How to enable Chrome flags to test new beta features on Android mobile phone, iPhone, Windows laptop/ PC, and Mac

Activate Chrome Flags to get beforehand access to new features

• By Sonal Choudhary -
Last Updated: November 9, 2023

Google Chrome keeps rolling out new features every now and then under a hidden section called Experiments which contains in-development options for users to try out. However, it is important to note that since these are experimental features, bugs are a common affair that can backfire too! If you're willing to take the risk, below is an easy step-by-step guide on how to enable and disable Chrome flags on Android mobile phones and PCs.

What are Chrome flags?

• By definition, Chrome flags are experimental or beta features that are currently being tested by Google on the Chrome browser. These features are hidden i.e., they aren't yet enabled by default.
• However, it is quite easy to access and enable them should you wish to customise your browsing experience or make the browser UI more aligned with your needs.
• The experimental nature of Chrome flags does make them a bit volatile, and can even cause privacy and security issues while browsing. More often than not, Chrome flags allow Google to pilot-test the new features before rolling out to Chrome users.

How to enable Chrome Flags on Android mobile phone, Windows PC/ laptop, and Mac

Chrome flags can be easily accessed on your Android mobile phone, iPhone, tablet, Windows laptop/ PC or Mac. Here's how:

Step 1: Open the Google Chrome browser on your Android mobile phone, laptop or PC

Step 2: In the search bar, type chrome://flags and hit enter to open the Experiments page. It will have a list of Chrome flags divided into Available and Unavailable columns.

Step 3: Scroll through the Available list to find a flag you might want to enable. If you wish to look up a specific flag, you can search for it by entering its name in the search box.

Step 4: When you find the Chrome flag you want to use, click on the drop-down menu under its name and select Enabled.

Step 5: Once you do that, it'll prompt you to restart the Chrome browser on your Android, iPhone, Windows, or Mac device to apply the changes.

You can enable multiple flags should you wish to and tap the blue Relaunch button at the bottom when you're ready. The next time you launch Google Chrome, you'll be able to see the new features in action.

How to disable Chrome flags

In case you're encountering any problems with your browser performance ever since you've enabled Chrome flags, you can follow one of the two routes mentioned below:

• On the Experiments page, find the Chrome flag that you want to disable. Click on the drop-down menu under its name and then, select Disabled.
  
• If you aren't sure which of the Chrome flags you've enabled is causing the issue, you can disable all of them at once by clicking the Reset All button on the top right of the Experiments page.

Whichever route you take, don't forget to hit the Relaunch button to update the settings.

Things to remember while using Chrome Flags

The first thing that you'll see when you access the Chrome flags page is the warning at the top. It lets you know that there are experimental features ahead and enabling them could result in loss of browser data or security or privacy breach. With respect to the same, here are a few things you need to keep in mind before enabling Chrome flags on your phone.

• Chrome flags aren't completely secure, so you shouldn't enable them if you use the browser for confidential or sensitive matters like online transactions. Alternatively, you can use a different browser for carrying out such tasks.
• Chrome flags are still in the beta testing phase, so there is a possibility that the quality and performance won't be at par.
• Chrome flags will only work upon restarting the browser after enabling them.

Note: If you face too many hiccups after enabling Chrome flags, you can easily disable them.

FAQs

What to do if I face problems on Chrome after enabling a flag?

In case you run into a problem that hampers your browsing experience on Google Chrome after enabling a flag, go to Chrome://flags URL and disable the flag you will is causing the issue. Alternatively, you can also hit the 'Reset all' button to turn off all the Chrome flags in one go.

Are Chrome flags safe to use on my mobile phone?

Since Chrome flags are meant for testing and experimental purposes, there's always a chance you may run into some or the other issues. Anyone using Google Chrome can enable flags and you can always disable them after testing.