Google Chrome 75 arrives with reader mode, authentication PIN and more

Recently Google has just announced the launch of the new version of its web browser Chrome 75 which comes with news and bug fixes, at the same time, a stable version of the free Chromium project is available, which serves as the core of Chrome.

In addition to the innovations and bug fixes in the new version, 42 vulnerabilities identified by the automated testing tools AddressSanitizer, MemorySanitizer, LibFuzzer and the AFL have been corrected.

No critical problems have been identified that allow all levels of browser protection to be bypassed and code executed on the system outside of the sandbox environment.

As part of the cash rewards program for detecting vulnerabilities in the current version, Google paid 13 prizes worth $ 9,000 (a $ 5,000 bonus, two $ 1,000 prizes and four $ 500 prizes).

Main novelties of Chrome 75

With the arrival of this new version of Google Chrome 75 we can find the compatibility with the FIDO CTAP2 PIN. This has been added to the web authentication API to use a user-defined PIN to authorize operations to the keys that support the FIDO CTAP2 protocol.

In the "Advanced" section of the configurator, you can find an element for "Manage security keys", in which you can assign a PIN code to protect the keys placed in the USB drive, as well as the option to reset the key (delete all data and PIN).

Also within the main changes of this new version we will find the Scroll Snap Stop function that has been added to define the adjustment to the elements during page scrolling (for example, a large scroll gesture when selected in the list of images will result in the election not of the last element, but of the following one).

Another new feature that comes in Google Chrome 75 is the arrival of experimental support for reader mode when it is enabled, only significant text and all associated controls, banners, menus, navigation bars and other parts of the page are displayed. are related to the content are hidden.

Enabling support for the new mode is done with the option chrome: // flags / # enable-reader-mode, after which an item appears in the drop-down menu to use it.

In addition to all users of the desktop version, the default strict site isolation mode is enabled, in which the pages of the different hosts are always located in the memory of the different processes, each of which uses its own test area.

The main feature of the strict isolation mode is the division not by tabs, but by domains, that is, if before the contents of the scripts, the iframe and popup files downloaded from other domains were executed in the same process with the base site , now they will be divided into different processes.

Changes in Google Chrome 75 for Android

In the Android version, the interface of the account parameters in the authentication forms has been improved.

Whereupon the tool information block is now displayed directly on the on-screen keyboard and when clicked on it, the possible saved options are displayed instead of the on-screen keyboard, without hiding the entry form.

Other changes added to Chrome 75

Of the other changes that can be highlighted in this new version of Chrome 75 are that in the sidebar of the debugger, separate information is provided on the state of the breakpoints associated with individual parts of complex expressions on the line (breakpoint) online), for example, methods configured in a chain.

Added support for accessing DNS over HTTPS (DoH, DNS over HTTPS) in the experimental versions of Canary, which can be activated in chrome: // flags # dns-over-https.

DoH can be useful to eliminate leaks of information about requested host names through the providers' DNS servers, combat MITM attacks and replace DNS traffic.

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How to install Chrome extensions on Android

Chrome extensions on Android

One of the biggest advantages of having a browser based on Chromium is to offer its users access to the huge library of extensions available to the Google browser. This is how on the desktop, Vivaldi, Opera and now Microsoft Edge, but we also have the opportunity to differentiate ourselves from Google Chrome.

However, Chrome for Android does not support extensions. However, another browser is well known, but also based on Chrome It has just become one of the first to achieve this feat and now it is possible to install Chrome extensions on Android.

Kiwi Browser

Kiwi Browser

This small browser for Android based on the Chromium engine is a user-independent project arnaud42 from the XDA Developers forums. It is completely free and besides being quite fast, it integrates several interesting functions like blocker for the announcements, the tracking, popups, notifications and even cryptominers, and even has its own dark mode.

From today, its latest version offers support for Chrome extensions. All you need to do is go to the extension page to install it directly or download the .crx file.

You can download the latest version of Kiwi Browser from APK Mirror, or from the Play Store (the latter will take a little longer to update to the one that supports extensions).

How to install Chrome extensions in Kiwi Browser for Android

Once you have installed the browser you just have to run it for the first time and then go to the page of the extension you want to install. Going directly to the Chrome Web Store will leave you with an "unsupported" message, but going to the page of each extension individually works.

We have tested with two of our favorite extensions: Dark Reader and uBlock Origin. Just touch the "Add to Chrome" button as you do from the desktop and you will see the confirmation message appear.

Here they will tell you the permissions that the extension needs and you only have to touch "Accept" to install the extension. Once finished this can happen two things: everything is as it was and your extension is installed, or they send you directly to the configuration page of the extension.

Another important detail to know is that if you enter chrome: // extensions from the URL bar, you can go to the management page of your installed extensions.

And, in addition to this, if you click on the hamburger menu on the left you can directly access the Chrome extensions store without problems.

Now, as noted in XDA, Kiwi supports the import of any extension for Chrome that does not depend on x86 binary code, so not all extensions will work, but a large part yes, it's a matter of testing.

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