Google released an update to Chrome for Android yesterday, moving Chrome 31 from the beta channel to the stable channel. That means that the update is ready for the general public to use, and it brings some great new features with it. Chrome 31 supports the new 4.4 KitKat cloud printing function, new security updates, and support for faster online store checkout using requestAutocomplete to auto-populate your payment info.
The stable release of Chrome 31 now supports the requestAutocomplete API, which will significantly speed up checkout times when you’re shopping online from your phone. This makes use of a new WebRTC standard that lets payment information be sent automatically, saving you the hassle of typing in your credit card number, shipping address, and other information. Chrome will now integrate with Google Wallet if you want it to, making all of your payment information from Wallet available to you in Chrome when you are buying something online. That features is opt-in. Your Google Wallet info isn’t sent to Chrome without your consent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQO8hMqyn00
Chrome 31 adds a new ‘Add to home screen’ feature that lets web applications behave similarly to native apps. Web apps will show up in the Task Switcher now. There’s a slightly updated New Tab Page as well. The added cloud printing feature is nice in Chrome 31 because it will let you print web pages right from your phone or tablet, as long as it’s running KitKat. You may not use this feature a lot, but it eliminates the step of having to send a URL from your device to your desktop in order to print a web page.
There are several new security updates too, which are listed over on the Chromium security page. This new Chrome 31 update will start rolling out to users in the next few days. You can find it on the Google Play Store if you haven’t downloaded it yet. Hit the link and let us know in the comments when you start to see the update pushed to your device.
What’s your favorite new feature in this updated of Chrome for Android?