company be forced to sell its Chrome browser to create an even playing field for its competitors.

While the issue is still in trial, OpenAI has blatantly expressed interest in acquiring Chrome from Google if the US Department of Justice forces the company to sell the browser. "Yes, we would, as would many other parties," ChatGPT's lead added.

Speaking in court earlier this week, OpenAI’s ChatGPT chief Nick Turley indicated that integrating Chrome into ChatGPT would give users a "really incredible experience” (via Bloomberg).

The ChatGPT head further indicated that the acquisition of Chrome would allow OpenAI to introduce users to an "AI-first experience." Turley expressed OpenAI's interest in Chrome during Google's ongoing antitrust trial.

According to the ChatGPT lead:

"Currently, OpenAI's chatbot, ChatGPT, has an extension in Google's Chrome browser available for users to download. But having Chrome be more deeply integrated into OpenAI would allow for a better product."

To that end, the court is expected to decide what changes Google must make to its business by August 2025, after it was established as an illegal monopoly in search last year.

ChatGPT has the numbers but still struggles with distribution

While ChatGPT is arguably the world's most popular AI platform with approximately 800 million weekly active users, OpenAI admits distribution is its major issue. For more context, ChatGPT's daily visits exceeded Copilot's monthly visits in February 2025.

The AI firm already got into a deal with Apple to integrate ChatGPT into the iPhone. However, the company is yet to reach common ground with Android smartphone manufacturers about a similar deal.

Google admitted that it started paying Samsung in January to pre-install Gemini AI on its phones. While a Google spokesman indicated that the deal wasn't exclusive, OpenAI's ChatGPT lead suggested that the company struggled to scale such heights in negotiations:

"It was not a lack of trying. We never got to a point where we could discuss concrete terms."

Turley expressed concerns about being shut out by tech giants like Google, "who control the access points for how people discover products, including our product." "People discover via a browser or via an app store", ChatGPT's lead added. "Real choice drives competition. Users should be able to pick."

The executive further revealed that OpenAI attempted to strike a deal with Google to bring its search engine to ChatGPT, though it was shot down. It's worth noting that ChatGPT leverages Microsoft's Bing for search.

According to an email sent to Google by OpenAI:

"We believe having multiple partners, and in particular Google's API, would enable us to provide a better product to users."

Reports suggest that Google turned down OpenAI's deal because it would include many of its competitors. Interestingly, OpenAI has since launched its own AI-powered search engine to take on Google and Bing, ChatGPT search. While it first shipped as a paywalled ChatGPT feature, OpenAI recently made it available for free users, too.

To that end, Google plans to appeal the ruling that deemed it an illegal monopoly in search. However, the company will have until the ongoing antitrust case is concluded and the court gives a directive on the changes that should be made in this business model.

Last year, Google announced its plans to kill extension support for the Manifest V2 framework, urging users to transition to extensions with Manifest V3 framework support.

The controversial move received backlash because it affected popular Google Chrome extensions, including uBlock Origin, leaving over 30 million users susceptible to intrusive ads.

As you might have already noticed, Google already pulled the plug on uBlock Origin running on the Manifest V2 framework. Late last month, several users flagged pop-up messages when launching Google Chrome, indicating uBlock Origin no longer works on Chrome. Microsoft is also slated to follow suit with its Edge browser soon.

Google is aggressively ramping up its efforts to expedite the transition to extensions that support the Manifest V3 framework. You might have noticed Google has already scrapped unsupported extensions from its Web Store, including uBlock Origin.

While upgrading and transitioning to extensions with the Manifest v3 framework makes the most sense, Google's warnings don't necessarily mean that you can no longer use Manifest v2 supported extensions like uBlock Origin (via PCGamer).

Ublock Origin is gone. from r/youtube

When Chrome users receive the warning indicating the browser no longer supports V2 framework extensions, they are presented with two options: to either remove the extension or remove it.

The former option will uninstall the extension, which is presumably Google's desired approach. However, the latter option allows you to navigate through Chrome's settings and selecting the Manage extension option.

Through the highlighted setting option, you can reactivate uBlock Origin and confirm that you want to continue using the extension with the Manifest V2 extension. It's as simple as turning the extension back on again.

When will Google pull support for the Manifest V2 framework?

Google explained that it transitioned from the Manifest V2 framework extension support to V3 because it "presents security risks by allowing unreviewed code to be executed in extensions." For context, V3 only allows an extension to execute JavaScript as part of its package.

To that end, it remains unclear when Google will permanently pull the plug on uBlock Origin. However, the company launched uBlock Origin Lite — a new version of the app that’s Manifest V3 compliant.

However, the extension is fairly limited due to its compliance with the Manifest V3 framework threshold.

According to uBlock Origin's developer Raymond Hill

"I consider uBO Lite to be too different from uBO to be an automatic replacement. You will have to explicitly find a replacement to uBO according to what you expect from a content blocker. uBO Lite may or may not fulfill your expectations."

The developer claims uBlock Origin is "a pared-down version" that's had to "sacrifice many features." However, the change is imminent, but there are several uBlock Origin alternatives that you can adopt.

The days of uBlock Origin are numbered, at least on Chromium browsers. Earlier this week, reports emerged that uBlock Origin stopped working on Google Chrome. Now, it seems uBlock Origin could soon be disabled in Microsoft Edge.

The most recent version of Microsoft Edge Canary states that uBlock Origin is no longer supported. According to Leo Varela, who tracks changes in Edge, the cutoff may have been unexpected.

"Google has started disabling unsupported extensions in Chrome Stable (it's been news in several media) and I think this change came to Edge Canary unexpectedly, it's not the first time that some changes made in the Stable version of Chrome come to Edge Canary unexpectedly," said Varela on X.

We knew that Edge would end support for certain extensions at some point, but the company's document on the situation lists "TBD" in the timeline. Even if Edge supports uBlock Origin at the moment, that will change in the future.

Why is uBlock Origin being removed?

Considering that a large portion of Google's revenue comes from advertising, you may have assumed the cutoff for uBlock Origin is some targeted attack. While I suppose it's impossible to decipher the tech giant's motives, the end of uBlock Origin support is related to security and performance.

Years ago, Google introduced Manifest V3, a new version of its extension platform. Extensions built on that platform are more secure, more private, and perform better. Unfortunately, they also cannot fully use a specific API that is essential for uBlock Origin to function.

The WebRequest API that allows content blockers to block ads and other content before it loads is limited in Manifest V3.

With the limits in place on WebRequest, uBlock Origin's picker cannot work. The picker allows you to block specific elements. For example, you can choose to block a pop-up video or a prompt that uBlock Origin does not view as an ad by default.

Which browsers support uBlock Origin?

Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are in the process of ending support for Manifest V2. That means uBlock Origin either has already stopped working or will stop working in the near future. The process is gradual, so you may have a bit of time to find a suitable alternative.

Firefox will continue to support uBlock Origin. Mozilla explained in a blog post that it will maintain blocking WebRequest API support within Firefox. That means that even after the migration to Manifest V3, uBlock Origin will continue to work in Firefox.

uBlock Origin alternatives

While uBlock Origin is an excellent content blocker, it is far from the only content blocker. If you want to stick with the same developers, you can switch to uBlock Origin Lite. That extension lacks the finer controls of the original uBlock Origin, but it still works well. Most importantly, it works within browsers that have ended support for Manifest V2.

You can also switch to a different ad blocker. In their AdGuard review, our colleagues at TechRadar gave that program a 4.5 out of 5. AdGuard also supports blocking cookies, mobile banners, popups, social widgets, and other non-ad content that you may not want to see.

One thing that sticks out about AdGuard for Windows is that it works in apps as well as in browsers.

Microsoft Edge and uBlock Origin

When Microsoft recreated its Edge browser back in 2020, the tech giant moved Edge to Chromium. Somewhat ironically, moving Edge to the same engine as Google Chrome helped create what could have been a rival to Google's browser.

All the web computability and extensions of Chrome but without Google? Sign me up. To some extent, that vision has been fulfilled. Edge works with the vast majority of websites and has a massive library of add-ons thanks to support for Chrome extensions. Edge is one of many Chromium-based browsers to let you use the modern web without having Google's servers involved.

But Microsoft missed the mark when it comes to differentiating itself from Chrome during the migration to Manifest V3. As evidenced by Mozilla and its Firefox browser, it is possible to use Manifest V3 while also fully supporting the WebRequest API.

Mozilla explains how it will support both Manifest V3 extensions and the WebRequest API needed for certain ad blockers to work:

"Mozilla will maintain support for blocking WebRequest in MV3. To maximize compatibility with other browsers, we will also ship support for declarativeNetRequest. We will continue to work with content blockers and other key consumers of this API to identify current and future alternatives where appropriate. Content blocking is one of the most important use cases for extensions, and we are committed to ensuring that Firefox users have access to the best privacy tools available."

I can't help but ask why Microsoft did not do the same or at least do something similar. Perhaps there are technical limitations I am unaware of (Firefox is not based on Chromium but Edge is). But the fact that Microsoft plans to maintain support for Manifest V2 for enterprise users for at least a limited time suggests the tech giant could have done something to affect the timeline.

Perhaps the death of uBlock Origin is an unavoidable consequence of moving Edge to Chromium. But if there is a way to make Edge compatible with uBlock Origin after Chrome blocks that popular extension, doing so could boost Edge's popularity and earn Microsoft some good will.

The safest bet for those who rely on uBlock Origin is to use Microsoft Edge, where the extension still works. Otherwise, Firefox is the best alternative. Mozilla, the maker of Firefox, will continue to support the WebRequest API even when using Manifest V3. That means uBlock Origin and other content blockers that rely on the WebRequest API will continue to work within Firefox.

Some Google Chrome users ran into a disappointing message today. According to several people on Reddit, uBlock Origin no longer works on Chrome. It's been known for a while that uBlock Origin and several other extensions would stop working on Chrome, but the deadline is finally affecting people.

The change that stops uBlock Origin and some other extensions from working is rolling out gradually, so you may be able to use uBlock Origin for a little longer on Chrome.

However, if you're using Google's browser, the extension will be turned off soon. Several other browsers will also stop working with uBlock Origin.

What happened to uBlock Origin?

For many people, uBlock Origin has stopped working on Chrome because Chrome has shifted to Manifest V3 for its extensions.

That change started years ago, and the process has been gradual because developers needed time to migrate extensions from Manifest V2 to Manifest V3.

Manifest V3 is a Chrome extension platform that includes several security and privacy improvements. Extensions built on Manifest V3 should also perform better. While there are many benefits to moving from Manifest V2 to Manifest V3, there are some downsides.

Perhaps the most notable change is that Manifest V3 limits the WebRequest API, which is essential for uBlock Origin. That API allows uBlock Origin to block certain content before that content loads.

Without WebRequest API support, uBlock Origin is unable to work.

Does uBlock Origin still work on Chrome?

Chrome users will not be able to use uBlock Origin shortly, and many cannot already. The changes that effectively disable uBlock Origin are rolling out gradually.

Mozilla explains the situation regarding Firefox in a blog post:

"Mozilla will maintain support for blocking WebRequest in MV3. To maximize compatibility with other browsers, we will also ship support for declarativeNetRequest. We will continue to work with content blockers and other key consumers of this API to identify current and future alternatives where appropriate. Content blocking is one of the most important use cases for extensions, and we are committed to ensuring that Firefox users have access to the best privacy tools available."

Mozilla appears to be the most committed to ensuring popular content blockers work. Other browsers are migrating to Manifest V3 and don't seem to have plans to support the WebRequest API.

Does uBlock Origin work on Microsoft Edge?

Microsoft Edge seems to be moving away from support for Manifest V2 extensions, though the exact timeline of Microsoft may differ from that of Google.

Microsoft stopped accepting Manifest V2 extensions in July 2022, but the chart with a timeline lists "TBD" for the next stages. Below is a copy of the table from that document:

At some point, Microsoft will stop Manifest V2 extensions from working within Edge. For an unspecified amount of time, enterprise customers will still be able to use Manifest V2 extensions.

Eventually, all Manifest V2 extensions will stop working in Edge, even if you're an enterprise user.

Unfortunately, Microsoft has not shared dates on its timeline.

uBlock Origin alternatives

If you don't want to use Firefox, there are some alternatives to uBlock Origin. uBlock Origin Lite works with Manifest V3, but it lacks some of the granular controls of the original uBlock Origin. Despite the limits, the extension still holds a 4.5 out of 5 in the Chrome Web Store.

You can also use a different content blocker. There's no shortage of them these days, but you'll have varying degrees of control. AdGuard is highly reviewed by customers and received 4.5 out of 5 stars in TechRadar's AdGuard review.

Many browsers, including Brave, Firefox, and Edge, also feature built-in ad blockers.

One of the best parts of Microsoft Edge getting revamped a few years ago was the addition of support for Chrome extensions. But just because you can use the Chrome Webs Store to find extensions that work on Edge doesn't mean Microsoft wants you to. The tech giant has revamped its Edge Add-ons website to make it easier to navigate.

The new Edge Add-on site is rolling out gradually, so you may not see it yet.

"We’re excited to announce the launch of our newly revamped Edge Add-ons website, designed to enhance your browsing experience through extensions and themes," explains Microsoft in a blog post. "This update brings a host of improvements aimed at making it easier for you to discover and acquire add-ons like extensions and themes through a more modern, functional, and actionable store."

The new version of the Edge Add-ons website has enhanced autosuggestions that appear as you type. The top suggestion will have a "Get" button next to it that allows you to install the extension without having to jump to a different page.

Search results can now be filtered by product type, category, ratings, and other options.

Locating themes should be easier as well, as they're now categorized better. I hope Microsoft does something similar with the themes in the Microsoft Store. The tech giant is retiring its free wallpaper site and the equivalent in the Microsoft Store is poorly organized and lacks categories.

Can Microsoft Edge run Google Chrome extensions?

The Edge Add-ons site is a bit redundant for some users. Microsoft Edge can run Google Chrome extensions, so many people just use the Chrome Web Store to install extensions onto Edge. But if you prefer Microsoft's interface or if you want to completely remove Google from your life, the Edge Add-on store is there.

There are extensions that are only available through the Chrome Web Store. Edge has a smaller user market share than Chrome, so developers often target Google's browser. In those cases, people can grab the extension through the Chrome Web Store and use it on Edge, Chrome, or one of many other Chromium browsers.

While Chrome has a bigger market share than Edge, it's also controlled by Google. That means if Google blocks an extension from working, such as uBlock Origin, your best option to continue to use that extension could be to use another browser. At least for now, uBlock Origin works on Edge, though that could change in the future.

Google is working on a feature for its Chrome browser that will change your compromised passwords automatically. "Automated Password Change" is now in testing within the Canary version of Chrome and could make its way to everyone if testing goes well. If it makes its way to general availability, the feature could help secure accounts while reducing how many passwords you need to come up with and memorize.

In this instance, automatically refers to AI generating the password and changing your password if you'd like. You'll be prompted about the proposed change when you sign it, so it's not as if Chrome will change your passwords in the background without asking.

"When Chrome finds one of your passwords in a data breach, it can offer to change your password for you when you sign in," reads the description of the feature in Chrome's settings. The option was first reported on by Leo Varela on X.

If you use the feature, Chrome will use AI to generate a password that's then saved in Google Password Manager.

Unfortunately, data breaches are rather common these days. If you use the same password across multiple websites and accounts, important data could be left vulnerable. Scammers and phishers often try to obtain passwords used for accounts on one website and then try to use a person's login information on other sites. That type of attack is one reason the best password managers are so popular.

Many websites require passwords to be a certain length and include specific types of characters. Since Google Chrome's new feature uses AI to generate a password, the resulting passwords should be complex enough for sites. Automated Password Change could be used in conjunction with other tools or used on its own to improve password security.

Since Automated Password Change is an experimental feature, you need to enable it. You can do so by navigating to #improved-password-change-service within chrome://flags/ and changing the dropdown to "enabled."

Microsoft has proposed a change to Chromium that would improve the calling experience within many of the most popular browsers. Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and any other web application that uses the Notifications API would be able to take advantage of the new feature. Microsoft has already implemented a prototype of an explainer on the topic to Chromium.

"We would like to propose an extension to the Notifications API standard for incoming call scenarios to allow the notification action buttons to be customized and also allow the application to play a ringtone," explains Microsoft on GitHub. "This capability would make the incoming call notifications, which may require a faster immediate response, clearly distinguishable from the others to the user and would also contribute to increasing accessibility on the Web."

Microsoft's idea would also make it possible for browsers to prioritize call notifications over other types of notifications.

Web applications can already send a notification for when a call is received, but those notifications are rather limited. They also lack buttons for actions such as answering a call. The new feature proposed by Microsoft would make it possible to add custom buttons to a notification alongside the dismiss button.

Microsoft discussed the benefits of its proposed API extension in a blog post:

• Are visually distinguished from other notifications.
• Have customized buttons, which can be used to answer or reject a call.
• Have a ringtone associated with them.
• And have a higher priority than other notifications, when supported by the platform.

You can view the API in use by using a sample app in Microsoft Edge. Microsoft outlines the steps to do so in its blog post and requests feedback from those who try the feature.

"We’re looking for feedback on this proposal, so if you’re interested in this API and want to help us shape it, please read the explainer, and send us your feedback by opening a new issue on our repository," states Microsoft.

Microsoft is seemingly getting more creative with its aggressive tactics designed to flip the odds in Bing and Edge's favor against Google. In the latest episode, the software giant tries to compel users to stick to Microsoft Edge when searching for Google's Web Store using Bing instead of switching over to Chrome (via Windows Report).

Windows Central attempted to replicate the scenario highlighted by the outlet and was greeted by the pop-up message outlined below:

"Enjoy your favorite extensions without switching browsers. Keep using to get world-class performance with more privacy, more productivity, and more value. Try now."

Interestingly, I attempted to make a similar query using Google Search and Chrome, but instead of searching for the Chrome Web Store, I looked up Microsoft Edge Add-ons. The search results were pretty straightforward and didn't feature a pop-up ad trying to keep me from switching browsers/search engines.

This isn't the first time Microsoft has used aggressive tactics and tricky designs to gain a competitive advantage over Google. Last year, Microsoft used its Bing Wallpaper app to get Windows 11 users to switch to Bing as the "recommended browser settings" for fast and secure search results, automatically sideloading Microsoft's Bing extension to Google Chrome.

More recently, Microsoft was spotted using "deceptive tactics" to transform Bing into a makeshift version of Google, down to the trademark Doodle on Google Search's homepage. Google's Chrome lead Parisa Tabriz commented, highlighting that this was a "new low" for Microsoft:

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but Microsoft spoofing the Google homepage is another tactic in its long history of tricks to confuse users & limit choice.

New year; new low @Microsoft"

Mozilla also placed Microsoft under fire for using deceptive tactics and harmful designs to give Edge a competitive advantage over other browsers on Windows. Interestingly, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed that Google makes more money on Windows than all of Microsoft.

When you think of PDFs, you probably think about work documents, contracts, and static images. The file format is not known as a gaming platform, but that's exactly how one developer decided to use it. Thomas Rinsma, a security analyst, created a fully functional version of Tetris within a PDF file. While I don't think the game, dubbed pdftris, will become a staple for PC gamers, it is an interesting hacker project that shows the capabilities of PDF files when used in a unique way.

You can play Tetris within a PDF by opening this file in a compatible browser. Rinsma notes that Firefox and all Chromium browsers are supported, though I had a better experience in Chrome than within Edge. That's likely due to the fact that Edge uses Adobe Reader, which is "not compliant in several ways," according to Rinsma.

Sadly for mobile gamers, pdftris only works within desktop browsers at the moment.

The game does not exactly run smoothly, which is hardly a surprise. When I loaded pdftris in Edge the framerate of the game was so low I couldn't play it correctly. The game ran better within Chrome but showed some black lines across my screen. But smooth gameplay isn't what a project like pdftris is about.

Getting Tetris within a PDF was a fun project that also presented a challenge to overcome. Both PDFium, Chromium's PDF reader, and PDF.js, Firefox's PDF reader, use different engines.

"It was a bit tricky to find a union of features that work in both engines, but in the end it turns out that showing/hiding annotation "fields" works well to make monochrome pixels, and keyboard input can be achieved by typing in a text input box," explained Rinsma in a post on Hacker News.

Following feedback from users and those interested in the project, Rinsma shared a blog post about the project. There, they answer the first question I imagine many people will ask, "why would you make Tetris within a PDF?" The short answer from Rinsma is "why not?" Inspiration for the project came after Rinsma realized that PDF engines in modern desktop browsers support JavaScript and some I/O primitives.

You can also check out the project on GitHub to see the code used to make keystroke-entry within a text field that allows you to control the following blocks within pdftris.

In case you were wondering, yes, a PDF can be used to run Doom. Rinsma managed to get the classic game working within a PDF after some tinkering.

Even in 2025, browser wars are still a thing. As expected, Google continues to dominate the search and browser landscape, while Microsoft firmly holds the shorter end of the stick with Bing and Microsoft Edge. But as it seems, the tech giant might have a new trick to salvage the situation, potentially attracting new users to its Edge browser.

According to Windows Latest, Microsoft is working on a new project called Phoenix. The project will revamp Microsoft Edge's look and feel to align with Windows 11's modern appeal and aesthetics. Interestingly, the tech outlet details that the project will roll out in waves.

The report further details that some elements of the Phoenix project have already shipped to Microsoft Edge, including the Split screen feature, which lets users drag and drop a tab to open it alongside another webpage. The Phoenix project will also ship with Mica, a new feature designed to add a dynamic and translucent effect to Microsoft Edge's user interface.

Windows Latest attributes its deductions to two flags it uncovered buried in Microsoft Edge Canary's preview builds, including:

• msEdgePhoenixColorPaletteGenerator
• msUseSnappingPointsForPhoenixPaletteGeneration

As highlighted by our sister site, TechRadar, "What these flags likely refer to is the ability for Edge to run a piece of ‘color palette generator’ code that could detect Windows 11’s accent colors or theme, and change the browser to match that. In other words, Edge would dynamically switch to complement the Windows 11 environment in this respect."

Microsoft is playing it safe with Edge's new updates

Over the years, Microsoft has shipped many features to Edge to grow its user base while improving its user experience. However, users have blatantly expressed their inclination toward Google Chrome while calling out Microsoft for making Microsoft Edge 'bloated.'

User reception to Microsoft's Phoenix project designed to overhaul Edge remains to be seen. But if the intricate details of the report are anything to go by, Microsoft is seemingly playing it safe by shipping the update in waves. This could give the tech giant time to garner feedback, allowing it to work on areas that need improvement or outrightly pull the plug on the entire enterprise.

READ MORE: Microsoft masks Bing as Google to grow its market share

Last year, our Zac Bowden reported that Microsoft was scrapping the major UI update for Edge with rounded tabs and blur effects. The report highlighted Microsoft's plan to remove the flag to enable the features via a future update for the browser.

That said, we'll have to wait and see if Microsoft will finally ship the major Edge overhaul this time.

Google Chrome is set to get a new AI-powered feature to protect users against sophisticated ploys and scams deployed by bad actors to bolster security and improve the user experience. According to Leo Varela on X (formerly Twitter), the latest Google Chrome Canary update ships with a new "Client Side Detection Brand and Intent for Scam Detection" (via Neowin).

Per the description, the flag "enables on-device LLM output on pages to inquire for brand and intent of the page." Google leveraging an on-device LLM to scheme through webpages protects the user from security breaches. It also protects the user's credentials from being uploaded to the cloud or used to train Google's AI models.

Google seems to be borrowing a page from Microsoft's security playbook. Leo Varela discovered a "scareware blocker" in Microsoft Edge's Settings earlier this month. According to Leo Varela, the feature leverages AI capabilities to identify tech scams, too. It's turned off by default, meaning you'll have to navigate the settings to enable it.

Microsoft integrating new security features across its tech stack isn't entirely surprising. Over the past few months, the tech giant has been riddled with a cascade of security failures, including an attack by the Russian hacker group Nobelium, which allowed them to access Microsoft executives' email accounts.

"Security underpins every layer of the tech stack, and it's our No. 1 priority," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella indicated during the company's FY24 Q3 earnings call. "We are doubling down on this very important work, putting security above all else before all other features and investments."

It'll be interesting to see how Microsoft and Google leverage AI to keep scams at bay while users browse and simultaneously ensure the tools don't upload the data to the cloud or use it for training.

What you need to know

• Google recently transitioned Google Chrome's extension support from the Manifest V2 framework to V3.
• The company indicated the Manifest V3 framework provides better privacy and security for users.
• New research shows malicious browser extensions can bypass the new framework's security measures, leaving users susceptible to phishing scams.
  

Extensions are essential and provide an enhanced and seamless browsing experience for users. As you may know, Google transitioned Google Chrome's extension support from the Manifest V2 framework to the Manifest V3 framework.

The drastic change impacted many browser extensions, including uBlock Origin, potentially leaving over 30 million Chrome users susceptible to intrusive ads. Google attributed the drastic change to privacy and security concerns with the Manifest V2 framework. According to Google, the Manifest V2 framework "presents security risks by allowing unreviewed code to be executed in extensions."

Google touts Manifest V3 as a better and safer option since it only allows an extension to execute JavaScript as part of its package, ultimately mitigating the risk. However, new research by SquareX shows some browser extensions can still circumvent the Manifest V3 framework's security measures (via TechRadar Pro). The report further suggests that this loophole places users at risk, potentially giving bad actors access to personal and sensitive information.

According to the research team's findings, malicious browser extensions can bypass the Manifest V3 framework's security, granting them unauthorized access to live video streams, including Google Meet and Zoom Web. Google faced similar issues with the Manifest V2 framework, potentially influencing the transition to V3.

The malicious extensions reportedly allow bad actors to add unauthorized collaborators to private GitHub repositories. Even worse, they can be leveraged to lure unsuspecting users into phishing scams fronted as password managers. This way, the extensions access your browsing and download history, cookies, bookmarks, and more.

As you may know, security solutions like Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) or endpoint protection can't assess browser extensions, leaving users susceptible to security risks. However, the researchers have highlighted several solutions to mitigate these issues, including fine-tuning policies that allow admins to control extension access based on reviews, ratings, extension permissions, and update history.

According to SquareX Founder & CEO Vivek Ramachandran:

“Browser extensions are a blind spot for EDR/XDR, and SWGs have no way to infer their presence. This has made browser extensions a very effective and potent technique to silently be installed and monitor enterprise users, and attackers are leveraging them to monitor communication over web calls, act on the victim’s behalf to give permissions to external parties, steal cookies and other site data and so on.”

SquareX claims the solution will block network requests by extensions in real time based on policies, machine learning insights, and heuristic analysis.

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What you need to know

• Google announced the transition from the Manifest V2 framework to the Manifest V3 framework for privacy and security reasons, cutting support for Manifest V2-based extensions like uBlock Origin, leaving over 30 million users susceptible to intrusive ads.
• While there's a Lite version of the ad blocker, it misses crucial features that make the experience less effective.
• Opera recently announced that it'll continue supporting uBlock Origin running the Manifest V2 framework alongside its native ad blocker by making special modifications to Chromium's codebase.

Google's decision to transition from the Manifest V2 framework to the Manifest V3 framework on its Chrome browser has potentially left over 30 million users susceptible to intrusive ads, since the Chromium browser no longer supports extensions like uBlock Origin. 

Google confirmed to Windows Central that "over 93% of actively maintained extensions in the Chrome Web Store are running Manifest V3, and the top content filtering extensions all have Manifest V3 versions available - with options for users of AdBlock, Adblock Plus, uBlock Origin and AdGuard."

As you may know, the company unveiled a new version of uBlock Origin called uBlock Origin Lite, which meets Google's stringent Manifest V3 framework threshold. While uBlock Origin Lite supports core ad-blocking features like its predecessor, it falls short in key departments, as it doesn't support dynamic filters for blocking, scriptlet injection and more.

Related: If you're mad Google is killing your favorite ad blocker, a network-wide ad blocker is the permanent solution

The news has been received with reservations, prompting some to claim they could transition to other browsers supporting uBlock Origin, including Brave. Brave touts its built-in ad and tracker blocker. It also plans to continue supporting uBlock Origin, potentially attracting Chrome's vast user base to its services. 

Opera will continue supporting uBlock Origin

According to the folks over at Neowin, Opera is seemingly joining the fray, and just like Brave, it'll continue supporting uBlock Origin running the Manifest V2 framework. In a blog post dubbed "Opera will always help you block ads natively," the company indicated:

"We plan to continue supporting Manifest V2 extensions in Opera independently of what will happen to other browsers. This means that users of Opera’s browsers should expect to continue to use non-graded versions of their favorite ad blocker extensions.   

Opera will, of course, also continue to offer robust built-in ad blocking regardless of what happens to ad blocker extensions. We have done so since 2016, when we were the first browser to offer this functionality."

Users majorly impacted by Google's decision to cut support for uBlock Origin due to the transition to the Manifest V3 framework for better security and privacy could potentially transition to Brave or Opera for continued support, ultimately denting Google Chrome's broad user base. 

However, Opera admits it's built on the same open-source code as Google Chrome. As such, it'll be impacted by the Manifest V3 framework changes in Chromium. Consequently, it intends to make modifications on top of the codebase for continued uBlock Origin support. 

According to Opera:

"While we want to be able to offer the best possible support, our focus will be on maintaining a safe and secure experience for users, both within our Add-ons Store and with extensions that come from outside sources. In the coming days and weeks, we will be reaching out to selected extension developers to determine the best and safest way forward."

It'll be interesting to see how Google's decision to deprecate the Manifest V2 framework for V3 will impact Google Chrome's dominant market share compared to other browsers, especially with Brave and Opera taking a different approach to the Manifest V2 framework deprecation. 

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You've heard it all before, whichever browser you choose to use. The running joke is always that people only use Microsoft Edge to download Google Chrome. There's obviously an element of truth in that, given Chrome's ridiculous share of the browser pie, but it doesn't have to be this way. And yes, I know a lot of people do actually use and love Microsoft Edge. It's a very good browser these days.

But whenever I see people say this, whether joking or not, there's one thing I always want to respond. You shouldn't even bother using Edge to download Chrome, or any other browser you'd prefer to use. Instead, there's a far better, quicker way to do it, than opening up Edge, going to a website, downloading an installer, and then installing the thing.

Use Windows Package Manager. My favorite Windows 11 tool. I'll keep talking about it until I've converted people. It's finally even working on my long-suffering colleagues. Forego using Edge to do it, and open the Terminal app instead.

Windows Package Manager? What on earth is that?

I've written a full guide on using the Windows Package Manager if you want to know more detail, but the short version is this. It's a terminal-based tool that allows you to install software from all over the web, and even from the Microsoft Store. The advantage to using it is efficiency. You can use a single command to install a multitude of apps all in one go, and you don't have to go off in your browser to a bunch of different websites to get what you want. Windows Package Manager doesn't host anything itself, instead using manifests that direct it to the download location you'd be going to anyway.

To make life simpler, there are third-party services like winstall.app that provide a more app store style approach, but that will also generate the install commands you need for however many things you want to install. It's definitely worth having a look at if you're a beginner, as it'll help you not only find what you need, but also helpfully introduce you to the proper syntax to use in the terminal.

If you've ever used Linux, it'll feel like second nature. After all, you're already going to be proficient in using the terminal to install, well, pretty much everything. The only difference is with the structure of the package names, but it's not so far different that you won't feel right at home.

Using Windows Package Manager to install Google Chrome instead of Edge

To use Edge to install Chrome, you have to open it up, sign in or dismiss the sign in option, go to Google's website, download the installer, then launch it and do the thing. That's so 2014. Instead, do this.

Open up the Terminal app on Windows 11, and enter a single command.

winget install google.chrome

Give it a minute to go off and grab the same installer, and it'll do everything for you. Faster, simpler, and no need to open Edge. If you want the other channels of Chrome, simply add .beta, .canary, or .dev, depending on which you want, to the end of the command above. I'm not exaggerating when I say it takes under a minute to complete, though if you're on slower internet, then naturally it may take a little longer than it does for me.

But this is a big reason I always advocate using Windows Package Manager. As the tool has grown, so has its reach for what you're actually able to download with it. The manifest repository is now quite large, and if you happen upon something that isn't in there, you can build your own and request it to be added. For keyboard-first workflows like my own, too, it's just so much more convenient. With PowerToys Run (another tool you should really be using), launching Terminal takes nothing but a few swift key presses, I can use Windows Package Manager, and be back to what else I need to work on in seconds. Scrolling around with a mouse breaks things up too much.

So, next time you think about opening Microsoft Edge to download Google Chrome, or Firefox, or whatever, maybe think about how much better you could make your workflow by doing things this way instead. You won't regret it.

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What you need to know

• Google announced the transition of its extension support from the Manifest V2 framework to V3 for an enhanced privacy and security user experience.
• Consequently, Google Chrome will no longer support extensions like uBlock Origin running the Manifest V2 framework, leaving over 30 million users susceptible to annoying ads.
• Google has seemingly started issuing warnings about the imminent transition via its Chrome Web Store, potentially indicating it's making the change soon.

In August, Google announced its plan to end support for the Manifest V2 framework on Google Chrome and transition its extension support to the new Manifest V3 framework.

As you may know, the deprecation of the Manifest V2 framework means Google Chrome users won't be able to use the uBlock Origin ad blocker and other extensions because they don't meet the threshold. This could potentially leave over 30 million Chrome users susceptible to intrusive ads.

According to Google, the Manifest V2 framework "presents security risks by allowing unreviewed code to be executed in extensions." In contrast, Manifest V3 only allows an extension to execute JavaScript as part of its package, ultimately mitigating the risk. 

Despite the frustrations highlighted by users about the change across social media, Google is seemingly moving forward with its plan to deprecate Manifest V2. Users still running the uBlock Origin ad blocker and other extensions with the Manifest V2 framework have reportedly started receiving warnings about the change through Google's Chrome Web Store (via Bleeping Computer):

"This extension may soon no longer be supported because it doesn't follow best practices for Chrome extensions."

Google explains that the move protects users' privacy and security. As such, "Chrome and the Chrome Web Store require extensions to be up-to-date with new requirements." Consequently, Google states it'll disable extensions that don't meet the Manifest V3 framework threshold. 

According to Google spokesman Scott Westover:

"Now, over 93% of actively maintained extensions in the Chrome Web Store are running Manifest V3, and the top content filtering extensions all have Manifest V3 versions available - with options for users of AdBlock, Adblock Plus, uBlock Origin and AdGuard."

Windows Central can corroborate the reports about Google sharing a warning message highlighting its plan to cut support for uBlock Origin and other extensions running the Manifest V2 framework "because it doesn't follow best practices for Chrome extensions."

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There's Lite at the end of uBlock Origin's tunnel

Following Google's official announcement on the transition of its extension support to the Manifest V3 framework for better security and privacy and the warning messages on the Chrome Web Store, the company is likely to deprecate support for Manifest V2 via a future update. While the official date for the transition remains unknown, the change might happen in the coming months.

Google has been blatantly ramping up its campaign against ad blockers across its services, including YouTube. What does this mean for the future of uBlock Origin? Interestingly, the company has since released a new app that meets the Manifest V3 threshold, dubbed uBlock Origin Lite.

RELATED: How to extend uBlock Origin's support in Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge for one year

While uBlock Origin Lite shares core ad-blocking features to its predecessor, it falls short in key departments. For instance, the new app doesn't support dynamic filters for blocking scriptlet injection. The limitations can be attributed to high-level security and privacy clearance that ship with the Manifest V3 framework.

It'll be interesting to see how Google's decision to deprecate the Manifest V2 framework for V3 will impact Google Chrome's dominant market share compared to other browsers. The change has prompted some users to transition to other browsers that support the OG uBlock Origin, including Firefox and Brave.

What you need to know

• A federal judge recently ruled in the Epic v. Google antitrust case, deeming the latter's Google Play Store service an illegal monopoly.
• Google will be required to make several changes to its service, including opening Google Play to third-party app stores for three years with access to the entire catalog of Google Play apps to foster fair competition.
• Google is seeking an immediate stay before the permanent injunction takes effect on November 1, 2024, as it plans to appeal the verdict.

Earlier this week, the legal battle between Epic Games and Google ended after Judge James Donato issued his final ruling, deeming Google Play Store an illegal monopoly. Donato's ruling highlighted several changes that need to be made, including opening  Google Play to third-party app stores for three years with access to the full catalog of Google Play apps.

Google's limitation to Google Play Billing for apps distributed on the Google Play Store will no longer stand after the jury established the company had illegally tied the payment system to its app store. Additionally, Google won't be able to pay companies to exclusively launch apps on its Google Play Store or even to preinstall the company's app store on devices.  

The new changes will take effect from November 1, 2024, to November 1, 2027, unless blocked by an appeal. Following the ruling, Alphabet's shares fell by 2.4%, indicating investors are concerned about the judgment and its long-term implication for the company's profitability. 

Google the following statement addressing the Judge's ruling on the case:

"The Epic verdict missed the obvious: Apple and Android clearly compete. We will appeal and ask the courts to pause implementing the remedies to maintain a consistent and safe experience for users and developers as the legal process moves forward." 

Epic Games previously argued that Google's business model created an unhealthy environment for competition. Google used lucrative deals to steer developers, device makers, and carriers toward its direction, making it difficult for third-party app stores to compete on an even playing field. It's worth noting that despite the highlighted changes, Google will have significant control over safety and security as it opens up the Google Play Store to third-party app stores. 

According to Tim Sweeney, Epic Games CEO:

"The Epic Games Store and other app stores are coming to the Google Play Store in 2025 in the USA — without Google's scare screens and Google's 30% app tax — thanks to victory in Epic v Google." 

The Judge granted Google eight months to create a new system featuring a three-person technical committee jointly selected by Epic and Google to review disputes flagged about the ruling. The system is also slated to create an avenue for developers to opt out of being listed in rival Android app stores. 

However, Judge Donato's ruling wasn't a have-your-cake-and-eat-it slam dunk for Epic Games. The company initially asked the court to crack open the Google Play Store for six years, allowing users to sideload third-party apps in a single tap. It also wanted Google to stop tying Android APIs to Google Play.

The Judge addressed some of these concerns while delivering his ruling and indicated:

"The provisions are designed to level the playing field for the entry and growth of rivals, without burdening Google excessively. As competition comes into play and the network effects that Google Play unfairly enjoys are abated, Google should not be unduly constrained as a competitor."

Google has already moved to court to appeal the verdict and is actively seeking an immediate stay before the permanent injunction takes effect at the beginning of next month. "We will keep advocating for what is best for developers, device manufacturers, and the billions of Android users around the world," the company concluded.

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More Prime Day deals and anti-Prime Day deals

We at Windows Central are scouring the internet for the best Prime Day deals and anti-Prime Day deals, but there are plenty more discounts going on now. Here's where to find more savings:

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• Xbox SSD storage deals: Walmart | Target | Best Buy | Amazon | Newegg 
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What you need to know

• Microsoft wants to make Edge less bloated by decluttering its Settings page.
• The company intends to add a new quick-access panel on the landing page for Edge Settings for easy accessibility and navigation.
• Microsoft intends to compress its long list of Edge Settings options by grouping them into subsections like a table of contents in a book.

Microsoft Edge is arguably one of the best Windows 11 browsers. However, users have often placed Microsoft under fire for making the software bloated with "unnecessary" features that might not be useful in the everyday use case. 

As it happens, Microsoft might be on course to fix some of these issues. As first spotted by Leo Varela on X, Microsoft is seemingly revamping Microsoft Edge's Settings page, making it more organized.

On the Microsoft 365 roadmap website, the company registered the anticipated changes under an entry titled: Microsoft Edge: Elevating top settings and improving settings page navigability. The company further details the steps it intends to take to make Microsoft Edge more user-friendly, including the addition of a new quick-access panel on the landing page for Edge Settings. 

The panel will feature the most commonly used actions in the Settings menu for easy accessibility and navigation, allowing you to make changes and tweaks to your Settings configurations with fewer clicks. As highlighted in the entry, the changes are expected to start rolling out in October 2024 — but as is often the case, these plans may be subjected to change. 

Microsoft also plans to bring one-click shortcuts for the most common options to Microsoft Edge's Settings submenus, including System and Performance or Appearance. 

Read more: Microsoft has scrapped Edge's big UI refresh with rounded tabs

Finally, the tech giant also intends to compress its long list of Settings options by grouping them into subsections — similar to a table of contents you'd find in a book.

Browser wars continue...

Comparing Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome's Settings pages, it's apparent that the latter seems well put together and easier to navigate. Admittedly, for less tech-savvy users, it might be a tad difficult to identify the exact location of a specific setting in Google Chrome. However, it features a search bar with suggestions to meet this specific need. 

On the other hand, Microsoft Edge presents its Settings page in a cluttered manner, forcing the user to navigate through the page before identifying the specific option they are looking for. Similar to Google Chrome, Edge also features a search bar to make the process less daunting. 

To this end, these are much-welcomed changes to Microsoft Edge's user experience and might perhaps present a new avenue to lure or get users to make it their default browser in Windows 11, potentially giving Google Chrome's dominant market share a run for its money. 

Thanks for the tip, Leo Varela!

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What you need to know

• Mozilla announced its plans to extend Firefox support on unsupported operating systems until March 2025.
•  The company will offer two ESR (Extended Support Release) releases, including 115 for unsupported operating systems and 128 for Windows 10 and newer. 
• Mozilla argues "enough" Firefox users are still running unsupported operating systems, including Windows 7, prompting its decision to extend support for Firefox on old devices. 

While it's apparent Microsoft is moving forward with its plans to cut support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, users can continue running Firefox 115 on unsupported devices, including Windows 7, 8, and 8.1, and macOS 10.12 to 10.14 as Mozilla has extended its support and will continue pushing important updates until April 1, 2025. Firefox 115.21 will also continue receiving updates until March 4, 2025.

For context, Firefox 115 is the last version of the browser that will run on the highlighted unsupported operating systems. This means attempting to install Firefox 116 on these unsupported operating systems will be futile.

In case you missed it, Mozilla announced its plans to extend Firefox's support on these unsupported operating systems in July. Before Mozilla announced the extended support, the company shipped Firefox 115 without mentioning whether it would run on unsupported operating systems, leaving concerned users in limbo about updating the browser. 

Mozilla planned to cut support for Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 in September 2024, but it changed its plans. The company offers two ESR (Extended Support Release) releases, including 115 for unsupported operating systems and 128 for Windows 10 and newer. 

Cutting support for Windows 7 would have allowed Mozilla to clean up the code base and relieved it of the responsibility of maintaining newer libraries that aren't necessarily supported on pre-Windows 10 releases. Interestingly, Mozilla claims enough Firefox users are running Windows 7, prompting it to extend support for the operating system. Microsoft's Edge browser and Google Chrome already cut support for Windows 7, perhaps giving Mozilla a competitive edge with an untapped market share. 

According to Mozilla:

"Continuing to support it past October isn't going to be free (backporting security fixes is already getting increasingly painful due to the divergence which naturally happens over time as an ESR goes further into its lifecycle), but there's still enough users there that we felt it was worth doing for now at least."

To this end, it remains unclear whether Mozilla will extend Firefox's support for these unsupported operating systems beyond the highlighted dates.

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What you need to know

• Google is ending support for classic extensions in Chrome, including uBlock Origin, and transitioning to the Manifest V3 framework as part of its broader campaign against ad blockers.
• Through the Windows Registry, users can leverage the ExtensionManifestV2Availability Enterprise policy to extend Manifest V2 support in Chromium-based browsers for one year—until June 2025.
• DISCLAIMER: Tweaking the Windows Registry may brick your device. Proceed with caution!

Earlier this week, Google announced its plan to cut uBlock Origin support on its Chrome browser as part of its broader campaign against ad blockers across its products and services. Google's change in extension support from the Manifest V2 framework to V3 leaves over 30 million Chrome users susceptible to intrusive ads.

It's worth noting that the change applies to Chromium-based browsers, including Microsoft Edge, Opera, and more. It is expected to start rolling out via a new update soon. Consequently, uBlock Origin will no longer work across Chromium browsers or receive updates.

The company already released a new version of uBlock Origin that's Manifest V3 compliant — uBlock Origin Lite. While the Lite version sports most of the features in the original version, it falls short in some critical areas. For instance, it doesn't support dynamic filters for blocking scriptlet injection.

This hack will extend support for classic extensions on Chromium browsers for a whole year

As always, tweaking your Windows Registry may harm or render your device unusable. Proceed with caution. 

While the change is imminent across Chromium-based browsers, Mozilla's Firefox browser will continue supporting the Manifest V2 framework. A plausible workaround would be to transition to Firefox and continue using uBlock Origin and leveraging its capabilities.

However, you can stick to your Chromium-based browser and continue using uBlock Origin with the Manifest V2 framework. 

As highlighted by TeamDJ on Reddit in the r/chrome subreddit, users can extend the support for Manifest V2 extensions using the Windows Registry with the help of the ExtensionManifestV2Availability policy designed for enterprise users. 

Tutorial - Extend Manifest V2 - “ExtensionManifestV2Availability” Chrome Policy from r/chrome

Google intends to end support for Manifest V2 for home users immediately, though enterprise users can extend the framework's support by one year. Luckily, the same hack can be utilized by home users to extend support.

Here's what you'll need to do, as highlighted by TeamDJ on Reddit:

1. Open up the “Registry Editor” Program
2. Navigate to Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome
3. With the Chrome folder on the left highlighted, select Edit/New/DWORD (32-Bit Value) <<>>.
4. Name it ExtensionManifestV2Availability and hit enter.
5. Right click what you just created (ExtensionManifestV2Availability) and click Modify. Set the Hexadecimal value to 2, and click OK.
6. You’re done, but check your work by opening Chrome, and pasting chrome://policy in the URL Address bar and hit enter. You should see the ExtensionManifestV2Availability policy, and the value should be set to 2. If you don’t see it, click “Reload Policies” and/or review your work.

You'll also need to restart your PC to apply the change. Your system will now have the ExtensionManifestV2Availability policy for Enterprise customers enabled, allowing you to use classic extensions on your browser until June 2025.

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What you need to know

• Google is transitioning Chrome's extension support from the Manifest V2 framework to the V3.
• This means users won't be able to use uBlock Origin to block ads on Google Chrome.
• However, there's a new iteration of the app — uBlock Origin Lite, which is Manifest V3 compliant but doesn't boast the original version's comprehensive ad-blocking features.

Google's campaign against ad blockers across its services just got more aggressive. According to a report by PC World, the company has made some alterations to its extension support on Google Chrome. 

Google Chrome recently changed its extension support from the Manifest V2 framework to the new Manifest V3 framework. The browser policy changes will impact one of the most popular adblockers (arguably), uBlock Origin.

The transition to the Manifest V3 framework means extensions like uBlock Origin can't use remotely hosted code. According to Google, it "presents security risks by allowing unreviewed code to be executed in extensions." The new policy changes will only allow an extension to execute JavaScript as part of its package.

Over 30 million Google Chrome users use uBlock Origin, but the tool will be automatically disabled soon via an update. Google will let users enable the feature via the settings for a limited period before it's completely scrapped. From this point, users will be forced to switch to another browser or choose another ad blocker.

A new version of uBlock Origin

The company has released a new version of the app that’s Manifest V3 compliant — uBlock Origin Lite. It's worth noting that while the new app ships with similar features to the original version, including core ad-blocking features, it doesn't support dynamic filters for blocking scriptlet injection. The Lite version's capabilities are relatively limited due to its compliance with the Manifest V3 framework threshold.

According to uBlock Origin's developer Raymond Hill

"I consider uBO Lite to be too different from uBO to be an automatic replacement. You will have to explicitly find a replacement to uBO according to what you expect from a content blocker. uBO Lite may or may not fulfill your expectations."

uBlock Origin will continue to work as usual across other browsers, including Microsoft Edge, Opera, and more.

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What you need to know

• Reports indicate Microsoft is using the Bing Wallpaper app to get Windows 11 users to switch to Bing as the "recommended browser settings" for fast and secure search results.
• Users who accepted the changes indicated that Microsoft's Bing extension was sideloaded to Google Chrome.
• Windows Central can't independently verify these claims but has reached out for a comment from Google.

Microsoft's Bing and Edge might not dominate their respective spaces, but Windows dominates the desktop operating system market share with 72.08%. Earlier this year, Mozilla placed Microsoft under fire for using 'harmful designs' and deceptive tactics to give Edge a competitive advantage over other browsers on Windows. The tech firm's latest attempt featured a 3D banner recommending Windows 11 users to make Edge their default browser because of its built-in security features

And as it now seems, Microsoft still has one or two more tricks up its sleeves. While Windows Central can't independently verify the claims, the tech giant allegedly leverages its Bing Wallpaper app to "recommend different browser settings." The pop-up notification recommends setting Bing as the default search engine on Windows 11 for fast and secure search results.

Why is my wallpaper application recommending browser settings? from r/Windows11

I attempted to replicate the scenario on my PC but failed. However, I'll point out that the Bing Wallpaper app ships with optional offers checked by default, including Bing as my homepage and Bing as the default search engine. You might want to uncheck these boxes if this isn't your preferred setup before installing the application.

As highlighted in the Reddit post above, accepting Microsoft's "recommended settings" will automatically sideload the Bing extension into Google Chrome. If true, this might be another Microsoft campaign to get more users to ditch Google's services for Bing in Windows, even if it means adding Bing support to Google Chrome.

The user who flagged the issue is part of the Insider Beta Channel. The issue/bug may be limited to Insiders, and a fix might be coming. We've reached out to Microsoft for an official statement and will update this article with more context once it's available.

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What you need to know

• After much deliberation, Google will continue supporting third-party cookies in Chrome. 
• The company's decision to cut support for third-party cookies in Chrome was viewed as an unfair and anti-competitive business tactic by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
• Google Chrome users will now have the option to disable them based on their preferences.

Last week, Apple threw privacy jabs at Google Chrome, citing its "hunger" for tracking cookies and not-so-private incognito mode. This was a bid by the iPhone maker to keep millions of its users hooked on Safari.

For a minute, it looked like Google would end support for ad-tracking third-party cookies in Chrome. However, that option is no longer on the table following the company's recent announcement highlighting its decision to continue supporting ad-tracking third-party cookies in Google Chrome.

According to Anthony Chavez, VP of the Google-backed Privacy Sandbox initiative:

"Instead of deprecating third-party cookies, we would introduce a new experience in Chrome that lets people make an informed choice that applies across their web browsing, and they'd be able to adjust that choice at any time."

For context, cookies are small files stored on your device while browsing a website hosted by a server. Cookies store important data that Google Chrome leverages to track a user's digital footprint and browsing trends. The information is curated and present tailored ads to the user. 

Google's long journey toward a 'private' browser via its Privacy Sandbox project

In 2019, it almost seemed certain that Google was on the verge of cutting support for third-party cookies in Chrome, as part of its broader goal of making the browser more private via its Privacy Sandbox project. 

Google made a follow-up announcement, citing its intentions to end support for third-party cookies in Chrome. The move was received with mixed reactions. Advertisers blatantly indicated that the decision would cripple their ability to collect data for personalized ads, making them overreliant on Google's user database. 

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) echoed similar sentiments, citing it would foster unfair business practices that would leave competitors with the shorter end of the stick. 

"We're discussing this new path with regulators, and will engage with the industry as we roll this out," concluded Chavez. Following Google's decision to keep third-party cookie support in Chrome, users can now decide if they want the feature enabled, like in Apple's Safari.

What you need to know

• Google is preying on iPhone users and wants them to transition from Safari to Chrome as the default browser.
• Apple has highlighted two critical privacy issues via an ad riddling Google Chrome to deter users from transitioning.
• Google responded to Apple's allegations by reiterating its goal to keep the user's data safe and giving control over privacy and security while using Chrome.

Despite the EU Commission's intervention using the Digital Markets Act (DMA) to prevent unfair business practices, browser wars continue in 2024. The latest episode involves Apple and Google, with the former taking a lethal jab at Google Chrome's tracking cookies while presenting Safari as "a browser that's actually private."

As you may know, Apple was among the companies listed as gatekeepers by the EU under the DMA. The Commission designated Apple's iOS mobile operating system, Safari browser, and App Store services as gatekeeper services under the DMA. This prompted strict regulations to foster fair business practices for other competitors in the same landscape, including making the listed services interoperable.

The vast majority of iPhone owners are using Safari or Google Chrome as their default browser. According to a report by The Information, 30% of iPhone users have set Google Chrome as their default browser. However, Google wants 50% of iPhone users to run Chrome as their default browser. This would translate to an additional 300 million users transitioning to Chrome.

If Google's goal comes to fruition, Apple's Safari browser usage could be negatively impacted, potentially reducing revenue generated from the service. However, Apple isn't taking this lightly. As part of its broader plan to keep iPhone users 'glued' to Safari, Apple has highlighted two critical shortcomings its users will potentially face when using Google Chrome as their default browser:

• Chrome's hunger for tracking cookies: You've seen it all across the internet — those pop ups that ask whether you accept third-party cookies. Once you go into the privacy settings of Chrome, you'll probably be stunned by the many thousands of sites tracking your whereabouts on the internet. Even worse, they look set to be around until 2025 according to Google's Privacy Sandbox report.
• Incognito mode is not private: This is one of a few different features of Chrome where the Mountain View company has said it cares about privacy, but its actions are a little different. For example, Google promises security in its Incognito Mode, but then had to admit this privacy shield isn't really that private in a $5 billion class-action lawsuit.

Our sister site, Tom's Guide, reached out to Google regarding Apple's claims and was furnished with the following statement by a spokesman:

"Chrome is built with the goal of keeping your data safe by default and ensuring users can control when and how their data is used in Chrome to personalize their web browsing experience. We believe users should always be in control, which is why we've built easy to use privacy and security settings directly into Chrome."

Per the statement highlighted above, Google neither confirms nor denies Apple's privacy-related allegations. It only speaks of its goal of "keeping your data safe" and giving users control over their privacy and security settings.

Analysis: Market share is no child's play

Browser wars remain a hot topic in community forums. Mozilla blasted Microsoft last year for using harmful and deceptive designs to keep Edge in the driver's seat in Windows devices over third-party browsers. 

Opera recently echoed similar sentiments and the EU General Court to annul the European Commission's decision not to designate Microsoft Edge as a gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act. Microsoft Edge was initially selected as a gatekeeper service, but Microsoft argued that it didn't meet the threshold. After investigations, the EU Commission determined that it wasn't dominant in the digital markets, exempting it from regulation under the DMA.

In the same breath, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella indicated Google doesn't play fair with Bing in the search engine landscape. Nadella admitted Google's deal with Apple placed Bing at a competitive disadvantage and that he was willing to part with up to $15 billion annually to attract the deal with Apple, citing that it would be game-changing for the company. 

Despite Apple's fight with Google, the outcome will only be influenced by the user's preferences and priorities regarding privacy and security. Safari's browser usage on iOS might take a subtle hit.

What you need to know

• Apple Pay will soon be a payment option on desktop web browsers apart from Safari, including Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome.
• Starting with iOS 18, it will be possible to scan a code on a website and then make a payment through Apple Pay by using your iPhone.
• Apple says that it's easy for developers to add support for Apple Pay to a website.

At WWDC, Apple announced several major additions to iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. The tech giant also unveiled Apple Intelligence, its AI feature that's somewhat similar to Windows Recall. But one upgrade to the Apple ecosystem has gone largely unnoticed, and it could have a big effect for some Windows users. Starting with iOS 18, it will be possible to use Apple Pay to make payments on the web, even when using a browser other than Safari.

The change means that Windows users on Edge, Chrome, or any other browser should be able to make payments using Apple Pay. Our colleagues at iMore covered the news and shared how the functionality will work.

According to Apple, adding support for Apple Pay to a website is easy for developers. Once set up, sites will show the Apple Pay log and then show a popup that says "Scan Code with iPhone." People can then scan that code with their iPhone just like they'd scan any other QR code. The actual payment process is completed on the iPhone itself.

Apple and Microsoft

Apple and Microsoft aren't exactly friends. The tech giants compete in several areas and have a long history that includes notable spats. But since both Apple and Microsoft make software, services, and hardware, there's plenty of overlap between those in the Apple and Microsoft ecosystems. How smoothly Apple and Microsoft products integrate depends on several factors.

Microsoft prioritizes having Microsoft 365 and several other services available across platforms, so things like Office are fully supported on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. In some cases, Office apps are better optimized for Apple hardware than devices running Windows.

In contrast, Windows users who used Apple services for music had to use iTunes for years rather than Apple Music. Apps for Apple Music, Apple TV, and Apple Devices (an app for managing Apple hardware) only shipped to the Microsoft Store this year.

Generally speaking, Microsoft seems to work harder at bridging the Apple and Microsoft ecosystems, but Apple has made some efforts on that front as well. For example, iCloud can now integrate with the Windows 11 Photos app. You can send and receive iMessages through Microsoft Phone Link.

Unlike iMessage, which is often requested by those who do not have an iPhone, there's a good chance that someone using Apple Pay already has an iPhone. That makes the requirement to scan codes from an iPhone less of an issue. The feature seems like a natural way to ease the life of people with an iPhone and a PC who plan to make online payments.

The Steam Deck can do much more than you'd expect at first glance. It's not just a gaming handheld, it's a Linux-based computer with controllers attached. However, it might not be immediately obvious where to find certain apps and programs on Steam Deck that you're used to using on your phone or PC. For instance, knowing how to access Google Chrome isn't intuitive, at first. 

It turns out, it's very easy to set up Google Chrome on Valve's handheld, as long as you know how to do it. Without further ado, here are the step-by-step instructions for how to install and use Google Chrome on Steam Deck. 

How to install Google Chrome on Steam Deck

1. First off, you need to get to Desktop Mode. To change modes, press the Steam button.

2. Then select Power.

3. Now select Switch to Desktop.

4. Now that you're in Desktop mode, click on the Discover shopping bag icon in the bottom left of the screen.

5. Hold the Steam button + X button to bring up the onscreen keyboard. Next, tap on the search bar and type in "Chrome" and then press Enter. Then click Install next to the Google Chrome app.

6. Now close Discover by tapping on the x in the top right of the window and go back to the desktop. Then click on the Steam app icon.

7. Go to your Library.

8. In the very bottom corner of the window, click on Add a Game.

9. From here, select Add a Non-Steam Game.

10. Check the box for Google Chrome and then click Add Selected Programs.

11. Now it's time to go back to gaming handheld mode. Simply close out of the Steam app and then double-tap the Steam Deck icon (it says Return to Gaming Mode under it) on the desktop to change back.

12. Once you're back in the standard Steam Deck gaming handheld mode, press the Steam button.

13. Select Library.

14. Next, navigate to the Non-Steam tab in your Library.

14. Google Chrome should now appear in this tab. Click on Google Chrome.

16. Press Play to launch Google Chrome.

Tapping the Play button will launch Google Chrome, and then you're free to search the internet as you see fit. If at any time you want to get back to the Steam Deck main menu, simply press the Steam button. 

Google Chrome on Steam Deck FAQ

A versatile gaming handheld

Ever since I got my Steam Deck, I've used it to play dozens, if not hundreds of games. But it's not just a gaming system, it's a full Linux-based computer that can access other apps and programs just like a normal PC. The trick is knowing how to install software so you can quickly access it. 

I use my Steam Deck to watch shows, surf the web, and look up information. This is easier done, in my opinion, from Google Chrome, which is why I took the time to install the browser on my gaming handheld. Set up is very easy and shouldn't take more than a few minutes. Once it's installed, you can easily access it whenever you need to. Swapping back to the Steam interface simply requires a tap of the Steam button. 

So go on. Get out there and make more use out of your Steam Deck as a means to surf the internet, watch shows, and more. 

Google has been trying to reinvent its search engine by using AI to show complete answers to most questions, a feature the company calls "AI Overviews." However, if this experience isn't for you, there are a couple of workarounds you can use on Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge to revert to a more traditional results page experience. 

Search on Google is no longer an algorithm that surfaces relevant results based on a few keywords you type in a search box. Instead, it's a system that relies on AI to reason the search intent to provide the most relevant answer. However, even though the company says the new system offers a better experience, inaccurate results keep growing, especially in the latest "AI Overview" feature meant to show complete answers. 

Although the company does not include an option to turn AI Overviews off the search, it's still possible to hide AI results using an extension or configuring the web browser.

In this how-to guide, I will outline the steps to prevent Google from showing AI in search results on browsers like Chrome and Edge.

How to block AI Overviews on Google search

On Windows 11 (or 10), whether you use Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome, you have more than one way to prevent Google from showing AI-generated results through an extension or configuring a custom search engine in the browser.

Installing Bye, Bye Google AI extension on browser

The "Bye Bye, Google AI: Turn off Google AI Overviews, Discussions and Ads" is an extension developed by Avram Piltch from our sister site Tom's Hardware that uses CSS to hide the blocks of HTML showing the AI results and other features, such as discussions, forums, and ads. 

Microsoft Edge

To hide results from AI on Google with an extension of Microsoft Edge, use these steps:

1. Open Bye Bye, Google AI extension page.
2. Click the Get extension button.

2. Click the Add extension button.
3. Click the Extension button.
4. Click the More actions (three dots) menu for "Bye Bye, Google AI" and click on Extension options.

6. Check the "Hide AI Overviews" option.
7. (Optional) Check the different features to remove from Google results, such as "Discussions and Forums," "Sponsored Links," "People Also Ask," and more.

8. Click the Save button.

Once you complete the steps, the next time you open Microsoft Edge and start a Google search, you will no longer see AI Overviews in the results.

Google Chrome

To hide results from AI on Google with an extension on Microsoft Edge, use these steps:

1. Open Bye Bye, Google AI extension page.
2. Click the Add to Chrome button.

3. Click the Add extension button.
4. Click the Extension button.
5. Click the More actions (three dots) menu for "Bye Bye, Google AI" and click on Options.

6. Check the "Hide AI Overviews" option.
7. (Optional) Check the different features to remove from Google results, such as "Discussions and Forums," "Sponsored Links," "People Also Ask," and more.

6. Click the Save button.

After you complete the steps, the next time you open Google Chrome and start a search in Google, you will no longer see AI Overviews in the results.

Creating a custom search engine for your browser 

Alternatively, you can create a custom search engine that allows you to use Google search while hiding the AI results.

Microsoft Edge 

To create a custom search engine to hide AI results on Google from Microsoft Edge, use these steps:

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Open the "Manage search engine" page at this location: edge://settings/searchEngines
3. Click the Add button.

4. Specify the name of the custom search engine in the "Name" setting.
5. Confirm the Google domain name in the "Shortcut" setting: https://google.com 
6. Confirm the Web filter setting in the "URL" setting:  {google:baseURL}/search?udm=14&q=%s

6. Click the Add button.
7. Choose the "Make a default" option from the new custom search engine menu.

Google Chrome

To create a custom search engine to hide AI results on Google from Google Chrome, use these steps:

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Open the "Manage search engines and site search" page at this location: chrome://settings/searchEngines 
3. Click the Add button.

1. Confirm a name for the custom search engine.
2. Confirm the Google domain name in the "Shortcut" setting: https://google.com 
3. Confirm the Web filter setting in the "URL" setting:  {google:baseURL}/search?udm=14&q=%s

1. Click the Add button.
2. Choose the "Make a default" option from the new custom search engine menu.

Once you complete the steps, you can search from the address bar or new tab page using the "Web" filter, which hides AI Overviews from the results. 

It's important to note that Google also uses an AI system to classify and show blue links alongside AI Overviews.

On a personal note, I use both Bing and Google. In the past, if I used Bing, I would also use Google to confirm the answer. However, since AI took over search in Google, I find myself searching in Google and confirming with Bing. 

More resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10 and Windows 11, visit the following resources: 

• Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
• Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know

On Chrome, Google apparently forgot to include a screenshot-taking feature like Microsoft Edge, but it's still possible to capture part of the screen or the entire page using different tools. 

For example, you can use the Snipping Tool to capture areas of a page. The Developers tool gives you a more advanced tool to take screenshots from an area or the entire area of the page. And then, you can choose from countless plugins that can add capturing capabilities to the browser.

In this how-to guide, I will explain three ways you can easily take screenshots using Google Chrome on Windows 11 and 10.

How to take screenshots on Google Chrome

Although Chrome doesn't include a feature to take screenshots, you can still use the Snipping Tool on Windows 11, Chrome's Developer tools, and (my choice) the Screenshot Master Full Page Capture plugin.

Snipping Tool 

If you have a device running Windows 11, you can use the Snipping Tool to capture parts of the screen. 

To use the Snipping Tool to take screenshots on Microsoft Edge, use these steps:

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Open the page showing the content to capture.
3. Use the "Windows key + Shift + S" keyboard shortcut.
4. Click the Snip button.
5. Select the "Window" option.

6. Select the Chrome window to create the capture.

7. Click on the Snipping Tool notification to open the capture on the app.

• Quick tip: If you don't see the notification, you can access it from the "Notifications" panel using the "Windows key + N" keyboard shortcut.

Once you complete the steps, you can edit the image and save the capture as an image file.

You can also check my previous guide with all the different ways you can use the Snipping Tool app to take screenshots on Windows 11.

Chrome DevTools

If you're willing to follow some extra steps, the browser DevTools includes an odd approach to taking screenshots. This feature is meant for developers, but anyone can use it.

To screen capture with DevTools, use these steps:

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Open the page showing the content to capture.
3. Press the F12 key or right-click the page and choose the Inspect option.

4. Click the "Customize and control DevTools" (three dots) menu and choose the Run command option.

5. Type "screenshot" in the Run command.

6. Choose one of the options, for example, "Capture full size screenshot" option.

Once you complete the steps, the screenshot of the entire page will be saved on the computer as a ".png" file.

It's important to note that this feature only includes the basic functionalities for screen capturing. It doesn't include markup or other type of tools. Once you select the area or choose screenshot mode, the image will be saved automatically on the device.

Chrome Extension

Alternatively, if you need a tool that offers an easier-to-use experience and editing tools with the option to screen capture the entire page, you can choose from many plugins from the Chrome Web Store. 

On a side note, the Chrome Web Store includes many extensions. I have tried many of them, and the only one that provided me with the feature I think everyone needs to take screenshots in Chrome was the "Screenshot Master Full Page Capture."

To use an extension to take screenshots on Chrome, use these steps:

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Open the Chrome Web Store.
3. Search the screen capture plugin. For example, Screenshot Master.
4. Click the "Add to Chrome" button.

5. Click the Add extension button. 

• Quick tip: You can access the extension faster by going to the "Extensions" menu and clicking the pin button.

6. Open the page showing the content to capture.
7. Click the extension button.
8. (Option 1) Press the space bar key to capture the viewable area of the page.
9. (Option 2) Press the "F" key to capture the entirety of the page.

6. (Option 4) Select the mouse for the area to capture. 
7. (Optional) Use the available tools to mark up the image with shapes and text.
8. Click the Download button to save the image on your computer.

• Quick tip: You can open the download menu to choose the file extension, including ".jpg," ".png," or "Webp."

After you complete the steps, you will end up with a captured image file.

More resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10 and Windows 11, visit the following resources: 

• Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
• Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know

One of the absolute best features in Microsoft Edge is the Sidebar because it's just so useful. It's also a handy way for regular Copilot users to have easy access to Microsoft's AI tool without taking attention away from the browser tab currently in focus. Just pop it open, do your AI-ing, then either leave it or slide it out of the way. 

But if you don't want to use Microsoft Edge, you won't have this. But never fear, Google Chrome users with a fondness towards Copilot over, say Gemini or ChatGPT can get themselves a similar experience. 

Because I prefer Copilot over the other AI chatbots, and because I'm using Google Chrome most of the time for work, I went looking for something to replicate the Edge Sidebar. And I found it. 

The extension is simply called Copilot sidebar for Chrome and can be downloaded from the Chrome Web Store. I haven't tried it on other Chromium browsers, but at least one comment suggests it works the same, so you should be good if you're using something else such as Opera. 

It's not the full experience, but it's still been pretty good in my use so far. I think it might be a little slower, but equally, performance can also change day-to-day based on things outside of your control. 

You get access to the regular, chat-based Copilot experience, but you can also enable any of the available plugins to use, too. The only CopilotGPT besides the regular one that's available, though, is Designer, and that doesn't quite work as you'd hope. 

To see your creations, you need to go over to the website, which sort of defeats the object. But it's there if you want it and who knows, maybe a future update will fix this issue. 

As for your account linking, to do so only requires logging into Bing on the web, the extension will then use that authentication with Copilot. Simple, and doesn't require logging into directly, which some would certainly be skeptical over. 

There's not much more to it than that, though. Is it perfect? No. Is it worth using? Absolutely. For someone, such as myself, that spends a good portion of their day using a web browser, and a web browser that isn't Microsoft Edge, this extension adds convenience if you still want to use Copilot. I'm always here for convenience, especially convenience that can remove one more tab from an already overcrowded browser! Grab it for free now from the Chrome Web Store.

What you need to know

• Google Chrome will soon support localized haptic feedback through impulse triggers.
• The feature is currently in testing and expected to ship with Chrome version 126.
• Chrome already supports general haptic feedback that makes an entire controller vibrate but the new feature will allow controllers to send specific haptic feedback through impulse triggers.

Google Chrome will soon support a gaming feature that improves immersion when using the best Xbox controllers or other high-end gamepads. The Xbox Wireless Controller, the Razer Wolverine Ultimate, and other controllers with impulse triggers will be able to vibrate triggers rather than the entire controller when playing games through Chrome. The upgrade comes courtesy of an extension of the GamepadHapticActuator interface.

"This extension will allow web applications that take advantage of the Gamepad API to also vibrate the triggers of gamepad devices that come equipped with this functionality," said Google's documentation.

The Gamepad Haptics Extension already supports haptic feedback and vibration through a gamepad, but that feature is for the entire gamepad vibrating. The extension discussed on the Chrome Platform Status page, which was spotted by Windows Report, refers to trigger rumble effects, which involves localized haptic feedback specific to the triggers of a controller.

Impulse triggers provide more specific feedback, such as allowing you to feel impact within the triggers while shooting within a game. Unfortunately, many games do not take advantage of the feature and fall back to generic controller vibrations. But when using a game that supports the feature, impulse triggers with haptic feedback increase immersion.

The Xbox Wireless Controller and the Razer Wolverine Ultimate feature impulse triggers with localized feedback. The GameSir G7 SE Wired Controller does as well, though Google didn't mention that controller specifically. It seems likely that any controller with impulse triggers will work with the feature and that Google just listed two of the best-known controllers with impulse triggers.

The feature that enables trigger rumble is planned to ship with Chrome version 126. Chrome version 124 is currently in the stable channel, so we shouldn't have to wait long to enjoy haptic feedback through triggers when playing games through Chrome.

Xbox Cloud Gaming in Chrome

The most natural use case of the new feature in Chrome would be Xbox Cloud Gaming. But that would require support from both Microsoft and the Chrome browser. Since impulse trigger support hasn't rolled out to Chrome yet, it's not clear if Xbox Cloud Gaming will utilize the feature when playing supported titles through the browser.

Xbox Cloud Gaming has a library that includes hundreds of Xbox games. Those games are playable through the web, Windows PCs, Android devices, and some Samsung televisions. The number of supported devices continues to expand but the number of games available through the service is what could rise dramatically later this year. Microsoft is working on the ability to play your own digital games through Xbox Cloud Gaming.

In a conversation earlier this year, Xbox lead Phil Spencer said that Microsoft expects to launch the ability to stream your own games through Xbox Cloud Gaming this year. That would be one of the biggest boosts to Xbox Cloud Gaming we've seen in a long time.

What you need to know

• Google Chrome has a new feature that lets you preview your webcam and microphone before granting a website permission to access the devices.
• Many sites, such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom, already have this functionality, it's not available on all websites that ask for permission to access a camera or microphone.
• To enable the preview, you have to change the setting for a flag within Chrome.

Google Chrome has a new feature that brings some handy functionality seen in Microsoft Teams and Zoom to any website that asks to access a webcam or microphone. The "Camera and Mic Preview" feature, as its name suggests, allows you to preview your camera and microphone through the Chrome browser. To use the feature, you have to enable an experimental flag within Chrome.

Many sites, such as Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet, already have camera and microphone previews, but there are sites that ask to access a microphone or camera without providing previews. The new option within Chrome lets you swap between different input devices and ensure your camera is framed correctly. There's also an audio indicator to show if your microphone is working.

The change was spotted by Windows Latest. You don't need to run a Canary or Dev version of Chrome to use the Camera and Mic Preview feature. It does seem to be a requirement to have Chrome version 123. Anyone interested in previewing their camera feed within Chrome can do so now. You just need to enable the feature now by following these steps:

1. Navigate to chrome://flags#camera-mic-preview
2. Toggle the setting from "Default" to "Enabled."

Alternatively, you can go to chrome://flags and search for camera and find the feature labeled "Camera and Mic Preview."

Microsoft Edge needs to copy this

I tested the option briefly by using Microsoft Teams and a few other websites. While some sites already have camera preview functionality, it's nice to have the feature built into a browser. Every once in a while, you may end up on a site that doesn't have its own preview feature and you'll want to double check that your feed is good before you join a meeting or start streaming. Options like this are always good and generally don't interfere with similar functionality built into Teams or other sites.

I hope Microsoft Edge adds this feature soon. At the moment Edge just shows you the option to allow or block a site from using your camera. Chrome's new feature lets you see your camera, swap cameras, and check audio levels to ensure your microphone works.

It seems there are still some bugs to work on within the Chrome feature. For example, the feature shows the option to toggle between different cameras, but that feature was hit and miss during my testing. Considering Chrome requires you to enable a flag to use the new Camera and Mic Preview feature, it's understandable there are a few issues.

Considering Microsoft Edge is built on Chromium, Microsoft could add the Camera and Mic Preview feature easily. The original source of the information about the option comes from Chromium Gerrit posts.

What you need to know

• Google Chrome now has a version that's optimized for ARM-powered Windows PCs.
• The news comes ahead of the launch of the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite process, which will power several Windows 11 on ARM PCs.
• Chrome is the most popular browser among Windows users, making native ARM support key to the advancement of Windows 11 on ARM.

Google just launched a version of Chrome that's fully optimized for Windows PCs powered by ARM processors. Up to this point, Windows 11 on ARM PCs have had to either run Chrome through emulation or use an ARM-optimized browser, such as Microsoft Edge. 2024 is expected to be a big year for ARM computing, thanks in large part to Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon X Elite processor.

Google quietly started testing a version of Chrome optimized for ARM earlier this year. The Canary Channel release excited many, since Chrome natively supporting ARM could deliver a significant boost to Windows 11 on ARM. 

While Microsoft Edge is a fine browser and has had an ARM version for years, the reality is that many people will never switch away from Chrome. Over 65% of people on desktops use Google Chrome, according to Statcounter. For Windows 11 on ARM to have any chance of becoming mainstream, it needs Google and the Chrome browser on board.

"We’ve designed Chrome browser to be fast, secure and easy to use across desktops and mobile devices, and we’re always looking for ways to bring this experience to more people,” said Google Senior Vice President Hiroshi Lockheimer. “Our close collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies will help ensure that Chrome users get the best possible experience while browsing the Web on current ARM-compatible PCs."

Qualcomm shared that it's seen "a dramatic performance improvement in the Speedometer 2.0 benchmark" when testing the ARM-optimized version of Chrome on Snapdragon X Elite reference devices.

The year of Windows on ARM

Windows on ARM has been around for quite a while. It was first launched in 2017 and has improved gradually over time. Microsoft has put a lot of work into Windows on ARM but arguably the biggest improvement for the platform will come from third-party developers. No matter how good Windows 11 can run on ARM or how optimized Microsoft's apps are, the platform is dead until third-party developers embrace it.

Luckily for those who dream of a flagship Windows 11 on ARM PC, third-party developers are finally on board. Google's ARM-optimized version of Chrome is only the latest big-name app to get optimized for ARM. WhatsApp, Photoshop, 7zip, and many other apps are either already optimized for ARM or have ARM versions on the way.

In his piece explaining why you shouldn't buy the Surface Pro 10 or Surface Laptop 6 for business, our Senior Editor Zac Bowden explained why 2024 could be the year Windows on ARM comes into its own. Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon X Elite looks like it will compete with Apple silicon in terms of power and efficiency. Microsoft will fully embrace that chip with the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 (non-business). Third-party developers getting on board could be the final ingredient Windows on ARM needs after stewing for seven years.

What you need to know

• Microsoft finds itself at the heart of more controversy with Windows users reporting ads popping up inside Google Chrome for Bing and Copilot AI. 
• Some were concerned it was actually malware, but Microsoft has since confirmed it is deliberate and intended behavior. 
• This isn't the first time Microsoft has hit the headlines for interfering with Google Chrome, with a recent issue concerning Edge hijacking Chrome data. 
• Please, just stop it, Microsoft.  

Oh, Microsoft, what are you up to this time? Windows users have been taking to the web in places such as Reddit to report sketchy looking ads for Bing search and AI inside their Google Chrome browser. The first concern for many is that it was actually malware. 

Alas, it is not. 

As Microsoft has confirmed in a statement to The Verge, this behavior is deliberate and is working as intended. The statement provided by Caitlin Roulston, Microsoft Director of Communications, suggests that the company is doing this under the false guise of offering its customers a choice. We can dismiss it, after all! 

Obviously Microsoft wants us to use Bing, and especially wants us to use Copilot. That much is understandable, but this type of behavior reeks of the old Microsoft. Frankly, it's an abuse of its position as the maker of Windows. Do you think Microsoft would allow Google to toss up a similar pop-up to someone using the Edge browser? 

The only good part of all this is that it's only supposed to appear once. So you either click on it and have Bing automatically set as your default search engine in Chrome, or dismiss it and never see it again. Or until Microsoft decides it didn't get enough clicks from it and tries again. 

Microsoft should not be interfering with another company's application, period 

Obviously, given the name over the door on this here website, we have a predisposition towards Microsoft products. I use Bing every day as my personal search engine, and I use Copilot. I enjoy both. But I made that choice of my own free will. 

In no rational world is stuffing a sketchy looking ad pop-up atop another company's application giving users "choice." It's invasive, for one, and Microsoft should absolutely not be touching Google Chrome at all. We already had the recent controversy where Microsoft Edge was hijacking Google Chrome data, and this is far from the first time Windows users have been served up irritating ads to use Bing.

I'm more tired of the browser/search engine wars than I am of the seemingly never-ending console wars. At least in the case of the latter, it's mostly the customers who stoke the flames. Google is far from a shining beacon of reason, I firmly believe the world has failed itself by allowing it to become the arbiter of the Internet. But as with Edge, this is not the way to get people to switch. 

We know how good Edge is as a browser, likewise Bing as a search engine, but we're immersed in the Microsoft ecosystem every single day. What I don't see is Microsoft trumpeting why people should switch. Instead, we just get crap like this trying to catch people off guard and essentially trick them into adding to Microsoft's user count. Show the people why your stuff is better than Google's or leave them the hell alone. 

What you need to know

• New research commissioned by Mozilla reveals the Microsoft uses harmful designs and deceptive tactics to push its Edge browser to Windows users.
• The report details that the tech giant uses misleading UIs and ads, and more to prevent users from using other browsers aside from Microsoft Edge as default on Windows.
• Mozilla points out that this places other browsers like Google Chrome and Firefox at a disadvantage, and calls on regulators to look into the matter.

Even in 2024, browser wars continue to be a thing. Users have varied interests and wants regarding the browser they use on their devices. Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are arguably the most popular browsers among users, but is it by choice or design?

The folks at Mozilla have openly indicated that it's the latter, further throwing blame at Microsoft. The company pointed out that users don't have free will to use any browser as their default on Windows devices. 

Mozilla tasked Harry Brignull and Cennydd Bowles, alongside researchers and experts, to investigate the matter. As it turns out, Microsoft might be playing a foul game by preventing freedom of choice when selecting default browsers on Windows (via TechRadar). 

In the report "Over the Edge: The Use of Design Tactics to Undermine Browser Choice," the researchers point out how Microsoft has placed its Edge browser on a pedestal across its operating system, leaving its competitors at a disadvantage. 

The report also outlines the deceptive ploys the tech giant leverages to affirm its position in the race for browser dominance, including misleading UIs and ads, alarming notifications that are worded and presented as system warnings, and more.

Microsoft, Google, and Apple were some companies listed as gatekeepers by the EU Commission last year. Microsoft made the list because of its Windows OS and LinkedIn, and Google for its Chrome browser and search engine. The Commission gave the gatekeepers six months to comply with the DMA; failure would attract hefty fines and penalties. One of the requirements under the DMA tasks the companies listed to make their services interoperable.

Interestingly, Microsoft's Bing was initially listed as a gatekeeper service, but the company argued that the search engine hadn't hit the threshold to fall under this category. The Commission investigated the matter and recently concluded that Bing and Edge aren't dominant enough in digital markets, exempting them from DMA regulation. 

Mozilla hoped that the DMA regulation on Microsoft Edge would give Firefox some breathing space and the opportunity to compete on an even playing field. But as it happens, that ship has seemingly sailed off with its competitive advantage. Microsoft's CEO, Satya Nadella, shares the same sentiments regarding search, adding that Google doesn't play fair with Bing. 

It's the same script for Microsoft, just a different play

This isn't the first time we've learned about Microsoft pushing its browser and search engine down users' throats. Late last year, some users trying to download Google Chrome while using Microsoft Edge were slapped with a survey asking them to detail why they wanted to try another browser.

How can we forget when Microsoft deliberately placed ads on Google Chrome's download page, perhaps to prevent users from transitioning? The fact that Windows 11 and 10 come with Microsoft Edge preinstalled doesn't improve the situation.

Mozilla further makes its case in the in-depth report and pleads with regulators to look into the matter to promote healthy competition.

On Windows 11 (or 10), if you use Chrome, you probably still haven't noticed the "Side Panel," which gives you access to various features. 

The Side Panel is accessible from any website and serves as a handy tool that provides quick access to several features, some of which you're probably not using, including Reading List, Bookmarks, History, Reading mode, Customize Chrome, and Search. 

In this how-to guide, I will walk you through the features available through the Side Panel on Google Chrome.

How to access and use the Chrome Side Panel

To access the Side Panel, use these steps.

1. Open Chrome.
2. Open any website.
3. Click the Side Panel button from the top-right corner.
4. Select the feature to use in the browser.

5. (Optional) Click and drag the left side to make the Side Panel bigger.

Once you complete the steps, you will have access to the available functionalities.

Reading list

"Reading list" is a feature that allows you to bookmark pages temporarily. The feature is helpful when you find the content you want to read later and don't want to save in the bookmarks, since you won't return to that page once read.

To use Reading list on Chrome, use these steps:

1. Open Side Panel.
2. Choose the Reading list option from the drop-down menu.
3. Open a web page with content.
4. Click the "Add current tab" button.

1. Repeat steps 3 and 4 to add more pages.

Once you complete the steps, you can always open the panel, and as you go through each page, you can click the "Mark as read" button on the link or the "Mark current tab as read" button at the bottom of the panel. Or click the "Delete" (X) button to remove the link from the panel.

Bookmarks

"Bookmarks" is the same feature that has been around for a long time, but the experience from the "Side Panel" is new. The most significant difference is that the new interface manages your favorite links and tracks products with the Google pricing tracking feature. 

To use Bookmarks from the Side panel, use these steps:

1. Open Side Panel.
2. Choose the Bookmarks option from the drop-down menu.
3. Open a web page with content.
4. Click the "Add current tab" button.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 to add more pages. 

1. Quick tip: Of course, you can always save pages through the "Star" button in the Omnibar.

6. (Optional) Open the sort menu from the top-right and choose from one of the available options, including newest, oldest, last opened, and alphabetical.

1. (Optional) Click the "Visual view" button to change the layout.

• Quick note: Although you can change the view, consider that the default layout shows bigger thumbnails, making it easier to identify the page.

You can also use the search box at the top to quickly look for any bookmark. If you want to organize your saved links further, you can right-click a link to access the available options. Also, the "Edit" button in the top-right allows you to select multiple bookmarks that you can then delete, move, or open in a different tab or window with the options available at the bottom of the page.

The interface even includes an option to create new folders, making this experience much better than the legacy "Bookmarks Manager."

If you want to see the products you're tracking with Google, click the "Tracked bookmarks" button at the top of the page.

History

The "History" feature shows the pages you have visited in the past. However, they are sorted by search terms, meaning you will only find the history of pages you visited using a Google search. If you want to view all your activities, you will have to open the legacy history feature.

To use History, use these steps:

1. Open Side Panel.
2. Choose the History option from the drop-down menu.
3. Review your page history in Google search.

Each group is labeled using the search term, and you can use the context menu on the right to take different actions, including opening all pages in a tab group, hiding the items, or removing them from history. 

Reading mode

The "Reading mode" feature converts the page into a clean document without clutter, but without closing the original page on the left.

To use Reading mode, use these steps:

1. Open Side Panel.
2. Open the page you want to use with this mode.
3. Choose the Reading mode option from the drop-down menu.

• Quick tip: Click and drag the side of the panel to improve the reading experience.

Optionally, you can customize the font size and family, background, line height, and spacing between the words and letters to improve the reading experience.

Customize Chrome

The "Customize Chrome" feature is usually available from the new tab page, not a web page. The feature allows you to customize various browser aspects, including themes, shortcuts, and cards.

Change colors

To customize the appearance of Chrome, use these steps:

1. Open Side Panel.
2. Open a new tab page.
3. Choose the Customize Chrome option from the drop-down menu. Or click the button from the bottom-right corner of the new tab page.
4. Choose the color mode of the browser, including "Light," "Dark," or the "Device" option will match the operating system mode.
5. Select one of the available color schemes. 

• Quick tip: The "Custom color" option allows you to create your very own color scheme for Chrome.

1. (Optional) Turn on the "Follow device colors" toggle switch to allow Chrome to match the operating system color scheme.

After you complete the steps, the new color will apply to the browser.

Change themes

On Chrome, themes allow you to use background images and colors to change the look and feel.

The browser comes with various themes, and you can download more from the Chrome Web Store, but starting with version 121, you can now use AI to create custom themes for Google's browser.

To change themes, use these steps:

1. Open Side Panel.
2. Open a new tab page.
3. Choose the Customize Chrome option from the drop-down menu.

4. Click the Change theme button.
5. Choose one of the available themes.

• Quick tip: You can also upload your own image and choose a custom color for the theme.

6. (Optional) Click the "Create with AI" option. 

• Quick note: This feature is currently only available for users in the United States.

7. Select the topic of the theme to create with the "Subject" setting.
8. Choose one of the 16 styles (Animated, Dream, Fantasy, etc).
9. Choose one of the 12 moods (Dark, Serene, Snowy, etc).
10. Select the primary color for the theme.
11. Click the Create button.
12. Select the theme created with AI to apply it.

Once you complete the steps, the new theme with the custom background for the new tab page will apply to the browser.

Manage shortcuts 

In the new tab page, Chrome can show shortcuts to specific websites you created manually, or set it to show the most visited sites.

To manage Chrome shortcuts, use these steps:

1. Open Side Panel.
2. Open a new tab page.
3. Choose the Customize Chrome option from the drop-down menu.
4. Turn on the "Shortcuts" toggle switch. (If you don't like this feature, you can turn it off.)

5. Choose the "My shortcuts" option to display only your shortcuts, or the "Most visited sites" to show the most frequent pages.

• Quick tip: If you use the shortcuts option in the new tab page, use the "Add shortcut" option to create the items you want to see on this page.

After you complete the steps, the shortcuts will appear on the new tab page of Chrome.

Manage cards

In the new tab page, the browser can also show cards to help you resume previous searches and continue shopping, and you can either turn this feature on or off. 

To turn cards on or off, use these steps:

1. Open Side Panel.
2. Open a new tab page.
3. Choose the Customize Chrome option from the drop-down menu.
4. Turn the "Cards" toggle switch on or off to manage the feature.

Once you complete the steps, the cards will appear on the new tab page, according to your configuration.

Search 

The "Search" feature allows you to research the website or the content in the tab. Although you can access the feature from the Side Panel, Chrome also has a dedicated option in the toolbar next to Omnibar.

To get started with the Search feature on Chrome, use these steps:

1. Open Side Panel.
2. Open a web page with content.
3. Choose the Search option from the drop-down menu.

• Quick tip: You can also click the Search (Google) button in the toolbar. If the option is grayed out, it's because you're viewing a page with content.

In the experience, you can learn to click the "More about this page" to access the available details. Or you can use the search box to perform other related searches without leaving the tab. (This feature works more like a split screen feature.)

More resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10 and Windows 11, visit the following resources: 

• Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
• Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know

Google Chrome offers a plethora of settings and features that can significantly enhance your browsing experience. However, among the vast number of options, certain settings stand out as must change for anyone using Windows 11, 10, Linux, or macOS.

For example, by default, the browser can allow advertisers to collect specific information to target you with ads. However, you can always turn off these "Ad Privacy" settings to improve your online experience. 

Chrome has always been known to consume a lot of system memory when loading a bunch of tabs. However, the "Memory Saver" option allows the browser to sleep and free up memory for inactive tabs. 

Also, it's possible to customize the startup behavior to always open a new tab, pick up where you left off, or specify a page or sets of web pages that should load automatically.

In this how-to guide, I will outline several settings you should consider changing on Google Chrome, regardless of the operating system.

Settings you must change on Chrome

If you use Chrome on Windows 11 or any other desktop platform, you should consider changing the ad privacy, performance, and startup settings.

Configure ad privacy 

To change the ad privacy settings on Chrome, use these steps:

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Click the "Customize and control Google Chrome" (three dots) button.
3. Select the Settings option.
4. Click on Privacy and security.
5. Click the Ad Privacy page on the right side.

6. Click the Ad topics setting.

7. Turn off the "Ad topics" toggle switch to prevent advertisements based on your recent browsing history.

8. Click the "Site-suggested ads" setting from the "Ad Privacy" page.
9. Turn off the  "Site-suggested ads" toggle switch to stop websites from determining your likes and show-related ads.

10. Click the "Ad measurement" setting from the "Ad Privacy" page.
11. Turn off the "Ad measurement" toggle switch to block advertisers from checking the performance of ads that are shown to you.

Once you complete the steps, you will continue to see advertisements as you browse the web, but they won't feel as targeted.

Customize performance settings

To change the Chrome settings to improve the system performance and speed up the browsing experience, use these steps:

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Click the "Customize and control Google Chrome" (three dots) button.
3. Select the Settings option.
4. Click on Performance.
5. Turn on the "Memory saver" toggle switch to allow the browser to sleep inactive tabs to minimize memory usage.

6. (Optional) Click the Add button in the "Always keep these sites active" setting to prevent specific web pages from becoming inactive. 
7. Turn on the "Preload pages" toggle switch.
8. (Optional) Choose the "Expended preloading" option to allow Chrome to predict and download more pages you're likely to visit while browsing the web for a faster loading experience. Quick note: This option will increase internet usage.

After you complete the steps, the new settings apply in the browser, and you should notice improvements on the computer and while browsing the web.

Choose startup settings

To determine how the browser starts up, use these steps:

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Click the "Customize and control Google Chrome" (three dots) button.
3. Select the Settings option.
4. Click On startup.
5. Choose one of the options: 

• Open the New Tab page.
• Continue where you left off.
• Open a specific page or set of pages.

Once you complete the steps, Chrome will launch in your selected configuration. 

(Bonus) Enable experimental AI features

Similar to Microsoft Edge, Google is now integrating AI features into Chrome, but these features are still a work in progress, and you must turn them on manually. 

To enable the Chrome AI features, use these steps:

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Click the "Customize and control Google Chrome" (three dots) button.
3. Select the Settings option.
4. Click on Experimental AI.
5. Turn on the "Try out experimental AI features" toggle switch. 
6. (Optional) Turn on or off the available AI features.

7. Click the Relaunch button.

After you complete the steps, you can start using the AI features on your browser. 

Currently, the experimental option is available for users in the United States, and since Google is doing a controlled rollout, the features available will vary from user to user.

In the first wave of the AI features, Google is testing a new option to organize tabs using groups automatically. It's now possible to create themes with AI, and there's a new option that allows you to generate text with AI.

Also, the AI features are rolling out starting with version 121. You can always check for updates on Settings > About Chrome.

More resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10 and Windows 11, visit the following resources: 

• Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
• Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know