Google’s Chrome browser was just updated to version 111 on Tuesday, March 7. An iteration that improves the protection of personal data, improves the new downloads interface and facilitates the work of developers.
One month to the day after its previous update, Google Chrome 111 has just been deployed on Tuesday, March 7. Like last time, the most widely used web browser in the world does not revolutionize its recipe, but this new version nevertheless brings welcome improvements and simplifies the use of certain features.
Chrome 111 notably improves its new interface for managing downloads, introduces a new rule for permissions granted to websites, makes the use of Picture-in-Picture mode more versatile and makes web application animations more fluid.
A counter of current downloads
As with any update, it’s the graphical changes that stand out the most. So let’s start with this improvement, however minor. Although it is not yet activated by default, Google continues to refine its new download interface tested since the release of Chrome 99 a year ago.
Instead of a large horizontal bar at the bottom of the screen, downloads in progress and completed are now displayed in a small bubble window that is displayed by clicking on a new dedicated icon, placed to the right of the bar of address. Like this one, this interface shows the name of the file, its extension, its size and the remaining download time. All in a window that takes up less space.
This new version of Chrome retains this design, but adds a badge indicating the number of downloads in progress on the icon of the address bar. This new interface can be activated via two experimental Flags options (accessible via chrome://flags/#download-bubble And chrome://flags#download-bubble-v2).
Permissions automatically revoked from unused sites
More than improvements, Chrome 111 also adds a useful feature to better protect access to your personal data: automatically revoke permissions granted to sites you no longer visit.
If many web pages ask for your permission to play a video with sound, access your microphone, your location or simply send you notifications, it is not common to return later to your browser settings to change them. a posteriori.
Chrome 111 will therefore automatically remove the permissions given to sites that you have not visited in the last two months. This process will be indicated in the section “Security controle» from the menu «Privacy and Security» browser settings.
Picture-in-Picture content other than videos
As is often the case with Google’s browser updates, some of the new features are aimed primarily at developers. This is the case with the changes made to Chrome’s Picture-in-Picture mode, generally allowing a video to be played in a floating window detached from the web page on which it is displayed.
The new version of Chrome now offers a new API to help developers launch any element of a webpage in Picture-in-Picture mode, even if it’s not a video. In an image of the dedicated Chrome Developers page, we see a countdown timer separate from the page it’s supposed to be displayed on. This feature already existed before Chrome 111, but this new API simplifies its implementation.
Smoother web apps
Another simplification of an already existing option: smoother transitions in web applications. Once again, Chrome 111 adds an API dedicated to web developers. As a video from the Google development team shows, changing pages in a web app displayed in the browser can be done as a fade.
An option already tested since Chrome 104, but which, again, will be easy to set up for developers on Chrome. A change that also underlines Google’s desire to make its web applications ever more accessible and pleasant to use.
A few more small changes
As always, the Chrome Browser update also features other minor improvements, listed in full on the dedicated Chrome Developers page.
This version 111 is available on both Windows and Mac. It is installed via automatic updates or by manually checking the software version via the “About Chromiumfrom the Google browser.
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