Google Chrome for iPadOS might be getting one of the most anticipated features soon, the option to group tabs, coming hot on the heels of the successful debut on PC versions, and supported Android devices. Unsurprisingly, there’s no hint whether this feature will be coming to iPhones anytime soon, but iPads sure got luckier.
Early signs of tab grouping functionality for Chrome iPad have been discovered within a code review page for the Chromium project, accessed independently by The Mac Observer. The feature’s current status is marked as “Ready to Submit,” which indicates there might still be some time before it rolls out to iPads.
Further investigation reveals a flag titled “tab-groups-on-iPad” with the description: “When enabled if tab-groups-in-grid is enabled, tab group can be created ‘on iPad’.” Users may also need to activate the “tab-groups-in-grid” flag to use this functionality. Now, the flag looks like either a feature flag or a configuration setting which could mean that the ability to group and manage tabs is coming to iPads.
Truth be said, tab groups in Chrome have turned out to be a useful upgrade allowing users to categorize and manage open tabs with custom names and colors. For instance, suppose you’re researching a product across different websites while also managing work tasks, you can easily group them into separate tabs. This helps stay focused and reduce clutter, as you can switch between tasks more efficiently.
That said, I’m hopeful that Google will expand the tab grouping functionality to iPads, and gradually to iPhones. This feature would be handy on iPads, which have evolved a lot and are now almost like a mix between a phone and a laptop. This makes them perfect for work. With tab grouping, organizing tasks and staying focused would be even easier, maximizing productivity on these devices.