As Android users, we have plenty of options forweb browsers. The browser ecosystem is alive and well, with options likeChrome, Firefox, and Edge leading the way. Even some of the less popular options, like Brave, Kiwi, and Vivaldi, offer legitimate alternatives. The competition for users breeds innovation, and Chrome is no stranger to testing and listening to user feedback. Just last week, Chrome began testing new memory-saving improvements and newAI-powered features for personalized themes. In its latest update, Chrome developers have introduced a new feature to Chrome Canary for Android that promises to give users more permission options.
Twitter user and browser expert@Leopeva64 highlightedthat Google has added a “one-time permissions” flag to Chrome Canary for Android. This feature rolled out to Chrome desktop users withversion 116. Browser permission prompts can vary, but typically, they all follow a similar blueprint. When a website wants access to permissions like geolocation, camera, or microphone, the browser will ask if you want to allow it. Before Chrome 116, there were three options: Allow, Block, and Exit (temporarily blocked permissions). The new permissions UX gives four options: Allow this time, Allow on every visit, Don’t Allow, and Exit. Chrome has added a flag for enabling the new UX permissions options to Chrome Canary for Android, but the feature is not yet available.
For those unfamiliar with Chrome Canary, it is a version of Chrome used to test out new features. It is a separate version from the stable version you probably use daily, but it is a great tool for Chrome fans to see what new features Chrome developers might be testing out. So, the one-time permissions flag added to Chrome Canary for Android means that Google is testing the feature; it does not confirm its addition to the stable version.
As introduced in the Chrome 116 release, the new permissions UX design offers more clarity and increased user control. Although it is only one more option, the ability to temporarily allow permissions grants much more flexibility. Chrome’s previous permission prompts allowed users to either grant persistent access, block persistent access, or block access temporarily. It lacked the ability to temporarily allow certain permissions. To change permissions, the user needed to go into the specific site settings on their browser. Adding “Allow this time” allows users to temporarily allow permissions if they are not ready to grant persistent access to a website fully.
Google Chrome is constantly changing and testing new features, so we have you covered on all thelatest Chrome updates. Browsing the web on our phones has become a daily thing, and now, having control over our permissions is a big deal when picking a browser. The one-time permissions flag is enabled but has yet to be fully activated on Chrome Canary for Android. As this feature has been adopted in Chrome for desktop, it may be something you will soon see on your Android.
