Google has released an updated version of the Google Chrome browser for Android, bringing a host of updates, fixes and a few new features. The build is version 46.0.2490.76 for those keeping score at home and it should be hitting the Google Play Store and your device in the next few days. While the bulk of this update is fixes and other improvements, there is an improved image loading by allowing Chrome to negotiate with the web server to provide the best image over HTTP based on the bandwidth available and the device type. Sounds geeky right? It is and it is certainly something that developers would have to include on their sites but the key is that Google is positioning Chrome to be able to handle this without any user intervention once it is enabled.
Google Chrome for Android – Free – Download Now
The list of fixes, changes and updates in this version of Google Chrome is pretty extensive. Here are the release notes from the Chromium Blog on the release:
Google Chrome for Android
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As part of Chrome’s ongoing efforts to ship features from the ES2015 specification, Chrome now supports the spread operator and new.target.
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To prevent user annoyance and conserve power, Chrome will now defer playback of autoplay videos in background tabs until the first time the tab is foregrounded.
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Developers can now disable Chrome’s default scroll restoration behavior on history navigation when it interferes with the app’s user experience.
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Sites can specify origins that Chrome should preconnect to in order to improve performance.
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Sites launched from the home screen can now modify the default color of Chrome’s UI by specifying a theme color in their web manifest instead of a meta tag.
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Sites that have been added to the homescreen can now set a background color to show while resources load.
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Developers can now specify a URI for Chrome to report HTTP Public Key Pinning violations to, making man-in-the-middle attacks easier to find.
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Events generated by user action can be differentiated from events generated by script using Event.isTrusted(), allowing developers to protect against fake clicks.
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Developers can now use CSS.escape(), eliminating the need for complicated string escape code while handling user generated identifiers.
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Modal dialogs are now blocked by default in sandboxed iframes, preventing embedded content from abusing APIs like alert.
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Sites can now set an iframe attribute that allows sandboxed content to launch unrestricted windows.
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As part of our continuing policy to remove powerful APIs on insecure origins, the Cache API is now restricted to HTTPS.
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Cache.addAll() is now supported, removing the need for polyfills enabling bulk interactions with the cache.
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The Fetch API now supports Request.redirect, allowing more control over redirects.
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DOMExceptions can now be constructed from scripts, making polyfills easier to build for specs that require exceptions.
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Timer-based polling is no longer necessary to use WebRTC DataChannels, making them more efficient and convenient.
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DevTools now has better tool tips and custom network profiles.
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Resource Timing extensions to the Performance interface are now available without prefixes.
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The CSS intrinsic sizing values, which allow boxes to fit their contents, are no longer prefixed.
