Chrome 79's Hidden Features: Try Them Before They Vanish

Chrome 79 is here, bringing fresh updates. But it also marks the final chance to experience several hidden features before they disappear in Chrome 80. Based on reports from Android Police, features present in Chrome 79 are absent in Chrome 80 beta.

Reader Mode: A Feature That Never Took Off

Google is discontinuing its Reader Mode despite months of testing. In Chrome 79, you can still enable it via chrome://flags/ by enabling #reader-mode-heuristics and #enable-reader-mode-in-cct. However, Chrome 80 will remove this functionality.

Benefit: Declutter web pages for distraction-free reading.
Alternatives: Consider using browser extensions like Mercury Reader or Pocket for similar functionality.

Reader Mode

Say Goodbye to Hiding Suggested Articles

If you prefer clean new tab pages, there's bad news. The option to hide suggested articles by disabling the #enable-ntp-remote-suggestions flag is going away.

Workaround: Manually hide articles by clicking the three-dots icon and selecting "hide."
Tip: Use a custom new tab page extension for greater control over content.

Chrome 80 beta removes two mobile navigation features:

Overscroll: Swipe left or right within a tab to navigate back and forward.
Horizontal Tab Switcher: Changes the tab layout from vertical to horizontal.

Horizontal Tabs

To try these out in Chrome 79, enable #overscroll-history-navigation for overscrolling and #enable-horizontal-tab-switcher for the horizontal tab switcher in Chrome flags.

FTP Support's Gradual Exit

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) support is being phased out due to declining usage. Chrome 80 marks the beginning of this removal.

Chrome 80: You can temporarily re-enable it using the #enable-ftp flag.
Chrome 82: FTP support will be completely removed.
Alternatives: Consider using more secure file transfer methods such as SFTP, SCP, or cloud storage services like Google Drive or Dropbox.

To experience Chrome without these features, download the Chrome 80 beta here.