Until recently, the only way to open a link in Chrome’s mobile browser was to exit the current page or send the link to a separate tab. Neither scenario is ideal, especially if you just want to briefly browse a link before opening it. Fortunately Chrome now finally allows you to preview hyperlinks on Android.
Google recently added the option to preview the page via a server-side update. It’s on by default for all devices so you don’t have to go through your settings or install any more patches to get it to work, but some users may not be aware that it’s possible to preview links since Google added the functionality so suddenly.
To preview a link in the Chrome Android app:
- Long-press on a hyperlink to open a pop-up menu
- Please select “Preview the page.”
- A smaller tab will open over the current page. You can scroll through the preview and view your content as usual without leaving the page you are already on.
- If you want to load a preview page in its own tab, tap the arrow icon in the upper right corner. press the “X” icon to close a preview window.
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The link preview is a small but useful addition to Chrome that serves a number of purposes, allowing you to detect jokes or skim an article to see if it is what you are looking for.
That being said, don’t preview the pages unless you are sure it is a secure website. Previewing a link loads all the content on a page, including all images, videos and code used by the page. That includes any NSFW content you may be avoiding, but there are bigger threats to worry about than adult websites.
Identity fraud And malware scams often use fake URLs to steal personal information or push malicious software onto your devices, and previewing these pages can be just as dangerous as opening them directly. The best choice it is simply not touching suspicious links. However, you can inspect a link in Chrome without opening or previewing the page – just press and hold the link to open the pop-up menu. The URL of the link is displayed at the top of the menu. If you don’t recognize the URL or if it is obviously false, do not click on it.
[9to5Google]