Chrome for iOS(itunes.apple.com)
itunes.apple.com
Chrome for iOS
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/chrome/id535886823?mt=8
93 comments
Only JS execution is 3x slower -- everything else (DOM, layout, repaint, parsing) is the same.
Most web pages (and even web applications) are rarely bottlenecked by JS execution speed. (There are a few exceptions to this rule...for example, the JS GameBoy Color emulator probably won't work very well)
Most web pages (and even web applications) are rarely bottlenecked by JS execution speed. (There are a few exceptions to this rule...for example, the JS GameBoy Color emulator probably won't work very well)
You mean the same as Mobile Safari, not the same as Chrome, right? Because "repaint" is not part of WebKit proper (it's implemented separately in Chrome and Safari, for example). And even "layout" is different code on iOS and in other WebKit ports...
Yes, that's right: I'm comparing CriOS to Mobile Safari, not to Chrome for Android or PC/Mac.
That's an interesting point about layout. I hadn't even considered how font size adjustment and such comes into play.
That's an interesting point about layout. I hadn't even considered how font size adjustment and such comes into play.
feature is crucial
A crucial feature for me would be password-manager support (lastpass, 1passwd). The (lack of) password management on the iPad is driving me nuts. The half-baked external apps that let you copy/paste don't cut it for me. Nor the awfully slow and constantly crashing "LastPass browser".
Does Chrome finally bring relief?
A crucial feature for me would be password-manager support (lastpass, 1passwd). The (lack of) password management on the iPad is driving me nuts. The half-baked external apps that let you copy/paste don't cut it for me. Nor the awfully slow and constantly crashing "LastPass browser".
Does Chrome finally bring relief?
Hmm... I never thought of that.
Safari 6 added a new preferences panel for saved passwords. Unfortunately there's not an equivalent iPad setting (just checked on iPad 2, iOS 6 beta 1), but this might change between now and fall...
Maybe you should file a bug report?
Safari 6 added a new preferences panel for saved passwords. Unfortunately there's not an equivalent iPad setting (just checked on iPad 2, iOS 6 beta 1), but this might change between now and fall...
Maybe you should file a bug report?
I didn't have much success with the bugs that I filed at apple over the past years. They all went into a black hole, never received as much as a response.
The thing is that I don't want the iPad to just save passwords. It already does that, although somewhat unreliably for me. I want it to use my existing, ginormous list of passwords stored in LastPass.
I don't even try anymore to do anything that requires a login on the iPad, it's an exercise in frustration. Sometimes Safari remembers the password that I painfully transcribed for a site, usually it doesn't.
It's such a blatant oversight for a device that is touted no least as "the internet in your hands" that I keep wondering why I so rarely see other people mention it.
The thing is that I don't want the iPad to just save passwords. It already does that, although somewhat unreliably for me. I want it to use my existing, ginormous list of passwords stored in LastPass.
I don't even try anymore to do anything that requires a login on the iPad, it's an exercise in frustration. Sometimes Safari remembers the password that I painfully transcribed for a site, usually it doesn't.
It's such a blatant oversight for a device that is touted no least as "the internet in your hands" that I keep wondering why I so rarely see other people mention it.
It's such a blatant oversight for a device that is touted no least as "the internet in your hands" that I keep wondering why I so rarely see other people mention it.
I was with you up until this last sentence. People who know what LastPass is (let alone use it) are in a tiny minority.
Given how they treat the development community (hello Xcode nightmare), which I'd wager is a much larger group, I don't think it's entirely surprising that something like password manager support would be further down in the list of priorities.
I was with you up until this last sentence. People who know what LastPass is (let alone use it) are in a tiny minority.
Given how they treat the development community (hello Xcode nightmare), which I'd wager is a much larger group, I don't think it's entirely surprising that something like password manager support would be further down in the list of priorities.
Agreed. 1Password support would be the thing that would cause me to use Chrome exclusively on iOS. The machinations I have to go through now with 1Password on iOS are extremely frustrating.
I have the same problem and found a solution, maybe it helps for you.
1password supports Dropbox integration, and it provides a web page inside your dropbox account (i.e. password protected) that you can log into with your master password to check them out.
It is not automatic nor integrated, and it does not allow you to add new passwords, but at least you can easily copy and paste them on the iPad.
1password supports Dropbox integration, and it provides a web page inside your dropbox account (i.e. password protected) that you can log into with your master password to check them out.
It is not automatic nor integrated, and it does not allow you to add new passwords, but at least you can easily copy and paste them on the iPad.
Chrome Sync allows you to sync passwords.
Only for Javascript stuff, though. If you're browsing mobile sites, it shouldn't affect you at all, as well as most websites on the web that aren't JS-heavy.
Well that's a bummer. The UI in the Chrome app is really slick!
Don't worry too much about that, it's only slower for javascript execution. The other features, including Chrome sync, unlimited tabs, "Request desktop site", more than make up for it.
The real stumbling block, IMO, is that without jailbreaking, links from other apps will always open in Safari.
The real stumbling block, IMO, is that without jailbreaking, links from other apps will always open in Safari.
That is something I really hope Apple fixes.
They have a generic mechanism to send files to other apps, but not for URLs, making it painful to pass a URL to Twitter or an instant messaging app.
They have a generic mechanism to send files to other apps, but not for URLs, making it painful to pass a URL to Twitter or an instant messaging app.
Are you not thinking of custom URL schemes, which you can switch to another app and optionally pass small bits of data to it?
I'm not sure what happens when multiple apps register for the same scheme.
I'm looking for a generic mechanism to let the user choose an app and pass an 'http' url to that app. I don't think I can do that with custom schemes, because each app would have its own scheme.
It could be accomplished via a custom file type if everybody standardized on it (say via a .url file of type text/x-url or maybe even text/plain). But I was hoping for something official.
The current way people do this is via the pasteboard, but the switching and pasting process feels awkward to me. I suppose that may be the best solution for now. Maybe apps should just handle things better if they're awoken with a new URL on the pasteboard (i.e. offer to take an action with it).
I'll think through my use cases some more.
I'm looking for a generic mechanism to let the user choose an app and pass an 'http' url to that app. I don't think I can do that with custom schemes, because each app would have its own scheme.
It could be accomplished via a custom file type if everybody standardized on it (say via a .url file of type text/x-url or maybe even text/plain). But I was hoping for something official.
The current way people do this is via the pasteboard, but the switching and pasting process feels awkward to me. I suppose that may be the best solution for now. Maybe apps should just handle things better if they're awoken with a new URL on the pasteboard (i.e. offer to take an action with it).
I'll think through my use cases some more.
The first app or the last app (can't remember which) that registered for the custom URL scheme owns it.
> Maybe apps should just handle things better if they're awoken with a new URL on the pasteboard (i.e. offer to take an action with it).
This is almost how using custom URL schemes would work, but I think it's still superior to fiddling with the pasteboard though.
But you are right. There isn't a standard way to do it now. Most apps that expose or utilize this form integration has to come up with something themselves. Also see http://handleopenurl.com/
> Maybe apps should just handle things better if they're awoken with a new URL on the pasteboard (i.e. offer to take an action with it).
This is almost how using custom URL schemes would work, but I think it's still superior to fiddling with the pasteboard though.
But you are right. There isn't a standard way to do it now. Most apps that expose or utilize this form integration has to come up with something themselves. Also see http://handleopenurl.com/
> unlimited tabs
Safari on iOS 6 (on iPad, at least) finally lets you open more than 9 tabs! The new max is 25, which is enough.
Safari on iOS 6 (on iPad, at least) finally lets you open more than 9 tabs! The new max is 25, which is enough.
Safari on the iPhone in iOS 5 only gets 8. I wonder if Chrome for iOS gets any sort of tab recovery on crashes. It doesn't happened frequently, but it's annoying when I have to quit and relaunch safari for whatever reason and lose everything I had open.
At first glance, the UI feels pretty good. Here's some screenshots of Google Chrome on iOS: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjAhkquN
Couldn't agree more. More like 1.5-2x slower but it certainly isn't a speed improvement over Safari.
Didn't know about Nitro, but this app is a flop because it has to be on top of UIWebView.
Not sure there's any other way to build this app, Google has some bright engineers.
Didn't know about Nitro, but this app is a flop because it has to be on top of UIWebView.
Not sure there's any other way to build this app, Google has some bright engineers.
I don't think this app is going to be a runaway hit.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57463546-93/google-chrome-a...
Most popular free application for iOS.
Marketing, better UI, sync features, herd mentality, who'll tell?
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57463546-93/google-chrome-a...
Most popular free application for iOS.
Marketing, better UI, sync features, herd mentality, who'll tell?
Luckily for me, the main reasons I am using it is desktop to mobile and password syncing and stuff.
[deleted]
The bummer here for Google (and anyone else who'd like to provide an alternative to Apple's apps on the iOS platform) is that there's no way to set your default browser. Or email client. Or calendar. It'll be hard to use chrome if Safari opens up every time I click a link in email or any other app.
I wonder if Apple is ever going to run into legal trouble for this - it can't be much different than Microsoft's troubles with bundling IE, WMP, etc. on the desktop.
I'm sure it's possible to do with a jailbreak tweak, and I'll look into that. I've always wondered, are many HN readers jailbreakers?
EDIT: This looks like it should do the job - http://www.redmondpie.com/change-default-browser-on-iphone-w... Just have to wait for an update.
EDIT: This looks like it should do the job - http://www.redmondpie.com/change-default-browser-on-iphone-w... Just have to wait for an update.
It is a bummer you can't make Chrome your default browser. However, if you move Safari to a folder and put Chrome in your launch bar, Safari being default won't bother you too much.
Until you click a link in an email or app.
Thanks. Chrome doesn't show up on Appstore search. The Appstore could really use an overhaul in my opinion.
Just navigate to this page on iOS and click on the iTunes link. It will open up the App Store and redirect you to the app.
Search in general on the Appstore isn't very good; not just for this.
There's usually a few hours delay before new apps show up in the search index.
You have to search, "Google Chrome" and it's the last result (of 25).
At least when searching through App Store on the iPhone.
At least when searching through App Store on the iPhone.
As of now, it's #1 when searching for "Chrome."
Luckily, it does get an overhaul in iOS 6.
It did for me a couple of minutes ago.
+1. Many thanks.
Add this as a bookmark in Mobile Safari to be able to quickly open pages in Chrome:
javascript:location.protocol='googlechrome'[deleted]
I have high hope for Chrome for iOS to be like the Google Search app[1] which is simply fun to use. Instead, on an iPad, what we got is just a desktop UI slab on top of touch interface… and seems to trash old tab faster than Mobile Safari. It's kind of sad.
Edit: I was wrong about tab trashing, seems like old tab reloads when you come back from Incognito mode.
[1]: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-search/id284815942?mt=...
Edit: I was wrong about tab trashing, seems like old tab reloads when you come back from Incognito mode.
[1]: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-search/id284815942?mt=...
This could be a nice "trojan horse" into the iOS ecosystem. Get Apple users hooked enough on Chrome, that they will want to switch to Android for the "real Chrome experience". I know a lot of people are not using iPhones because they can't live without the Gmail app for Android.
It's possible but I seriously doubt users would switch to Android because of a browser. Especially when they've already spent a lot of money on iOS apps and are familiar with the iOS ecosystem. I also doubt any mainstream user will understand that Chrome on iOS is slower than it could be because of Apple's rules.
> It's possible but I seriously doubt users would switch to Android because of a browser. [..] I also doubt any mainstream user will understand that Chrome on iOS is slower than it could be because of Apple's rules.
Yes, it seems more likely that the opposite of what GP said will happen: iOS users will try Chrome, and seeing it is 3-4x slower than the default Safari, will assume that Chrome would be slow on Android too - it has the exact same name after all - so they'll stick with iOS.
Yes, it seems more likely that the opposite of what GP said will happen: iOS users will try Chrome, and seeing it is 3-4x slower than the default Safari, will assume that Chrome would be slow on Android too - it has the exact same name after all - so they'll stick with iOS.
I'm more curious to see if Google, or users, will try to use the Chrome launch on iOS as a wedge into getting Apple to open up the OS to allow alternative defaults than Apple's own.
Autocompletion in the omnibox is way more aggressive than in Safari. You typically only need to type one or two characters to get to the sites you visit most frequently. In a lot of cases, this will more than make up for any JS performance differences between Chrome and Safari.
Chrome now tops the iOS App Store charts
http://itunes.apple.com/us/rss/topfreeapplications/limit=10/...
http://itunes.apple.com/us/rss/topfreeapplications/limit=10/...
On my 3gs Chrome is showing some significant slowdown over Safari, in JS, page loads, and scrolling - all are delayed. The reasons have already been explained, but it is still sad. The omnibar makes it worth it though, gosh I have missed thee.
I'm excited to use this, but wow, the sign in flow for people using 2-factor authentication is awful.
It's bizarre. Why is a Google app using an application specific password instead of your authentication code? The only reason an app should not use the two factors is if it's some legacy protocol that only takes a single userid/password pair. WTF.
Google's own apps should really support 2-factor auth, and they should improve the flow for app-specific passwords.
The flow for getting an app-specifc password is awful. It takes a large number of clicks (I think 7, but I lost count), and several of the pages are confusing. Not only that, but you have to enter your password and a name of the app. Ideally, it would be a reduced number of clicks (like 2–3), entering your password, and that's it. Adding a name for the app should be optional. My apps all have names like “alsjdlajshd” or “9”, because I'm impatient, and the likelihood that I'll ever need to invalidate one is low enough that I would be okay with just invalidating them all.
The flow for getting an app-specifc password is awful. It takes a large number of clicks (I think 7, but I lost count), and several of the pages are confusing. Not only that, but you have to enter your password and a name of the app. Ideally, it would be a reduced number of clicks (like 2–3), entering your password, and that's it. Adding a name for the app should be optional. My apps all have names like “alsjdlajshd” or “9”, because I'm impatient, and the likelihood that I'll ever need to invalidate one is low enough that I would be okay with just invalidating them all.
Are you using [application authorization](https://www.google.com/accounts/b/0/IssuedAuthSubTokens?hl=e...)?
After a few hours of heavy usage:
-I had forgotten how AWESOME omnibox is. You can speak to it!!
-Safari habits die hard
-The only thing I'm missing is the 'Reader' feature.
-I had forgotten how AWESOME omnibox is. You can speak to it!!
-Safari habits die hard
-The only thing I'm missing is the 'Reader' feature.
The lack of an OmniBox is what disturbs me the most about Safari on iOS right now. The most common use case being entering one of the boxes, realizing I don't have the URL in my head and need to search (or vice versa). Also, Chrome's OmniBox let's you search your history at the same time as you search the web and enter URLs... priceless.
Several problems:
1. Not very robust - it keeps forgetting the Google passwords I've typed in
2. Why do I need to enter two Google passwords - my 'main' password AND an application-specific password?
3. Not very easy to use. For example, where's the option to see my browsing history on Chrome for iPhone?
1. Not very robust - it keeps forgetting the Google passwords I've typed in
2. Why do I need to enter two Google passwords - my 'main' password AND an application-specific password?
3. Not very easy to use. For example, where's the option to see my browsing history on Chrome for iPhone?
2. Do you use 2-factor authentication? I do, and so I'm used to seeing this on applications that don't fully support the 2-factor authentication, which is, I assume why it was asking.
If you encrypt your stuff using your Google password, that might be why it is needed.
"the item you tried to buy is no longer available."
That was brief.
That was brief.
After using it for a while now it's made me realise there's a ton of features I've been missing when using mobile Safari:
-New tab with Most Visited and Recently Closed -Google Sync for bookmarks but more importantly it instantly empowers my Omnibox -the keyboard has an extra character row at the top that includes hyphens (simple but nice) -Swipe between tabs -find in page -Open in new tab defaults to opening in the background (I've missed this a lot) -unlimited tabs
I realise some of these aren't unique to mobile Chrome but as far as I'm aware they are missing from mobile Safari and they're the reasons I'll be sticking with Chrome.
-New tab with Most Visited and Recently Closed -Google Sync for bookmarks but more importantly it instantly empowers my Omnibox -the keyboard has an extra character row at the top that includes hyphens (simple but nice) -Swipe between tabs -find in page -Open in new tab defaults to opening in the background (I've missed this a lot) -unlimited tabs
I realise some of these aren't unique to mobile Chrome but as far as I'm aware they are missing from mobile Safari and they're the reasons I'll be sticking with Chrome.
I love that it opens tabs behind, unlike Safari. Only thing I don't like is the address bar using up too much room (not disappearing).
Yes, it’s very strange (and annoying) that it doesn’t disappear. With the swipe-to-switch-tabs gesture, there’s even less reason to show it permanently than in Mobile Safari.
Can someone please explain Apple and Microsoft's insistence to push Safari and IE respectively? It seems that they have little to gain.
In this case, why does Apple mandate the use of UIWebView instead of allowing a native implementation of Webkit+V8? It just seems like Apple is being stubborn as usual.
In this case, why does Apple mandate the use of UIWebView instead of allowing a native implementation of Webkit+V8? It just seems like Apple is being stubborn as usual.
It doesnt have the reader feature that i like in safari. Fine, I thought - lets get the readability bookmarklet.
Turns out Google Chrome doesn't support bookmarklets... What the hell, Google!
Turns out Google Chrome doesn't support bookmarklets... What the hell, Google!
Just found out: the bookmarklet works if you manually copy and paste it into the url bar, but not, if you selct it from the bookmarks list...
Chrome doesn't support blocking of third party cookies. You either have them, or you don't.
http://db.tt/ldZUNuJo
http://db.tt/ldZUNuJo
If this lets me have my passwords and bookmarks on my iPhone, I'm definitely saying goodbye to Xmarks and Lastpass.
finally a solution to open more than 10 tabs. I was quite excited to have a way to open those 30+ news to read while traveling on the underground.... sad news, when I switch tab the browser reload the page and lose the content... wtf! back to safari :(
Safari does that all the time as well.
just tried to install and it looks like the app has been removed? anyone that could confirm?
Yes, just got "The item you tried to buy is no longer available"...hmmmm...https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VzS7TgKtYRE/T-zQMcuxLXI/A...
Unlike on Android, where pushing an app live is almost instantaneous, on iTunes it takes 24 hours for apps to propagate through all the various content distribution nodes.
It's much more likely it's this, since knowing Apple's review teams I would strongly suspect when they saw the "Google Chrome" app in the review queue they raised it up the management chain.
There is no rhyme or reason to this, it's just how it goes in the crazy world of iTunes Connect and the app store.
It's much more likely it's this, since knowing Apple's review teams I would strongly suspect when they saw the "Google Chrome" app in the review queue they raised it up the management chain.
There is no rhyme or reason to this, it's just how it goes in the crazy world of iTunes Connect and the app store.
Took me a few tries. For me, it said that the app couldn't be downloaded a couple times. I just hit "Retry".
I can't install it either.
Same issue here too.
[deleted]
Can't imagine the amount of arm twisting that was involved in getting this into the App Store. Must've really come down to the ultimate "No Google for you" argument.
Eh, I doubt Apple would reject it. IIRC Mozilla already did something similar.
Same thing as Y! Axis as well.
Care to explain?
They did a similar tab sync app skinned like a different browser. Of course, WebKit, not Gecko.
Do you mean this?
http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/mobile/home/
It doesn't even pretend to be a browser AFAIK.
It doesn't even pretend to be a browser AFAIK.
Yeah, Yahoo! Axis would be a better comparison.
How does it compare with Opera Mini browser?
Not an answer, just an elaboration on differences: Apple doesn't allow "duplicating functionality" or something along those lines and as other comment already mentioned, Chrome is a stock browser with different UI. That's also why there is no Opera Mobile on iOS. Opera Mini on the other hand bypasses this rule by being application which shows already preprocessed web (similar to Turbo function on Desktop or Mobile).
Unless I'm mistaken Nitro is actually enabled as of iOS 5.
No, sorry it's not, for security reasons. Thus it probably won't be enabled in the future either.
Somewhy I could not find it with the search in the app store on iPad itself.
Just installed it. Sweet. Finally I've got the same browsing experience on my iPad as on a desktop.
Just installed it. Sweet. Finally I've got the same browsing experience on my iPad as on a desktop.
Unless the tab-sharing feature is crucial to more people than I thought, I don't think this app is going to be a runaway hit.
0: https://twitter.com/viviancromwell/status/218402587760795648 1: https://twitter.com/stroughtonsmith/status/21843446275153920...