Unconsciously, Chrome browser is no longer a new brand. At the beginning of September, 2008, Google released the first version of Chrome, and then it brushed the version number all the way. Ten years later, the version number of Chrome has been updated to 69.
At the same time, the functions of Chrome have also advanced by leaps and bounds. For example, in 2009, Google added Extensions to Chrome, which gave Chrome the capital to compete with Firefox, and the market performance was out of control.
Thanks to extensions and other features of Chrome, this browser has produced many incredible gameplay in ten years.
If you only regard Chrome as a browser, you are too underestimating this fist product of Google. On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the birth of Chrome, let me introduce some god-class gameplay on Chrome to you. Let’s take a look.
Chrome Remote Desktop: Use Chrome to remotely control the computer
Remote desktop is one of the black technologies of Windows system. Windows computer can remotely control another Windows computer through RDP protocol. If the network speed is good, it is not much different from using this computer.
However, if you want to control remotely across systems, the situation becomes much more complicated. As a cross-system browser, Chrome provides a very good remote desktop solution.
In 2011 and 2012, Google launched a magical Chrome browser application & mdash; — Chrome Remote Desktop (click here to use it), which translates to Chrome Remote Desktop.
As long as both computers are equipped with Chrome, no matter what operating system they are using, they can be remotely controlled through Chrome Remote Desktop.

The use of Chrome Remote Desktop is very simple. After installing Chrome Remote Desktop in a computer’s Chrome, an "access code" can be generated, which is a series of numbers.
Another computer also has Chrome and a remote desktop.After entering the Access Code, you can connect remotely. In this way, whether you want to remotely control Windows with Linux or remotely control Chrome OS with macOS, it is not a problem.

↑ ↑ ↑ You can enter a PIN to open the Chrome Remote Desktop service.

↑ ↑ ↑ You can also let others access the computer through a one-time access code.
Maybe some friends will ask, there are many cross-platform remote desktop software. What is the significance of using Chrome to realize this function?
First of all, remote desktop can be realized with a browser, which is amazing in itself. At least you don’t need to install other remote desktop software, and the convenience should be second only to the remote desktop function that comes with the system.
In addition,The principle of Chrome Remote Desktop is also interesting. It uses Gtalk(Google’s IM software) to send information, and uses VP8 coding to transmit pictures. The technical content is still relatively high.
Moreover, because this is a cross-platform product based on Chrome, the version can be consistent, so there will be no remote desktop connection failure because of the different old and new clients on different platforms.
According to the author’s understanding, many well-known cross-platform remote desktop software will have this limitation, and the usability of Chrome remote desktop is much higher.


↑ ↑ ↑ The actual use effect of Android is shown in the figure, and you can control the computer with your mobile phone.
Of course, Chrome Remote Desktop also has the shortcoming of Google products, that is, it is difficult to connect and use in Chinese mainland, but this is not the product and technology itself. I hope this situation can be improved one day.
Chromecast: projecting computer video to TV
Chrome remote desktop is equivalent to projecting the content displayed by one computer to another computer. In fact, Chrome can project more than that. Through Chromecast, multimedia content can also be projected.

Many friends will feel that the screen is too small when they watch videos on their mobile phones. If they can watch videos played by their mobile phones on the big screen of TV, it will undoubtedly be much cooler.
Chromecast provides an implementation scheme. First, your TV needs to support Chromecast technology. If not, you can plug the Chromecast receiver hardware produced by Google into the video interface on the TV.
Then, open the menu in the computer’s Chrome browser and find "Projection", or directly enter "chrome://cast/#devices" in the Chrome address bar. If the computer and the TV /Chromecast receiver are connected, then all kinds of content can be pushed to devices supporting Chromecast.

Chromecast streaming supports many types of content, whether it is web pages, music, videos, files or even the whole desktop, it can be pushed and projected into the big screen.
However, compared with the projection technology such as DLNA or Miracast, the implementation principle of Chromecast is different.
The push of Chromecast is actually initiated by the network.For example, if you watch Youtube videos and choose to push them to TV with Chromecast, the content received by TV Chromecast is actually not from mobile phone, but from YouTube server.
In other words, in many cases, the use of Chromecast is more like online video on demand than a projection tool for mobile phone content.

But in general, this function is still very convenient, and with tools such as Localcast, Chromecast can also realize local video projection like DLNA. This mechanism is not a shortcoming of Chromecast.
The biggest problem with Chromecast is its support. Some new TVs using Android TV system may support Chromecast, but most TVs still need to buy a receiver for Chromecast. In China, the network has become a very real problem.
Therefore, if you want to enjoy Chromecast in China, you still have to spend some time.
Arcwelder: Chrome runs Android APP.
How can I run the Android APP on my computer? Many friends will choose some Android simulators. However, in fact, Chrome on PC has the function of running Android APP, which is more convenient than all kinds of Android simulators by installing an extension program.
In the Chrome Store, you can find an extension called "Dart Weyder" (click here to view it). After installation, running it will install an extension called "ARC Welder" for you.
After the installation is completed, enter "Chrome://APPs" in the Chrome address bar and find "ARC Welder" to open it, and you can start the configuration of Chrome running Android app.
First, you need to choose a directory as the storage space of Android APP, and then add APK directly through ARC Welder, and you can install Android APP into Chrome.
After adding, you need to select the orientation of the APP, the platform (mobile phone or tablet) and other parameters, and then you can run the Android APP in Chrome.

↑ ↑ ↑ "Dart Welder" in Chrome

↑ ↑ ↑ After Dart Welder is installed, running it will let you install ARC Welder.
Using Chrome to run some simple Android apps is basically no problem; However, if you try to run some complicated apps, such as games, etc., it is very likely that there will be a crash and so on. Why is this happening? The reason is simple, this function is not the native design of Chrome.

ARC means "Android Runtime for Chrome", which means Chrome’s Android running environment.
This feature was originally tailored for Chrome OS.However, some developers found that Chrome browser can actually call this feature through research, so they made a customized version of ARC on Chrome browser, which is the origin of tools such as ARC Welder.
In fact, there are other ARC tools on Chrome browser, such as ARChon, etc. Their principles are similar and their effects are similar, but their installation and use methods are not the same. ARC Welder is one of the more convenient tools, so I won’t introduce other ARC tools here.


As can be seen from the warning message, compatibility with Android applications is a feature designed for Chrome OS, but Chrome browsers can also be used.

↑ ↑ ↑ Enter "Chrome://apps" in the address bar to manage Android apps installed in chrome.
Although running Android APP on Chrome is not stable, it is amazing that a browser can actually use the APP on the mobile phone.
Chrome can’t completely replace the Android emulator, but if it’s just for fun, or if it’s only used lightly occasionally, then Chrome can still bring you a lot of convenience.
Yandex: running Chrome extensions on your phone
Chrome can run the APP of Android phone, so can the phone run the extension program on Chrome instead? Chrome on the mobile phone can’t do this, but another person, Yandex browser from Russia, can make Android run Chrome extensions!
The name Yandex is believed to be familiar to friends who are concerned about the Internet. It is the largest search engine in Russia, and its status is equivalent to Baidu in China. Yandex website does not support Chinese, but Yandex mobile browser does support Chinese language.
In the menu of Yandex browser, you can see the function entrance of "extension plug-in". Click it to install various plug-ins that have been adapted for Yandex mobile browser. According to the description on the page, Yandex’s plug-in center has more than 1,500 plug-ins.


Of course, the goods in the plug-in center are not the key point. The biggest highlight of Yandex is that it can install real Chrome extensions!
Yandex browser uses the same kernel as Chrome. Enter "Chrome://extensions" in the address bar, enter the extension management center of Yandex, and check "Development Mode" to start installing Chrome extensions.


We know that the file format of Chrome extension is CRX, but Yandex can’t directly install the extension program in CRX format, but it needs some hands and feet first.
Change the extension file name of CRX format to ZIP, and then extract all the files in it into the same folder. Next, rename or delete the "_metadata" directory in the folder, otherwise the installation will fail.


Copy this folder to your phone, and you can use Yandex to install Chrome extensions. Click "Load the decompressed extension program" in Yandex, then open the directory of the decompressed plug-in through the file manager, and select any JS file to install!


After the actual measurement, Yandex mobile browser can indeed successfully install the Chrome plug-in, and it works successfully. For example, the Tampermonkey installed by the author can run smoothly in Yandex.
Although Yandex can only install Chrome extensions through local files, it is enough to prove that the kernel of Chrome is capable of supporting extension installation on mobile phones, but for some reasons, Google did not open this feature in the mobile version of Chrome browser. If you want to experience more complete Chrome on your mobile phone, this method is worth a try.
Chrome DevTools for Mobile: computer debugging mobile phone web pages
Let’s introduce a Chrome gameplay that is closely related to developers and mobile platforms. In the era of mobile Internet, online content rendering of WAP pages and apps is becoming more and more important.
But the mobile browser is not as fully functional as the desktop browser, so how can we debug WAP pages?
It is not impossible to use desktop browser to disguise UA to open WAP webpage debugging, but the running environment is not a mobile platform, and there are some differences. With Chrome DevTools for Mobile, you can directly debug the WAP page opened by your mobile phone with Chrome on your PC, which is more convenient for testing.

Enter "Chrome://inspect" in the chrome browser, and you can see "Devcies". At this time, you can connect the mobile device through network or USB debugging.
After the connection is successful, the desktop version of Chrome browser will display the pages opened by Chrome in the mobile phone, so that these pages can be debugged with the desktop version of Chrome.

There are many conveniences in debugging WAP pages with Chrome DevTools for Mobile. For example, some touch-related events can be directly tested on the mobile phone after debugging, and there is no need to finish the work on the PC and then send the web page to the mobile phone for testing.
After entering the Screencast view, the PC can also display the webpage content of the mobile phone screen, and you can debug the webpage in the mobile phone without even picking up the mobile phone.
If you are using a version of Chrome 32 or above, you will also support Native USB Debugging. You don’t need to turn on the USB debugging mode of the mobile phone, but you can also connect the debugging webpage of the mobile phone, which is more convenient and safe.
This feature of Chrome DevTools for Mobile is convenient for developers, but it actually affects the ecology of the mobile Internet to some extent. Thanks to the interconnection and debugging between desktop and mobile platform, many WAP pages will give priority to compatibility with Chrome.
Open all UI related experimental functions of Chrome with one click.
We all know that the version number of Chrome is crazy, and the updates of Chrome in terms of new functions and features are as frequent as the version number.
However, these new functions and features are not necessarily turned on by default. For example, Chrome has recently undergone a major revision with a new UI, but it is not turned on by default.
Old players know that if they want to open these new features in the first time, they need to enter "Chrome://flags" in Chrome to enter the experimental feature interface, and then manually open the experimental function.

Chrome has a lot of experimental functions, and if you open them manually, it will undoubtedly be quite troublesome. In the latest version of Chrome 69, enter "Chrome://Flags # Upcoming-UI-Features" in the address bar, and you can enable all UI-related experimental functions and features with one click, which is very convenient.
However, according to past experience, there are some unstable experimental features of Chrome. If you are an ordinary user, it is better to run according to the default settings. Players can try it early.
summary
Chrome has become the most popular browser in the world, but many of its functions are still beyond users’ imagination. Chrome is ten years old, will it go through the next decade? I hope Chrome can continue to forge ahead and bring more incredible functions to users.
