When Google Chrome added Tab Groups to the desktop app back in May, we said it was its "best feature in years" at the time. We are sticking to that as it renders tab management much easier, which, in turn, can save your system from getting bogged down with endless RAM-devouring Chrome tabs.
Now Google is bringing similar functionality to Android with a new grid layout for the browser that is easier to parse than the old vertical card system and allows you to quickly create and manage tab groups on your phone (via 9to5Google).
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Tab Groups on Android: How to use the feature
Even if you have no interest in using Tab Groups, this update might be an upgrade. While the old card system looked pretty, it wasn't always ideal when it came to finding one of your previous tabs. The new grid layout makes this dead simple with a label and preview for up to six tabs or Tab Groups on screen at a time.
Drag any tab to the left and it will turn transparent. Releasing it will close it out. Long press on any tab and then drag it on top of another tab to create a Tab Group. If you already have a lot of tabs open and want to create a new group, you can also tap on the overflow menu in the upper-right corner and select Group tabs. From there, just tap every tab you want in the group then hit the "Group" button in the upper-right corner.
When viewing one of the pages in the Tab Group, you will see a listing of the favicons for each of the tabs in the group at the bottom of the page and you can tap to switch to each one or hit the plus button at the bottom-right corner to add a new tab to the group.
Overall, I think this is a great update for Chrome on Android. I'd love the ability to name a Tab Group, but for a first effort, this works well and will hopefully keep me better organized when browsing on mobile. With that said, if you hate the new update, here's how to turn off tab groups on Chrome for Android.
