We are all tired of using passwords. Not that I don’t appreciate their role in helping us stay protected and private online, but if we could still have the security and privacy that comes with using password, without actually having to use password, won’t that be great? Well, Google has made a step in that direction with the rollout of Chrome 67.
Chrome 67 new features
Chrome 67 comes with a horde of new features to beef up your online security, reduce the need for the constant entering of passwords. The new browser version also comes packed with support for more sensors, virtual and augmented reality experiences.
The Chrome 67 is available across all major operating system; Windows, Android, iOS, macOS, Chrome OS and Linux. So if you don’t have it running on your device, go to update section of the browser to manually update it.
Most of the new features will actually depend on the website developer and the features they bake into their sites. It is only after developers have incorporated these features in the given website, will you (the end user) get to experience some of these new features Google has added to version 67 of Chrome browser.
#1 – No-Password Logins
It’s no secret, Google knows so much about you than they care to admit and then you would like them to know. So they couldn’t have missed the fact that you hate passwords, and in Chrome 67 the path to password-free login has begun.
Google has incorporated support for Web Authentication API (WebAuthn), a new standard for logging into online accounts using just biometric sensors on your device or via a USB security key. This feature is perhaps the biggest feature in the new Chrome 67.
To use this feature, you need a device with fingerprint sensor or a webcam (which supports Windows Hello) or the TouchID (in MacBook Pro with the Touch Bar). If you don’t have all of the aforementioned hardware on your device, a simple USB security key will work just fine.
It is also reported that WebAuthn is enabled in Chrome 67 by default. Google is not the only internet stakeholder enacting WebAuthn support, others like Microsoft and Mozilla are also onboard, and it is only a matter of time before they release their own version of support for the password-free login standard. The WebAuthn standard has been in the candidate stage awaiting approval from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
Related: Come July 2018, Chrome 68 will start naming and shaming websites without HTTPS security
#2 – Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Support
The new Chrome version comes with the addition of WebXR Device API effectively making the browser support Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) experience. The browser AR and VR experience could be enjoyed on devices like the Google Daydream View, HTC Vive, Samsung Gear VR, Oculus Rift, and Windows Mixed Reality Headsets.
However, the WebXR Device API is still in its Origin Trial state. In other words, it is still in beta stage (experimental or testing stage).
#3 – Chrome 67 detects your movement
Chrome is not just a desktop browser, you use it on your mobile devices as well. A device that you sometimes use it in ‘portrait or landscape’ mode. With Chrome 67, you won’t have to go to settings to change the webpage orientation. The browser now supports accelerometers, gyroscopes, motion, and orientations sensors on your device to deliver you content appropriately according to your movement.
Related: Why You Should Upgrade To 64-Bit Version Of Chrome Right Now