Chrome's best hidden feature: Quickly perform powerful actions directly from the address bar
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Google introduced a feature a while back called Chrome Actions that lets you quickly accomplish tasks like creating a Google doc, managing downloads, sharing a tab, translating a page, and clearing your Google account password, all directly from your browser’s address bar.
All you have to do to use the feature is type in a recognized command and then click on the Action chip that appears under the search bar. Google will often predict what you might want to do, saving you typing in the full request. And today the feature just got even more useful.
Google has added some additional Chrome Actions you can use now. These new actions are:
- Manage settings
- Customize Chrome
- View your Chrome history
- Manage accessibility settings
- Share this tab
- Play Chrome Dino game
At the moment the feature is only available for Chrome on the desktop, but it’s coming to mobile 'soon' (we don't have an exact time frame yet), as well as to other languages.
There are a lot of commands available to try. Some of them weren't recognized for us, but that may be different for you. Share your experience below.
This is the current list of available actions.
| Action | Trigger word examples | Task |
| Productivity | ||
| Create doc | "Create Google doc" "Open Workspace document" "Make G Suite doc" | Create and open a new Google doc. |
| Create event | "Create Google cal invite" "New Google calendar invite" "Schedule Google invite" | Create and open a new Google Calendar event. |
| Create form | "Start Google survey" "New Workspace form" "Make new G Suite form" | Create and open a new Google Form. |
| Create note | "New Google note" "Create G suite note" "Start Workspace note" | Create and open a new note in Google Keep. |
| Create presentation | "Create Workspace deck" "New Google presentation" "Start Google preso" | Create and open a new Google Slides presentation. |
| Create sheet | "Start Google Chrome sheet" "Create workspace spreadsheet" "New G Suite spreadsheet" | Create and open a new Google Sheet. |
| Create site | "Create Google site" "Make Workspace website" "Start G Suite site" | Create and open a new Google Site. |
| Manage downloads | "View chrome downloads" "Change browser downloads" "Control chrome browser downloads" | View, access, and delete your downloads. |
| See Chrome tips | "New Google Chrome features" "Learn Google Chrome features" "Chrome features" | Open page with tips and shortcuts for better browsing. |
| Share this tab | "Share this page" "Share link" "Cast this page" | Choose how or where you'd like to share a page. |
| Translate page | "Change language page" "Translate this page" "Translate web page" | Display "Translate page" popover. |
| Update Chrome | "Update browser" "Upgrade google chrome" "Chrome updates" | Open the "About Chrome" page from "Settings." |
| Privacy | ||
| Change Google password | "Change gmail password" "Reset Gmail password" "Change my gmail password" | Confirm and change your password. |
| Clear browsing data | "Delete history" "Clear cache" "Wipe cookies" "Delete Chrome cookies" | Open the "Clear browsing data" page from "Settings." |
| Close all Incognito windows | "Close incognito mode" "End incognito window" "Clear incognito" | Close all open Incognito windows. |
| Manage cookies | "Block all cookies" "Manage cookies" "Allow all cookies" | Open the "Cookies and other site data" page from "Settings." |
| Manage Google Account privacy settings | "Google privacy" "Edit my privacy on google" "Change google privacy settings" | Review and adjust your privacy settings. |
| Manage passwords | "Edit passwords" "Change password" "Update credentials" "Passwords" | Open the "Passwords" page from "Settings." |
| Manage payment methods | "Edit credit card" "Update card info" "Manage payment methods" | Open the "Payment methods" page from "Settings." |
| Manage security settings | "Browse safely" "Manage security keys" "Change certificates" | Open the "Security" page from "Settings." |
| Open incognito window | "Incognito" "Launch private tab" "Open private window" | Open a new Incognito window. |
| Run Chrome safety check | "Security check" "Run safety check" "Use password checkup" "Run security checkup" | Open the "Safety check" page from "Settings." |
| View your Chrome history | "Find chrome history" "See URL history" "Visit google chrome history" | Check and delete your browsing history. |
| Personalization | ||
| Customize Chrome | "Change chrome colors" "Manage chrome themes" "Customize chrome backgrounds" | Customize your Chrome homepage and "New Tab" page. |
| Customize fonts | "Edit browser fonts" "Control browser font" "Control my Chrome fonts" | View and modify your font settings. |
| Find your phone | "Find my phone" "Where is my phone" "Help me find my phone" | Go to your "Find your device" page. |
| Manage accessibility settings | "Customize accessibility settings" "Edit low vision settings" "View caption settings" "Control assistive technology" | View and modify your accessibility settings. |
| Manage addresses | "Edit addresses" "Add address" "Change shipping address" | Open the "Addresses and more" page in "Settings." |
| Manage Google Account | "Manage my Google account" "Fix Google account" "Control my Google account" | Open myaccount.google.com. |
| Manage search engines | "Control custom search engines" "Edit tab to search" "Modify site search engines" "Control custom search" | Edit your custom search engine preferences. |
| Manage settings | "Modify chrome settings" "Change browser settings" "Revise settings" | Review and modify your Chrome settings. |
| Manage site settings | "Control site settings" "Adjust site permissions" "Change permissions" | Open the "Site Settings" page from "Settings." |
| Manage sync | "Edit sync" "Change Chrome sync" "Manage sync" | Open the “Advanced” page in "Settings." |
| Pleasure | ||
| Play Chrome Dino game | "Chrome dino" "Play chrome dinosaur" "Play chrome dino" | Play a game |
Photo Credit: Stas Ponomarencko/Shutterstock