T103.3 -- Google Chrome (Web browser)
Chrome is Google's web browser.
Other web browsers that offer a comparable type of functionality are Internet Explorer (Microsoft), Safari (Apple), and Firefox (Mozilla).
Chrome has become the browser of choice for many internet users since around 2012 for a plethora of reasons.
This page includes:
Other web browsers that offer a comparable type of functionality are Internet Explorer (Microsoft), Safari (Apple), and Firefox (Mozilla).
Chrome has become the browser of choice for many internet users since around 2012 for a plethora of reasons.
- As a developer, Chrome offers a developer console that is generations ahead of Microsoft. That provides web developers with insight into the browser interpretation of scripts that will never be beat. Thus most folks who are developing complex web based applications now are designing them first and foremost with Chrome in mind.
- As a user, chrome has kept the features limited and they have kept menu bloat to a minimum.
- If you are going to use a Google Chromebook as part of your hardware arsenal (laptops that run a Google Operating System with Chrome as the only browser option), chrome is the only option, so to keep things consistent, using it elsewhere is a good idea.
This page includes:
- Download and Installing Chrome
- Chrome user accounts explained
- Login to Chrome
- Default settings for chrome
- Chrome the Browser -- A Software Platform
1) Download and Install Chrome
Google "install chrome" and follow directions
2) Chrome User Accounts Explained
Chrome added the ability to "sign in" to chrome a few years ago. It didn't work great, but they have the bugs ironed out and it is very, very powerful (and necessary if you want your settings to carry over to every computer you use, if you use multiple computers). In the upper right hand corner of chrome, just to the left of the Min/Max/Close icons is a name. It may initially read "person1" or something like that. Click on that, and login to chrome using your Gmail/GSuite account information.
From this point forward, all browser customization will be associated with your account. This makes using multiple computers (PC, Mac and Chromebook all mixed together) very very easy and familiar.
If you are an administrator type, you can have multiple Google Users open at one time with this login system. Just peal off one tab into a new window, click on the name, and log in as a different user. It will create a new user session in that browser.
If you want to use a machine that does not belong to you, as long as they have chrome on it, you could login to chrome, and it will then give you access to your lastpass and tab cloud as if you were on your own machine. If you do this, just be sure to log out when done (don't just close the browser, you need to log out).
From this point forward, all browser customization will be associated with your account. This makes using multiple computers (PC, Mac and Chromebook all mixed together) very very easy and familiar.
If you are an administrator type, you can have multiple Google Users open at one time with this login system. Just peal off one tab into a new window, click on the name, and log in as a different user. It will create a new user session in that browser.
If you want to use a machine that does not belong to you, as long as they have chrome on it, you could login to chrome, and it will then give you access to your lastpass and tab cloud as if you were on your own machine. If you do this, just be sure to log out when done (don't just close the browser, you need to log out).
3) Login To Chrome
1) Click on the User Label that is just to the left of the minus sign an this drop down will pop up.
2) Click on "Manage people"
2) Click on "Manage people"
You will see a list of active users on this machine.
1) Click on "Add Person"
1) Click on "Add Person"
1) Type your name
2) Select an emoticon
3) Optional - check the box to create a desktop shortcut for this user (so you could open chrome for this user with one click from the desktop)
4) Save to continue...
2) Select an emoticon
3) Optional - check the box to create a desktop shortcut for this user (so you could open chrome for this user with one click from the desktop)
4) Save to continue...
This is where it gets a little confusing...
1) The browser will show the user name you just entered, but remember there was nothing tying that local user name to your Gmail/Google Account...
2) Click on "Sign In" to now sign into your google account, and this will link the Chrome User Account created on this computer to your cloud level Gmail Account
1) The browser will show the user name you just entered, but remember there was nothing tying that local user name to your Gmail/Google Account...
2) Click on "Sign In" to now sign into your google account, and this will link the Chrome User Account created on this computer to your cloud level Gmail Account
Again, a little confusion, because you just selected Sign in... but now you have to say it again...
1) Select Sign in to Chrome...
1) Select Sign in to Chrome...
1) Enter your email address
1) Enter your password
1) Because this was a new account, it just came up and says Chrome Sync is active. That means browser extensions you might add to chrome on this computer would be available when you logged into chrome as well as things like cookies and such. IF this account already had chrome sync data, where the "Attention" word is, there would have been a pop up that asked if you wanted to link data, and you would answer that in the affirmative.
1) Once you select "OK Got it" above, the popup will disappear and all you will see is your Chrome User name again in the user tab. This looks just like the window did before you had linked your google account.
2) IF this Google Account had extensions like Last Pass and Tab cloud associated with it, those extensions would start showing up at this time where the #2 is.
3) The orange icon is annoying. Every time you setup a new user on chrome click on the orange icon. It asks if you want to load the Application Launcher. I don't load it. I'm not really sure what it does, but from the reviews it seems buggy.
2) IF this Google Account had extensions like Last Pass and Tab cloud associated with it, those extensions would start showing up at this time where the #2 is.
3) The orange icon is annoying. Every time you setup a new user on chrome click on the orange icon. It asks if you want to load the Application Launcher. I don't load it. I'm not really sure what it does, but from the reviews it seems buggy.
If you want to confirm your gmail account is synching with this user...
1) Select the "three dots" icon. This is typically just indicative of "more options". Note, the three dots will only show up after you click the orange thingy above and enable or disable that application launcher.
2) Select "Settings"
1) Select the "three dots" icon. This is typically just indicative of "more options". Note, the three dots will only show up after you click the orange thingy above and enable or disable that application launcher.
2) Select "Settings"
1) You can see the account association at the top of the "Settings" Page
4) Default Settings for Chrome
The menu button for all things Chrome is the "Three Dots" in the upper right hand corner of the browser.
These are some settings you want to set immediately.
- Three Dots > Settings > Default Browser -- Set to Chrome if not already
- Three Dots > Settings > Show Advanced Settings > Privacy > Clear Browsing Data -- clear stored passwords
- Three Dots > Settings > Show Advanced Settings > Passwords and Forms > UNCHECK offer to save passwords with Google Smart Lock for Passwords (you will be using Lastpass). Keeping multiple pw systems active can get extremely confusing. If you ever see a yellow background in a username or password box, the Chrome password population system is active, and you need to deactivate it.
5) Chrome the Browser -- A Software Platform
Microsoft Windows was/is actually 2 things... an Operating System and a Software Platform for Building Applications that ran in "Windows".
Think of Google Chrome, the web browser, and all web browsers as a software platform similar to Microsoft Windows.
Once you make that leap to understanding that Chrome represents a Software Platform, then Chromebooks begin to make more sense. Chromebooks have a simple operating system (designed by Google) that you don't interact with hardly at all, and then the entire software experience is just what you can get through the Chrome Browser (which is comparable to a windows experience).
Think of Google Chrome, the web browser, and all web browsers as a software platform similar to Microsoft Windows.
Once you make that leap to understanding that Chrome represents a Software Platform, then Chromebooks begin to make more sense. Chromebooks have a simple operating system (designed by Google) that you don't interact with hardly at all, and then the entire software experience is just what you can get through the Chrome Browser (which is comparable to a windows experience).