Most Mac users will agree: Safari is a fantastic browser with great performance and tremendous speed. But a new Chrome feature has me using Google’s browser more and more and might just convince me to go all-in.
It doesn’t have a fancy name and I didn’t even know it existed until a Google blog post this week called it out. But it’s more valuable than Tab Groups, pinned tabs, and any extension I’ve ever downloaded. In a nutshell, it lets you compare search results in side-by-side windows without needing to open up multiple tabs or click back and forward.
To try it out, make sure you have version 107.0.5304.87 by going to Chrome > About Google Chrome > About Chrome. If not, install it and restart your browser.
Here’s how it works: Search for something normally using the address bar and click on the result you want to see. Once it loads, click the “G” logo in the address bar. This will open the search results in the side panel. Then you can click on another result in the current tab or a new one to easily compare the two.
I can’t count how many times I’ve searched for something, clicked on a result, and not found exactly what I was looking for. In Safari, I need to go back and try a new one, then go back again to get the original one; or open a new tab and re-enter the search term. Sometimes I want to go back to that original result later and can’t find it. With this new feature, the search results stay at my fingertips in a snap.
It’s a bit like the iPad’s Slide Over feature. The results page in the sidebar is essentially a mini tab, so you can click through to a new result or search for something entirely new.
Granted, this isn’t a feature that most people would use every day, but it’s a fantastic addition to my workflow. I’m a Safari devotee, but I’ve found myself using Chrome more this week after learning about the feature. It’s immensely helpful when researching for an article and has saved countless keystrokes and time chasing down results.
It would be a great feature in Safari. Similar to how Apple lets iPad users open two separate Safari windows in Split Screen, Apple could add a small sidebar to Safari just like Chrome has. Otherwise, I’m going to be using Chrome a lot more.
Author: Michael Simon, Executive Editor
Michael Simon has been covering Apple since the iPod was the iWalk. His obsession with technology goes back to his first PC—the IBM Thinkpad with the lift-up keyboard for swapping out the drive. He's still waiting for that to come back in style tbh.