Google Chrome Browser on IOS Officially released

Google Chrome The iOS platform is something of a strange playground for app developers who have to be very careful not to tread on the toes of Apple when coming up with their own software. If Apple doesn’t like an app for any reason, it can be blocked so that no one can download it, and replicating features that are already available in iOS is a quick and easy way to ensure that your app does not last very long. Problems like this mean that replacements for iOS’s built in apps are not exactly plentiful.

While Chrome for iOS may not be much more than a skin on top of Mobile Safari, that doesn't seem to have put off the denizens of the App Store — they've sent Google's browser to the number 1 position in the free app charts. In our hands-on, we liked the Chrome mobile interface and appreciated the way it syncs with the desktop browser, though App Store restrictions stop it matching Mobile Safari for speed. It's definitely worth checking out, especially if you use the most popular browser in the world on other devices, and its instant popularity suggests that there could well be a demand for alternate iOS browsers.

Chrome power users on desktop are going to want to use Chrome for iOS. The app syncs history, bookmarks, and even tabs effortlessly. Unlike most apps Google has released for iOS, Chrome is filled with plenty of nice touches that illustrate how much effort was put into it. If the app ever crashes, you even get a "restore tabs" prompt, just like on desktop. There's Incognito mode (via a nice toggle on iPad) if you want to browse privately. A little shortcuts keyboard appears above the normal keyboard as you type in URLs. Edge swipe on iPhone generally works great, and could very easily become a UX idea other developers work off of. I think it's time to start begging for "the next big thing" from the big G.