Your Chrome browser just got three huge upgrades - including a genius tab split-view mode

Source: ZDNet

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Chrome just got three new features, none of which use AI.
• One new tool lets you fill out PDFs without downloading.
• Another tool automatically backs up your PDF downloads.

Google announced a trio of new productivity features for Chrome, all aimed at increasing your productivity. In a surprising departure from the norm these days, none of them use AI.

Automatic Drive backup for PDFs

This feature automatically saves any PDFs you download straight to Google Drive. PDFs are placed in a “Saved from Chrome” folder, making them easy to find and accessible from any device.

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Split view

Chrome’s new split view mode lets you see two tabs side‑by‑side, split vertically, and resize the panes as needed. This reduces the need to bounce between tabs.

Typical use cases include:

• Taking notes on a video while watching it.
• Grading papers while entering data in a spreadsheet.
• Referencing documentation while coding.

Related: I let Chrome’s AI agent shop, research, and email for me – here’s how it went

How to use: Drag a tab to the left or right edge of the browser window, or right‑click a link and choose “Open Link in Split View.” (Windows has a similar feature that uses separate windows.)

In‑browser PDF annotations

The built‑in Chrome PDF Viewer now lets you add annotations without downloading the file. You can:

• Add a digital signature.
• Fill out form fields.
• Write notes directly on the PDF.

You cannot edit the underlying text, but the annotation tools cover many common review tasks.

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These new features are available now for users with the latest version of Chrome.