Google Testing Support for Native OS X Notifications in Chrome

[MacRumors]

Google's Chrome browser has long supported push notifications, but it's always used its own notification center instead of relying on the OS X Notification Center that was built into Apple's operating system in 2012.

That may change in the near future, as Google is experimenting with the built-in OS X Notification Center. Available to all Chrome users as an experimental feature, OS X notifications can be turned on in the current version of the Chrome browser by inserting "chrome://flags/#enable-native-notifications" in the address bar and choosing the "enable" option.

It should be noted that a more current version of the feature is available through Chrome Canary, as the implementation on the release browser is 6-12 weeks behind the current state of development.

Native OS X notifications are more visually attractive than standard Chrome notifications and they're also listed in the Notification Center window, something that wasn't possible with Chrome notifications. OS X notifications coming from Chrome will also obey Do Not Disturb settings.

As The Next Web points out, the Notification Center feature is still in active development so users who choose to turn it on could run into some bugs. Google developers say work on OS X Notification Center integration is being actively pursued, but it is not "100% clear either way" whether support will become official as "certain roadblocks" could potentially prevent that from happening.

Article Link: Google Testing Support for Native OS X Notifications in Chrome

 

[pgharavi]

Awesome.

 

[chrismail627]

I hope they continue to work on this and implement it. Native OS X notifications would be a huge plus.

 

[bladerunner2000]

They need to fix the Hangouts icon display when using darkmode (it vanishes)

 

[larrylaffer]

They need to fix the Hangouts icon display when using darkmode (it vanishes)

At this point I think they're not fixing that just because they think it's funny. That bug was filed in Chrome almost 2 years ago.

 

[Mrjoedot]

I see more RAM being used

 

[TMRJIJ]

New Update, More RAM being taken. I feel like the 8 GB in my MacBook Pro is actually 2 GB when Google Chrome is being used.

 

[bladerunner2000]

**wrong thread**

 

[coolfactor]

Native notifications would be good. I have to sign out of websites just to avoid Chrome displaying notifications, even when I'm not actively using a website. I use Do Not Disturb mode for OS X notifications all day, every day.

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

Just more ram too be used.

 

[blasto2236]

Between the RAM issues mentioned above, the battery life issues when using a MacBook, and how bulky the browser is from a storage standpoint, I don't understand why anyone prefers Chrome on a Mac.

I keep Firefox around as an alternative just in case some website acts wonky in Safari, but Safari is feature rich enough at this point that I just don't understand people who make the necessary trade offs to use Chrome.

 

[sudo1996]

Between the RAM issues mentioned above, the battery life issues when using a MacBook, and how bulky the browser is from a storage standpoint, I don't understand why anyone prefers Chrome on a Mac.

I keep Firefox around as an alternative just in case some website acts wonky in Safari, but Safari is feature rich enough at this point that I just don't understand people who make the necessary trade offs to use Chrome.

Same here. I only have Firefox and Chrome as backup. Chrome on a laptop is especially bad because it uses WAY more energy than Safari, especially when comparing energy usage while idle. No idea why anyone uses it unless they also use Windows and want their stuff synced... and there's no way all these Chrome users I see in college (during lectures when I see people using Facebook :/) are using both OSs.

 

[kirky29]

Same here. I only have Firefox and Chrome as backup. Chrome on a laptop is especially bad because it uses WAY more energy than Safari, especially when comparing energy usage while idle. No idea why anyone uses it unless they also use Windows and want their stuff synced... and there's no way all these Chrome users I see in college (during lectures when I see people using Facebook :/) are using both OSs.

Chrome for me has some really great extensions that just aren't on Safari. Also Chrome lets you open multiple user versions of itself, I have my personal one and one of my business. So I can have both open at the same time without having to log out/re login to ebay, paypal and my emails etc.

 

[RightMACatU]

More RAM? I just see more Google

 

[6836838]

I may consider chrome when it stops using high performance graphics. It's a good battery killer.

 

[jonnysods]

Bring on the gmail notifications!!