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3 ways Google Chrome and Wallet just made shopping a whole lot easer

Google / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET ZDNET's takeaways Google adds new features to give you more ways to pay online. See reward details for 100+ cards to find your best option. More "buy now, pay later" options, including Affirm and more. The next time you check out online with Chrome or Google Wallet, you might notice things look a little different. Google has announced several upgrades, each one designed to give you more flexibility and convenience when you shop online. 1. Support for m

7 features I want Chrome to steal from its rivals, and why

Ryan Haines / Android Authority I’ve been on the Chrome bandwagon for years now and it remains my go-to browser even today. But let’s just say, I haven’t been entirely faithful to Chrome. Over the years, I’ve dabbled in a wide variety of browsers ranging from Edge to modern AI-infused alternatives to see what I might be missing out on. And while I keep coming back to Chrome, it’s clear to me that Google has been playing it safe. I haven’t been entirely faithful to Chrome, and that’s exactly wh

Game over: Chrome OS pulls the plug on Steam gaming

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR Steam on Chrome OS support began as a beta test in early 2022. After graduating to a beta later that year, progress slowed down. Now users are being informed that the beta is slated to end as 2026 gets started. Choosing a Chromebook over a standard PC laptop can make sense for a lot of good reasons, from wanting to take advantage of the platform’s track record of security, to just hoping to save some money on affordable hardware. But one pro we rarel

Steam for Chromebooks is reportedly being discontinued

The dream of Chromebooks that double as gaming laptops appears to be on its last legs. 9to5Google reports that Google is ending support for Steam for Chromebooks starting January 1, 2026. Porting the application launcher was part of an extended push from the company to make Chromebooks a place to play games. Companies like ASUS and Acer announced and released gaming Chromebooks, but the idea never seemed to catch on. Google's plan to retire Steam for Chromebooks was discovered when 9to5Google t

Google and Valve will kill “Steam for Chromebooks” experiment in January 2026

Bad news if you're one of the handful of people using Steam to play games on a Chromebook: Google and Valve are preparing to end support for the still-in-beta ChromeOS version of Steam on January 1, 2026, according to 9to5Google. Steam can still be installed on Chromebooks, but it now comes with a notice announcing the end of support. “The Steam for Chromebook Beta program will conclude on January 1st, 2026," reads the notification. "After this date, games installed as part of the Beta will no

5 Chromecast TV features you're not taking advantage of (including this smart home trick)

Elyse Betters Picaro/ZDNET Since 2014, Google's Chromecast has been an affordable means for helping viewers turn their older model TVs into smart TVs, allowing them to stream content from their phones, tablets, and computers to a bigger screen. Also: Don't cancel Netflix yet: I used these secret codes to unlock the full catalog of shows Alas, the era of the Chromecast has come to an end. Google is replacing it with the Google TV Streamer, promising a faster processor, Thread and Matter integr

Best VPN for Chrome 2025: Keep Your Browsing Traffic Private

Based on our years of testing and using VPNs across operating systems and browsers, these are the top factors you should consider when choosing a VPN for Chrome: Chrome compatibility If you’re looking for a VPN for Chrome, your primary consideration will be whether the VPN offers a Chrome extension. Most of the top VPN providers offer plugins for Chrome and other browsers, but some do not. Check that the VPN you’re considering offers a Chrome extension before purchasing. Alternatively, you can

“Red meat allergy” from tick bites is spreading both in US and globally

Hours after savoring that perfectly grilled steak on a beautiful summer evening, your body turns traitor, declaring war on the very meal you just enjoyed. You begin to feel excruciating itchiness, pain, or even swelling that can escalate to the point of requiring emergency care. The culprit isn’t food poisoning—it’s the fallout from a tick bite you may have gotten months earlier and didn’t even notice. This delayed allergic reaction is called alpha-gal syndrome. While it’s commonly called the

11 Best Chromebooks of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

The price for Chromebooks can range wildly, from $150 up to $800, and therefore the specs can vary. Processor: For the best experience, you should avoid older Chromebooks with Intel Celeron processors. The Chromebook Plus specifications offer a good baseline to guarantee speedy performance, and I’d recommend going with at least an Intel Core i3, Core i5, or AMD Ryzen 3 7000 processor. Just watch out for overspending on configurations with Intel Core i7 processors unless you need the extra horse

How to move your Google Chrome's address bar on an Android phone (and why you should)

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET Nearly a month ago, Google announced a small but highly anticipated addition to Chrome on Android -- the ability to relocate the browser's address bar to the bottom of the screen. "Depending on the size of your hand and your device," Google explained, "one address bar position may feel more comfortable than the other." This update gives you the flexibility to choose your preferred location. Also: You can ask Gemini AI anything directly in Google Chrome - here's how

Google will soon fix a security loophole in Chrome’s password autofill

Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority TL;DR Google Chrome on Android will let you require biometric authentication before autofilling passwords, adding a much-needed layer of security. This feature closes a loophole, as the existing biometric protection for autofill in Google Password Manager currently only applies to apps, not the browser. A newly discovered setting explicitly states this protection is “coming soon to Chrome,” finally preventing password autofill without user verification. Man

Asus Chromebook CX14 Review: What You Get for $429

You could certainly make the argument that cheap Chromebooks keep the world running. That's at least true in schools. But for all their importance, not as many new affordable Chromebooks come out each year as you might think. Asus is changing that in 2025 with the Chromebook CX14, a surprisingly pleasant 14-inch laptop that costs just $429 in its higher-end configuration. As far as cheap Chromebooks go, this is among the best. Blending In Photograph: Luke Larsen The CX14 might not look like

How to sync passkeys in Chrome across your Android, iPhone, Mac, or PC (and why you should)

Lance Whitney / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET Passkeys promise to replace passwords as a more secure and convenient login method. But they still have a way to go before fulfilling that promise. That's because passkeys are often way too difficult to set up on one device, let alone all the devices you use. The industry itself offers no standard or consistent method to save and store passkeys, so each company has cobbled together its own process, which may or may not work. Also: Passkeys won't be

Google Chrome is testing iOS-like page transitions on Android, and you can try it out now

Rita El Khoury / Android Authority TL;DR Google Chrome is testing a predictive back feature that previews the previous page, preventing users from accidentally navigating away. Leveraging Android’s built-in functionality, the preview shows the prior page in your history, but a gray screen if it’s returning home. The feature is currently in A/B testing in Chrome’s stable version, but users can enable it manually via feature flags. Accidentally exiting an app can be frustrating, especially whe

5 browsers you should use instead of Chrome

Rita El Khoury / Android Authority Google Chrome dominates the browser market, holding an almost 70% market share globally, according to StatCounter. This widespread adoption is often attributed to its pre-installation on nearly every Android phone, leading to an effortless default for many users. Being a Google product also lends it a certain level of perceived trust – for better or worse. However, Chrome isn’t without its critics or its flaws. I’m not the biggest fan of the browser, as I thi

5 reasons why Firefox is still my favorite browser - and deserves more respect

Finally, there's something to be said for supporting the underdog. In the Windows desktop browser arena, Chrome is still the top dog by far (though some of the upcoming AI-based browsers may start nipping at its heels). Edge is in second place. That puts Firefox in third. But I think the browser should be defined by much more than its third-place status. Unlike Google and Microsoft, which are major corporate giants, the Mozilla Foundation is a nonprofit organization with a strong bent toward o

Sign in with Google in Chrome

Sign in with Google in Chrome July 28, 2025 By Jeff Johnson of Underpass App Company Many websites such as Yelp show an annoying “Sign in with Google” banner when you visit. This is what Google calls the One Tap user experience. Fortunately, my web browser extension StopTheMadness Pro hides “Sign in with Google” banners. What you may not realize if you use Safari or Firefox is that the banners are never displayed in Google Chrome! You can see this in macOS Safari by spoofing the Chrome User

Google Chrome adds AI-powered store summaries to help US shoppers

Google on Monday announced an update to its Chrome web browser that will introduce AI-generated store reviews to U.S. shoppers with the aim of helping to determine the best places to make a purchase. The feature, which will be available by clicking an icon just to the left of the web address in the browser, will display a pop-up that informs consumers about the store’s reputation for things like product quality, shopping, pricing, customer service, and returns. The feature, which is currently a

Here are the laptops I’d tell any parent to consider for their back-to-school student

is a reviewer covering laptops and the occasional gadget. He spent over 15 years in the photography industry before joining The Verge as a deals writer in 2021. We’re in the heart of summer fun, but it’s already time for back-to-school planning, especially if that involves buying a new laptop. The dizzying number of different laptops and configurations can feel overwhelming, especially if you want something that doesn’t cost too much but will still last a long time. My general guidelines are t

How to sync passkeys in Chrome across your PC, Mac, iPhone, or Android

Lance Whitney / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET Passkeys promise to replace passwords as a more secure and convenient login method. But they still have a way to go before fulfilling that promise. That's because passkeys are often way too difficult to set up on one device, let alone all the devices you use. The industry itself offers no standard or consistent method to save and store passkeys, so each company has cobbled together its own process, which may or may not work. Also: Passkeys won't be

Syncing desktops and better AI wallpapers are coming to ChromeOS

Google has released a new version of ChromeOS that allows you to sync desktops between devices, ideal for anyone who works across more than one Chromebook. It also significantly improves the AI wallpapers available on Chromebook Plus laptops with a completely freeform prompting field. Desk sync is designed to help you pick up where you left off when changing devices. It will sync your windows, tabs, and cookies so you can change devices without losing where you were. Google suggests it’ll be pa

I switched to a $280 Chromebook from my Windows laptop for a week - and didn't regret it

Lenovo Chromebook Duet Gen 9 ZDNET's key takeaways The Lenovo Chromebook Duet Gen 9 is available now for $279 at Best Buy. It's a versatile and highly-portable device that's as useful at home as in the office. Some of the most buzzworthy features are tied to subscriptions, and the keyboard and trackpad are very small. $279 at Best Buy $379 at Lenovo more buying choices The ninth-generation Lenovo Chromebook Duet is an 11-inch 2-in-1 laptop/tablet that combines a nice display, a versatile form

This might be the only Google Chrome alternative that could rip me away from Firefox

Andy Walker / Android Authority Choosing a web browser is a deeply personal decision, as I’ve learned from reading spicy comments on various forums over the years. I’ve been loyal to Firefox for a long time, but Mozilla’s recent missteps and the browser’s growing flaws have started to bitter my experience. So, I explored the Play Store for sweeter alternatives and stumbled across a potential candidate: Banana Browser. What Chromium-based browser do you use? 60 votes I use Google Chrome. 43 % I

Google TV Streamer vs Chromecast with Google TV: Should you upgrade?

The Chromecast with Google TV was a major evolution for Google’s media streamer. While it retained much of the design language of the original Chromecast series, the new device had remote support and the full power of the Android TV-based Google TV platform. Years later, Google is ditching the Chromecast brand altogether with the new Google TV Streamer. Is it worth upgrading, or is the Chromecast still worth sticking with or finding one on sale before it’s retired in the Google graveyard? Let’s

Finally! Chrome is getting vertical tabs - why I'm a huge fan, and where you can try them now

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET Chrome is catching up to other browsers with vertical tabs. This feature has been requested for years and is already available in several popular browsers, such as Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Brave, and Vivaldi. And given that Edge, Brave, and Vivaldi are also based on Chromium, this should have been a no-brainer for Google all along. No more third-party extensions Well, according to Windows Report, the Chromium Gerrit (a code review system for Chromium projects) now

Google Chrome for iOS now lets you switch between personal and work accounts

Google The BYOD trend has been a popular way for people to use their own devices at work. But the practice often blurs the line between personal and professional, triggering security risks and other issues. Now, Google has expanded a feature designed to ease and improve the process. On Monday, Google announced that Chrome users on iOS will now be able to switch between their work and personal accounts directly in the browser. This capability has already been available for Chrome desktop and An

Google adds separate work and personal accounts to Chrome on iOS

Google has introduced new features for Chrome on iOS that help users bifurcate work and personal data by using separate Google accounts. As more employers implement bring your own device (BYOD) policies, employees increasingly access company resources from browsers on their personal devices. Devices connected to a managed Google Workspace are able to leverage these additions. Chrome now supports easy account switching and data separation on iOS, similar to its approach on Android and Chrome for

Chrome will let you switch between personal and work accounts on iOS

is a news editor with over a decade’s experience in journalism. He previously worked at Android Police and Tech Advisor. Google is introducing the option to easily switch between personal and work profiles in its Chrome browser on iOS, with data kept separate between the two. The new option is part of Google’s enterprise software package, and doesn’t allow non-enterprise users to switch freely between two Google accounts in the browser. Companies that adopt Chrome Enterprise can let employees

This $269 Chromebook couldn't be more portable - here's why it's my pick for students

ZDNET's key takeaways The Lenovo Chromebook Duet Gen 9 is available now for $399. It's a versatile and highly-portable device that's as useful at home as in the office. Some of the most buzzworthy features are tied to subscriptions, and the keyboard and trackpad are very small. $399 at Best Buy $379 at Lenovo $325 at Amazon more buying choices The ninth-generation Lenovo Chromebook Duet is an 11-inch 2-in-1 laptop/tablet that combines a nice display, a versatile form factor, and accessible ha

You can finally move Chrome's address bar on Android - here's how

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET Nearly a month ago, Google announced a small but highly anticipated addition to Chrome on Android -- the ability to relocate the browser's address bar to the bottom of the screen. "Depending on the size of your hand and your device," Google explained, "one address bar position may feel more comfortable than the other." This update gives you the flexibility to choose your preferred location. Also: You can ask Gemini AI anything directly in Google Chrome - here's how