What’s new in Google Chrome 111

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The next version of Chrome prepares some serious PIP improvements

Even though the competition is getting better (and sometimes faster), Google Chrome remains the most used browser on the web for now. The company has worked hard to achieve this and continues to churn out new versions every month or so. This is no different for Chrome 111, which just hit its beta stage before going live on March 1, 2023. Here’s everything new and coming in Chrome 111.

ANDROIDPOLICE VIDEO OF THE DAY Chrome 111 could bring major improvements to picture-in-picture mode

Picture-in-Picture mode has always been pretty rudimentary ever since it was added to Chrome, whether you’re using it on desktop or mobile. Google wants to change that. The company has introduced a new experimental Document PiP API that will allow developers to execute arbitrary HTML elements picture-in-picture.

This could lead to much richer experiences, with developers no longer limited to only showing videos in the mode. Google provides a few examples of what we can see with this feature, like a scrollable playlist from your music streaming service, custom media controls, or a tomato timer.

The feature is entering trial testing in Chrome 111 and is scheduled to ship after Chrome 115. Google has more details for developers.

Chrome 111 offers smoother page transitions for web apps

Google is continuing its quest to make web apps as native as possible. With Chrome 111, the company is rolling out a new View Transitions API that it first began testing in Chrome 104. It will make it easier for developers to add smooth transitions between individual web app pages. While it’s already possible to add animated and smooth transitions using CSS, the API should make the process easier for developers.

Chrome 111 will show you how many files you are downloading simultaneously on desktops

Google Chrome has been working on a new way to show downloads on desktops. Rather than displaying individual downloads as tabs in a bottom bar, the redesigned download manager is located in the upper right corner of the browser interface, next to the address bar. As already noted in the Canary and Developer versions of Chrome 111, this so-called download bubble will show how many downloads are active at any given time.

The feature is currently still hidden behind the chrome://flags#download-bubble and chrome://flags#download-bubble-v2 flags, which you have to manually turn on to see the counter.

Chrome 111 will automatically revoke permissions from unused websites

Websites sometimes ask for additional permissions. Some need access to your microphone and camera to enable video chats and others want to send you notifications. It’s rare that people go back and clean up which permissions are in effect for which websites, so Chrome will help you with that. Starting with Chrome 111, the browser will automatically revoke permissions for websites that haven’t been used or visited in the past two months.

Google will make the process transparent in the Security Checkup section in your browser settings, specifying which permissions have been revoked by which websites. This is part of a larger effort to make security auditing more proactive, with the Chrome feature also revoking other functionality from unused web apps.

Install or upgrade to Chrome 111

If you want to try the new Chrome beta, download it from the Chrome website for your desktop computer. On Android, it is available on the Play Store, living separately from the stable version. You can also get Chrome 111 Beta from APK Mirror.

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