iOS Users Can Now Access Maps and Create Calendar Events Directly Through Chrome
Google has made it easier for iPhone users to perform common tasks in Chrome without having to switch between multiple apps. The latest update to Chrome for iOS allows users to view Maps addresses, create Calendar events, and translate text without leaving the browser. This means that users can now locate a restaurant, set a reminder to visit it, and translate the menu all within the same app.
The upcoming update will also make Google Lens significantly more useful. You can search with your camera, take new photos or draw from the camera roll. As with Android, this can be helpful if you spot a flower or mandatory coat and want to identify it on the spot. The features will be available “over the coming months.”
You still have to use Google’s own apps for more advanced functions, such as driving directions in Maps or managing other travel plans. However, the additions should make Chrome more of a do-it-all app that saves time (and battery life) compared to running multiple apps at once. This, in turn, can make Chrome more attractive than Safari as the default browser on your iPhone.
The extension comes shortly after Google introduced Chrome Actions, i.e. text-based shortcuts for popular browser functions, such as clearing browsing data and checking settings. Google has even experimented with using its own web engine in Chrome, the iOS browser, if and when Apple loosens its app policies. Simply put, the company is making Chrome a more powerful user tool.
