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Google Chrome Browser, Google Drive Coming to iOS [Now Available]

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MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Google announced today that it is releasing a version of its Google Chrome for the iPhone and iPad. The company says it will go live on the App Store later today. Macquarie analyst Ben Schacter predicted last month that Google Chrome was coming to iOS.

While Chrome for iOS will include a number of key features, including incognito mode and tab syncing across devices, the browser will still use Apple's WebKit-based engine required by the App Store developer guidelines. It also will lack the Nitro JavaScript engine that Apple uses to speed Safari's performance. But, there is one main obstacle to Chrome on iOS, as noted by The Next Web:
The biggest hurdle that Chrome features, of course, is that it cannot be set to be the default browser on iOS devices, a capability that Apple also reserves for Safari. So, while you can use the browser to your heart's content, it will not be the default handler for any URLs clicked. That's a huge hurdle to overcome.
Click to expand...
Google Drive -- the DropBox competitor released earlier this year -- also gained an iOS client. [App Store]

Update: Chrome for iOS is now live on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Google Chrome Browser, Google Drive Coming to iOS [Now Available]
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2012/06/28/google-chrome-browser-google-drive-coming-to-ios/
Kurwenal

Kurwenal

macrumors 6502a
Jun 27, 2012
895
336
MacRumors said:
While Chrome for iOS will include a number of key features, including incognito mode and tab syncing across devices
Click to expand...

I wonder if it syncs bookmarks and passwords.

ETA:

Google chrome for iOS features all of the tab syncing and credential syncing features of Chrome for Android, allowing you to carry over your settings and browsing from any device to the iPhone and iPad.
Click to expand...

Awesome.
 
K

Kyrra

macrumors member
Jan 15, 2009
50
0
Kurwenal said:
I wonder if it syncs bookmarks and passwords.

ETA:
Click to expand...

It does. It will sync bookmarks, passwords, and open tabs from all other chrome browsers you're logged into.

Source: I'm watching the live stream.
 
blackhand1001

blackhand1001

macrumors 68030
Jan 6, 2009
2,599
33
vtstarck said:
More iOS users will have Chrome than Android users.
Click to expand...

This is essentially gonna be safari with a chrome tab interface. The engine is pretty much identical to safari. Its not like the android version that blows the lid off in speed of every other mobile browser.
 
E

enklined

macrumors 6502
Sep 13, 2007
328
0
Earth
Annnnnnd now the wait begins for a jailbreak dev to make a tweak to allow Chrome to be the default browser (pretty please?).

Looking forward to trying Chrome out, though. And, of course, Google Drive.
 
Mazda 3s

Mazda 3s

macrumors 6502a
Oct 29, 2006
521
507
So, while you can use the browser to your heart’s content, it will not be the default handler for any URLs clicked. That’s a huge hurdle to overcome.
Click to expand...

Jailbreaking will fix that pretty quickly :)
 
T

TvdW

macrumors newbie
Feb 3, 2011
9
0
iOS Chrome requires iOS 4.3, while Android Chrome requires Android 4.0. Ironically that means that 99% of the iOS users can use Chrome, while only 10% of the Android users can.
 
Roessnakhan

Roessnakhan

macrumors 68040
Sep 16, 2007
3,518
510
ABQ
This is great, I really wanted tab syncing, but didn't want to start using Safari once Mountain Lion rolls around.
 
bartszyszka

bartszyszka

macrumors member
Dec 7, 2004
65
85
New York, NY
Open in Chrome

They could ask developers of popular apps to have an "Open in Chrome" option like they do for "Open in Safari" and use the same code any app loads to open another app (chrome:// URL?). I could see RSS and Twitter apps implement this since they often have options for loading a URL into other services.

Also Google could have an Instapaper-esque API that instead of saving something to a reading list lets people save to their list of open tabs.
 
Kurwenal

Kurwenal

macrumors 6502a
Jun 27, 2012
895
336
Kyrra said:
It does. It will sync bookmarks, passwords, and open tabs from all other chrome browsers you're logged into.

Source: I'm watching the live stream.
Click to expand...

Thank you. Can't wait to switch now.....Ironically, among other features, Chrome handles displaying websites on high-resolution screens better than does Safari and I prefer one browser across all of my devices.

The default browser thing is annoying but I can deal with it.
 
SandboxGeneral

SandboxGeneral

Moderator emeritus
Sep 8, 2010
26,482
10,051
Detroit
Kurwenal said:
Thank you. Can't wait to switch now.....Ironically, among other features, Chrome handles displaying websites on high-resolution screens better than does Safari and I prefer one browser across all of my devices.

The default browser thing is annoying but I can deal with it.
Click to expand...

This is precisely how I feel too. :)
 
Snypod

Snypod

macrumors newbie
Jan 18, 2010
22
0
Hopefully now that we have Sparrow and Chrome in the App Store, enough people will complain to Apple and convince them to give users the ability to set default apps.
 
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