Google is currently working on a new feature for Chrome that will allow users to preview links without having to open them in a separate tab. This feature is still in the testing phase, with continuous updates and improvements being made by Google. Initially, the link preview feature only showed previews when hovering over links. However, recent updates have introduced new ways to trigger these previews, although the exact triggers for the final release are still uncertain.
Link Previews in Chrome
In the initial version of the preview feature, users could preview links by either holding down the Alt key before clicking on a link or right-clicking on a link and choosing “preview link” from the menu. This action would open the linked content in a small window within the browser, allowing users to move and scroll through it, although interactions with the main page were limited. For example, playing videos or games within the preview window was not possible.
The latest version of Chrome’s link preview feature now allows users to preview links by holding down the Alt key and hovering over the links in the Chrome window. However, only one link can be previewed at a time, and the scrollbar feature is currently not available.
Enabling or Disabling Link Previews in Google Chrome
The link preview feature is enabled by default in Canary versions of Chrome. To disable it, follow these steps:
- Enter chrome://flags/#link-preview in the browser’s address bar.
- Set the status of the feature to Disabled.
- Restart Google Chrome.
Link previews are not entirely new, as they have been present in browsers like Firefox through the use of add-ons. While these features do offer convenience, they do not provide significant privacy or security advantages. It is likely that other Chromium-based browsers will also incorporate this feature in the future.
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