Google Chrome on Wednesday (May 29) introduced a new feature on Android in the form of minimized custom tabs that turn web pages into floating windows. The feature was reportedly first spotted on smartphones with Google Chrome 122 for Android in March of this year, allowing select users to use custom tabs in the browser. The minimized custom tabs feature is now widely rolled out for devices running the latest version of Google Chrome.
Minimized custom tabs in Google Chrome
In a blog post, Google announced that Chrome’s Minimized Custom Tab feature allows users to switch between native apps and web content. As seen in the screenshot below, the feature appears as a drop-down button on the top banner next to the website name. At the touch of a button, the tab turns into a floating picture-in-picture (PiP) window.
Google Chrome’s new minimized custom tabs feature
So how does this feature help? Google says, “This seamless integration enables multitasking on all surfaces, enhancing the in-app web browsing experience.”
To return the tab to its original size, users can simply tap on the floating window, which will maximize it. Developers using Chrome custom tabs will automatically experience this change starting with Google Chrome for Android version 124, the company says.
We were able to access the minimized custom tabs feature in Chrome for Android after updating the app to the latest version. While Android apps have in the past used the PiP feature to play videos via overlays on other apps, Google has now leveraged it to make in-app browsing available.
AI features on Chrome
In addition to minimized custom tabs, Google is also reportedly testing a handful of artificial intelligence (AI) features on Chrome. The report suggests that it could bring a version of the Circle to Search feature, which launched with the Samsung Galaxy S24 series in January, to the browser.
In a series of posts on Xu, user @Leopeva64 revealed that the company is testing a new Google Lens UI element. There will reportedly be a dedicated Google Lens button on the Chrome toolbar.
