Chrome mobile is finally adding ephemeral mode for apps. It's been on desktops for ages
A nice addition has been spotted in Canary
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Key notes
- Google Chrome for mobile is introducing ephemeral mode.
- A flag in Chrome Canary for Android allows custom tabs to open in ephemeral mode.
- Chrome on Android is also simplifying the process of installing any website as a progressive web app (PWA).
Google Chrome has been revamping a lot of experiences for mobile users. Besides testing opening PDFs without downloading and tab group syncing on mobile, Chrome on mobile will soon get ephemeral mode, something that’s already been around in the desktop version for so long.
A flag to enable this feature has been spotted by folks in Chrome Canary for Android, the experimental channel of the browser. This mode is sort of like the incognito mode. It lets you browse using a profile that’s only temporarily saved on the device, so you can browse the web without saving the data to the cloud.
But here’s the catch: this flag enables apps to open custom tabs in this mode. As shared by @Leopeva64 on X (formerly known as Twitter), the flag’s description reads, “Allow CCT embedders to open CCTs in ephemeral mode. Enabling it would allow apps to open ephemeral mode for Chrome Custom Tabs, on Android.”
And it’s not the only mobile-focused improvement that Google Chrome has been working.
Reports are also saying that Chrome on Android is making it easier for you to install any web as an app, just like on the desktop version. PWAs, or progressive web apps, are making their way to mobile: there were spotted flags to enable it, even if these websites don’t meet the minimum standard for a PWA.
