Changes coming to Chrome after Chrome 69 controversies
Google revealed in a blog post on the company's official blog that it plans to incorporate changes into Chrome 70 that address user concerns that arose after the release of Chrome 69.
Chrome 69 featured an interface design refresh, something that is very rare when it comes to Google Chrome. While that caused some users to voice their dislike, it was not the major concern that users had with Chrome 69. (Tip: you can revert the Chrome 69 design for now.)
The same was true for the decision to hide trivial parts of a domain in the Chrome address bar; Google did revert the decision in Chrome Stable after some backlash on the Internet.
The first major change that blew up in the company's face was the linking of the Google Account in Chrome with Google services on the Web.
What that meant was that sign-ins and sign-outs were executed both in Chrome and on the Web. A user who signed in to Gmail on the Web was automatically signed in to Chrome. While that did not mean that Chrome would do anything with the data by default according to Google, no syncing for instance unless the user enabled that option in an extra step, it still made many users uncomfortable.
Google explained that it launched the changed to "better help users who share a single device" who are "confused about Chrome's sign-in state".
We think these UI changes help prevent users from inadvertently performing searches or navigating to websites that could be saved to a different user’s synced account.
Chrome 69 includes an experimental flag to disable the link between Chrome and Google Accounts on the web, and there are other things users can do to avoid confusion or the mixing up.
Then, a few days later, news broke that Chrome would not sign users out of the Google Account anymore when they used the Clear Browsing Data dialog of the browser to clear cookies.
Changes in Chrome 70
Google revealed today that it plans to incorporate changes in Chrome 70 to give users of the web browser more control over the experience.
- The company plans to add a new preference to the privacy and security settings of the browser to disable the link between the Chrome account and Google accounts on the Web.
- Visual changes to the Sync interface to make the current status clearer to users (signed out, signed out but not syncing, and syncing).
- The Google auth cookie will be cleared with all the other cookies when users clear cookies in the web browser.
Google Chrome 70 will be released in mid-October 2018 to the Stable channel. The changes are not yet live in development builds of the browser.
Both companies/browsers suck in one way or another. Both suffer from bloat in one way or another. Both are restrictive in one way or another.
If you value your privacy then disconnect from the internet.
Funny how some people seem not only to bask in slavery, but also insist on dragging everyone else to their level.
Billboard advertising spending is expected to reach an all time high this year due to the internet being flooded with ads. Does anyone look at ads or click them on purpose?
No, I’m not interested in supporting google’s highly successful browser based ad data collector (their words, more or less) since ads are of no interest to me.
If they listened to customers beyond whatever they think might reduce ad revenue, they’d allow searches to be turned off in that obnoxious jumping omnibar. They have been asked over and over and refuse to do so, since whatever you input or chrome’s “intelligence” deems you want goes right to them. Numbers, gotta get numbers! Meanwhile, FF’s had the option forever.
2019 will be the first year of googleplex searches and months of articles explaining the term. They’re an ad company, doing anything to affect ad revenue makes no sense.
What exactly are ads ? Haven’t seen any in 10 years.
I am running Chrome 70 beta and don’t have this setting.
“Google revealed today that it plans to incorporate changes in Chrome 70 to give users of the web browser more control over the experience.” Note, not *reverse* the changes, but allow (probably temporarily) more control over the “experience” (spin-doctorese for unwanted telemetry.) I still wouldn’t touch the privacy-raping Google Chrome with a barge pole.
@John C.: I *have* to touch the privacy-raping Google Chrome with a barge pole in order to use Netflix. In Firefox Quantum, the font size of “small” for Netflix subtitles looks to be at least 120pt — big enough so that subtitles take up three fourths of the screen vertically and get truncated on both sides — and there are a number of other Netflix features that are just plain hinky. Site designers who code for Google Chrome, with other browsers a mere afterthought (if that), are the *bane* of the World Wide Web. (From my lips to the EC Directorate-General of Competition’s ears…)
Yes
A detail : the new interface (the new tabs) make loose personality to Chrome. It becomes a browser like the others
@Pierre Chazal: fils de Claire? Just joking, but that is the 1st thought that came to me when I saw your name ;-)
Google: “Please let your entire internet experience be on the google tour bus. We’re doing this for you…”
Get so tired of the manipulation. Not just from google but from everywhere.
Amazing times we live in. Google listening to its users, and Mozilla sticking up two fingers at theirs.
Google isn’t actually listening. It’s only Chrome as well. They are removing the old, beautiful UI and the flags. The white on white things is terrible. Google has been rolling out their stupid and ugly design everywhere. Google has also been ruining Android. I used to be a big fan of Android and Google but I’m not that much of one anymore. I’m also big on UI and Google ruined Material Design this year
Mozilla’s changes have caused outcry because they removed an excellent addon system with a terrible and limited one.
Delusional
Yes, that’s impressive by any measure. At least, considering what the software customer relationship is today. Compare that to Microsoft or Mozilla (we didn’t hear nothing — you’re stupid — we know best). Now that does not change other, unpleasant things that may be said about Google, but let’s give credit when credit is due.
Mozilla has made some unpleasant decisions but in the long term they pay off. Unlike Microsoft which keeps peddling a broken design that should have been killed off ten years ago. The people most upset are plugin devs and those who miss some of those old plugins. Then people complain about Firefox being dumbed-down to Chrome’s level, but then how is that worse than Chrome? Firefox still gives you more options/freedom/privacy. The reality of the market means that Firefox has to follow standards set by Chrome because Chrome is, unfortunately due to the laziness and ignorance of consumers and the marketing reach of Googlesoft (via Android), the most widely used browser.
As for Google listening to customers… you have to laugh at that. Google doesn’t have “customers”, Google has users. Google isn’t your standard corporation, Google is a state-backed conglomerate like Microsoft and Amazon. It’s just as bad as any of those Russian or Chinese state-backed corporations. You just aren’t allowed to get as big as Google without playing ball with the local “deep state”.
@Googlesoft Spyware Trash: “The reality of the market means that Firefox has to follow standards set by Chrome because Chrome is, unfortunately due to the laziness and ignorance of consumers and the marketing reach of Googlesoft (via Android), the most widely used browser.”
Mozilla agrees with you. However, I think this is a serious miscalculation. It is extremely rare that a market leader is usurped by a competitor imitating it. That’s not how Firefox won the market from IE back in the day, and I seriously doubt that Firefox will win the market with that tactic today, either. That said, I do hope their product strategy works for them, despite my doubts.
But, personally, it no longer matters to me. Firefox is not a browser that meets my needs, and Mozilla has made it clear that it will never be.
Just because you accept feedback, it doesn’t mean that you agree with it or that the user/customer is always right, especially those that are rude and are lashing out at anyone who doesn’t obey their orders.
Firefox is more user-friendly than Chrome ever was, is, and will be.
@Jessica: “Firefox is more user-friendly than Chrome ever was, is, and will be.”
I don’t know about that. It seems to me that in terms of being user-friendly, they’re about the same. But my view might be skewed, as I don’t find either browser particularly user-friendly, for pretty much the same reasons.
>>Firefox is more user-friendly than Chrome ever was, is, and will be.
You can say that if Firefox has different interface than Chrome
That’s because Google knows a thing or two about marketing and PR. When Hackernews is full of anti-google sentiment for days they know it will make headlines all over the world.
Google is walking a narrow path, and they won’t make the mistake of having the power users against them, most of which are developers.
Mozilla on the other hand is different, they have been living in their own parallel universe where things don’t have any consequences for a long time.
@ShintoPlasma: more likely 1 finger since it is an American company ;-)
They don’t listen the users, they’re testing the waters, Huge difference. just like the recent “App Suggestions” popup that was designed to to get users to choose Edge over Chrome & Firefox, and after the outcry MS dropped it.
Call it what you will, but at least when there’s a significant user outcry, Google acknowledges it and recalibrates. Mozilla makes significant changes to its browser, users go into meltdowns, and in retaliation Mozilla pretends not to hear it.
@ShintoPlasm: “at least when there’s a significant user outcry, Google acknowledges it and recalibrates”
Only for those things that aren’t all that important to Google. Most of the time when there’s an outcry, Google either ignores it or tells everyone why they’re wrong.