The end of this month has spelled another critical update for the Chrome browser. This time, Chrome 107 has brought plans to introduce a privacy icon in Chromebooks that would indicate whether the device’s camera or mic is in use, a better way to log into Chrome, and the deploration of a particular content decryption module.
One of the prominent reasons Google Chrome stands today as an ever-popular and successful internet browser is its consistent update schedule. A significant update drops for the web surfer after every four weeks or so, guaranteeing better stability, more features, and bug fixes than its previous release.
Now that we’ve welcomed Chrome 107 to the forefront of the wide networking world let’s see what newness has the latest stable release brought for Google Chrome.
- In case you missed it: Chrome 106 now available; here is what’s new.
Best new features in Chrome 107
The following is our cherry-picked collection of the best features making landfall with the new Chrome 107 update. Be sure to read until the end for the best results.
Continued development in Chrome’s User-Agent Reduction
If you rewind the clock to the time of the release of Chrome 100, which marked one complete century of Chrome updates, you’ll find Google planning to implement User-Agent strings. This API will make our browsing experiences more privacy-focused by minimizing the data shared with other websites.
Chrome 107, 7 major updates later, continues to grow in this regard and now sports zero interaction with unrestricted User-Agent strings. On the official Chrome Platform Status page, you can discover that this functionality is currently in Phase 5 and is “Shipped” in Chromium 107. Chrome will soon follow.
Status of the User-Agent Reduction feature
New privacy icon for ChromeOS
Privacy dashboard in mobile phones
Chrome 107 will also bring a tasty treat for Chromebook users, and this one relates to mobile phones more than it does to desktop operating systems at the moment. If you’ve got an Android or iOS phone, you’ll notice how there’s a relatively recent “privacy icon” indicating the concurrent use of your device’s camera or microphone.
The same is said to arrive in ChromeOS, but not at present. This is a scheduled feature that has popped up in the release notes of Chrome 107, so it sure is worth looking into. It’s supposedly set to interact with the Status Tray of your Chromebook as well, making sure a subtle notification is dropped in that area to make the feature better viewable.
It will be a thoughtful new addition to Chromebooks, to say the least, as we often find ourselves using the Chromebook camera quite often for video conferences in applications like Google Meet. With that said, don’t expect the functionality to come flying your way anytime soon. It’s currently a work in progress.
Widevine CDM laid off
The Chrome browser is no stranger to the best entertainment apps in the business, with the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video being at the top of this list. However, when you’re streaming a video in the browser using the web-based version of apps such as Netflix, a Content Decryption Module (CDM) service is used by Chrome.
This CDM is known as Widevine in Chrome, but in Chrome 107, the browser is shipping with another type of CDM that’s supposedly better and on par with the DRM requirements of various content media websites. Come December 6, 2022, Widevine CDM will be laid off permanently, allowing the new CDM to come under use.
Improved video calling interface
Video calls have become an effective mode of communication in the modern networking world. It’s no surprise when developers work hard and fast to make video conferencing more manageable, smoother, and better, and that’s exactly what Google is formulating these days with Chrome 107.
The official blog page detailing everything new in Chrome 107 sheds light on new properties in Screen Capture API. A feature that would tab-sharing more seamless is on its way to Chrome.
In this case, the user in question would be able to share their screens during the conference with just a single click rather than going through a complicated user interface. It’s undoubtedly something productive to implement in Chrome, so here’s hoping the end product turns out just as intended.
Support for hardware decoding for HEVC
Video codecs are all the rage in modern-day internet browsers, making it possible for users to compress and decompress videos on the fly and tailor the experience to the needs of the browser. Chrome already features support for multiple video codecs. Hence, it can run YouTube and other platforms videos.
It even features Google’s very own digital codec called AV1. Still, in the wake of Chrome 107, hardware decoding for another top-tier codec seems to be making its way to Google Chrome—HEVC, an acronym for High-Efficiency Video Coding. Technically referred to as H.265, HEVC can offer better performance for videos in Chrome.
The functionality will start to roll out in the coming days across all the software on which Chrome is available, including Android, iOS, Windows, and ChromeOS. The difference at the start will be marginal, but improvements will follow down the road, making the default Chrome experience better, faster, and smoother.
New log-in method fundamentals
You might be aware that Google can often ask you to confirm your log-in from a trusted device whenever you try to sign into a new computer or smartphone. Although not much is out in the open about this particular facet yet, users can start to expect easier ways to log into their Google account onward from Chrome 107.
Usually, one out of two different options will be presented to the user in terms of logging in. Either they can use the passcode option that would pop up on their other device, or the plain old password-inputting method will do the trick.
How to update Google Chrome
All the new features making headway in the latest Chrome release are useless when your browser isn’t updated. First off, Chrome takes the liberty of downloading updates automatically, but when it comes down to applying them, you will need to restart the browser. A prompt will appear on your end, thereby making it possible for Chrome to incorporate the update.
However, it’s easy to miss that prompt when you’re not paying attention. In that case, learn how to check Google Chrome’s version and update it for a step-by-step visual guide. If you never skip updating your Chrome browser to the latest version, you’re more likely to always experience Chrome at its best.
Google Chrome downloading the latest updates
Conclusion
From auto-refreshing in Google Chrome to importing and exporting passwords, the browser in question is nothing but capable, and Google makes sure that Chrome’s capability increases piece by piece now and then. As a result, chrome 107 has brought a chunk of new additions to the world’s most popular browser, just like we expected.
To highlight some of the most glaring new functionalities brought forward by the latest update, Chrome will now feel more privacy-oriented as the developers continue the growth of the incorporation of User-Agent strings. In addition, a novel foundation is being laid for Chrome’s log-in methodology that would seemingly switch up the way we sign in.
Do let us know in the comments section ahead whether you have different thoughts on any of the new Chrome 107 features.
- Related read: Top 3 features of ChromeOS 105 that you should know.
