Google Chrome Tab Group on Android testing option to open links in new tab without creating a group from long-press menu

The addition of Tab Groups on Google Chrome desktop may have been welcomed with open arms, but the same unfortunately cannot be said about its Android counterpart.

Following a server-side update to Chrome Android back in January, its tab-view changed completely for users. The view itself wasn’t really well received but what made it worse were the various annoyances that came along with it.

One of these is the tab groups feature that is aimed at improving productivity by letting users organize their tabs into various groups.

However, the feature is mostly useful for those that tend to concurrently use scores of tabs on mobile, and that’s something that probably doesn’t hold true for most users.

Regular users have to thus put up with stuff like new links opening up in new tab groups. Tabs within a tab group appear enclosed in folders in the tab-view, which only complicates stuff.

Thankfully, Google finally appears to have taken all the feedback seriously and is working on addressing some of the complaints with tab groups on Chrome for Android.

Their latest experiment for tab groups has gone live in the latest Chrome Beta version. It makes a change in how new tabs open – links that open in a new tab will no longer automatically create a group.

You also get an option to open links from the long-press menu in a new Chrome tab without creating a group. One can still create a tab group by dragging tabs onto another though, so that bit is unchanged.

An ETA for when this feature will be making it to Chrome stable wasn’t given. However, you can try it out right now by downloading Chrome beta through this Play Store link.

Do note that the Chrome feature to open links without creating tab group will not be available right after installation. You will have to perform the following steps to enable it.

1. Download Chrome Beta.
2. Launch Chrome Beta.
3. Keep Chrome Beta open for about 5 minutes.
4. After 5 minutes quit Chrome Beta and then relaunch Chrome Beta.

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