10+ Best Android Chrome Flags to Improve Your Browsing Experience

If you’re like most people, you spend a good chunk of your day browsing the internet. And if you’re using an Android phone, then you’re probably using Chrome as your default browser. Chrome is the most used smartphone browser in the world, majorly because it comes by default on every Android device and also because of the features and flexibility it provides to the users.

Did you know that there are tons of hidden features and settings that can improve your browsing experience on Chrome? One of those is using Android Chrome Flags.

In this blog post, we will discuss 10+ of the best Android Chrome flags that you should start using today!

What are Chrome Flags?

Chrome flags are experimental features that aren’t yet available to the general public. They’re designed to improve your browsing experience, but they can also be unstable and cause problems.

The experimental settings also included the new feature that Google is currently testing and might release in future updates if the testing goes right. So basically, if you enable and use any flag on your Google Chrome browser, you actually become a beta tester.

Apart from that, Chrome Flags also include a few advanced features for developers such as Javascript Debugging, GPU Accelerated Compositing, Experimental QUIC Protocol, and more. So, If you’re a developer or someone who simply enjoys experimenting with new under-cooked features, there are many amazing Chrome Flags available for you.

What are the risks of enabling Chrome Android Flags?

While Chrome flags offer a number of benefits, they can also be unstable and cause problems. Here are the major risks associated with Chrome flags:

• Flags are experimental: As we mentioned, Chrome flags are designed to improve your browsing experience, but they can also be unstable. If you enable a flag and it causes problems, you may have to disable it or even reset your device.
• Flags can ruin Privacy: Some Chrome Flags can be considered privacy-invasive. For example, there is a flag that allows you to send Google your usage statistics and crash reports. This information can be used to target ads at you or to sell to third parties.
• They’re not well-tested: Because Chrome flags are experimental features, they aren’t as well-tested as the stable features in Chrome. This means that there’s a greater chance that they’ll cause problems.
• They’re not supported by all devices: Not all devices support Chrome flags. If you enable a flag on a device that doesn’t support it, you may experience problems.
• Flags are not well-documented: Because Chrome flags are experimental features, they aren’t as well-documented as the stable features in Chrome. This means that you may not be able to find information about them if you have questions.

How to enable Android Chrome Flags?

To enable a Chrome Flag on Android, follow these instructions:

1. On your Android device, launch the Chrome browser.
2. Tap on the address bar and type chrome://flags or about://flags and tap go.
3. Once the Chrome Flags tab is opened, you will see a list of numerous experimental features in the form of flags.
4. You can either look for your preferred flag in this list or just search for it on the search box. Every flag has a small description along with the title.
5. After you got your intended flag, tap on the drop-down menu below it to expand.
6. From the menu, select Enabled to enable the selected Chrome Flag.
7. Next, tap on the Relaunch button to make the changes effective.

Best Android Chrome Flags

Auto Dark Mode for Web Contents

If you’ve ever been browsing the web late at night, you know how jarring it can be to have a bright screen in your face. Well, there’s a flag for that. Enabling “Auto Dark Mode for Web Contents” will cause all of your web pages to automatically switch to a dark theme at nighttime. This not only protects your eyes from strain but can also help improve battery life on devices with OLED screens.

To enable this flag, type “chrome://flags” into your URL bar, search for “dark mode,” and select “Enabled” from the drop-down menu. 

Flag URL: chrome://flags/#enable-force-dark

---

Incognito Screenshot

By default, Chrome does not allow you to take screenshots in incognito mode. However, if you regularly use the internet in incognito mode for privacy, you can enable the Incognito Screenshot flag. Simply open the Chrome Flags page and look for “Incognito Screenshot,” then enable it right away. You will be able to take a screenshot in Incognito Mode as well from now on.

Flag URL: chrome://flags/#incognito-screenshot

---

Smooth Scrolling

If you’re tired of jerky scrolling, then you need to enable the “Smooth Scrolling” flag. This will make scrolling smoother and more fluid. Enabling this flag will allow you to scroll like you’re on a trackpad.

To enable this flag, type “chrome://flags” into your URL bar and tap enter. Then, search for “Smooth Scrolling.” Tap on the drop-down menu and select “Enabled.” Restart your browser for the changes to take effect.

Flag URL: chrome://flags/#smooth-scrolling

---

Parallel Downloading

Parallel downloading is a great flag to enable if you’re someone who likes to download multiple files at once. This flag will allow Chrome to download all the files in parallel, thus speeding up the entire process. It divides the file into segments, downloads each one separately, and then combines them in batches. To enable it, open the Chrome Flags page and look for “Parallel Downloading,” then enable it.

Please keep in mind that you may not see any meaningful increase in download speed all of the time since it is a test feature that is also influenced by your network speed.

Flag URL: chrome://flags/#enable-parallel-downloading

---

Reader Mode

If you’re tired of seeing ads and other distractions when you’re trying to read an article, then you need to enable the “Reader Mode” flag. This will remove all of the clutter from articles and make them easier to read. After enabling the flag, you can easily enable reader mode with just a single tap.

To enable this flag, type “chrome://flags” into the address bar and tap enter. Then, search for “Reader Mode.” Enable the Reader Mode in CCT flag.

Flag URL: chrome://flags/#enable-reader-mode-in-cct

---

Back-Forward Cache

The Back-Forward Cache flag is another great one to enable if you’re someone who needs to browser a particular site regularly. This flag saves the entire webpage or website in the cache. The advantage of this is that whenever you press the back or forward key, the web pages load immediately with no waiting time.

To enable it, open the Chrome Flags page and look for “Back-Forward Cache,” then enable it.

Flag URL: chrome://flags/#back-forward-cache

---

Experimental QUIC Protocol

The Experimental QUIC Protocol flag enables support for the Quick UDP Internet Connections protocol. This can improve page load times and reduce latency. The objective of the flag is to reduce bandwidth, latency, and congestion by reducing the number of round trips required when establishing a new connection.

To enable this flag, type “chrome://flags” into your Chrome address bar, then search for “Experimental QUIC Protocol.” Click “Enable,” then restart Chrome when prompted.

Flag URL: chrome://flags/#enable-quic

---

Show Autofill predictions

If you’ve ever used a web browser, you know that typing in addresses can be a pain, especially if you’re constantly having to correct common typos or re-type entire URLs. By enabling this flag, Chrome will show predictions for what you’re trying to type, based on your browsing history. This can save you a ton of time and frustration, especially if you’re constantly typing in the same address or search query. It also greatly helps while filling out the online forms.

To enable this flag, open Chrome and type “chrome://flags” into the Omnibox. Search for “Show Autofill predictions” on the Chrome Flags page.

Flag URL: chrome://flags/#show-autofill-type-predictions

---

Omnibox Assistant Voice Search

If you’re someone who prefers to search the internet with their voice, then the Omnibox Assistant Voice Search flag is for you. This flag allows you to use your voice to perform a web search from Chrome’s address bar (Omnibox). It effectively replaces Google Voice with Google Assistant on the Chrome browser. When you press the microphone button in Chrome, the browser will use Google Assistant to provide you with personalized search results.

Simply open the Chrome Flags page and look for “Omnibox Assistant Voice Search,” then enable it.

Flag URL: chrome://flags/#omnibox-assistant-voice-search

---

Reading List

Reading List, which is already available on Chrome Desktop, is being slowly deployed as the main feature on Chrome Android as well. It’s a small but useful modification to make reading more pleasant. You may now add things to read at any time using “Reading List,” which was previously only available through Bookmarks.

This option can be found under the title “Reading List” in Chrome and is enabled by turning on the “Reading List” flag.

Flag URL: chrome://flags/#read-later

---

Autofill UPI Details

If you’re an Indian and use Chrome on your Android phone, the Autofill UPI Details flag is for you. This flag allows Chrome to automatically fill in your Unique Payment Identification (UPI) number when you are making a payment through a UPI-enabled payment gateway.

To enable it, open the Chrome Flags page and search for UPI, then enable the “Offer save and autofill of UPI/VPA values” flag.

Flag URL: chrome://flags/#enable-autofill-upi-vpa

---

How to disable Chrome Android Flags?

If after enabling a flag the browser starts misbehaving, you can disable it in the same way you enabled it. If multiple flags are causing the problem and you don’t know which one is the culprit then reset all the flags by navigating to the chrome://flags and clicking on the Reset all button next to the search box.

Conclusion

These are just a few of the best Android Chrome flags that you should start using today. Keep in mind that these are test features and they may not work perfectly all the time. However, they are definitely worth trying out to see if they make your browsing experience better.