[Help] Google Chrome

[Petrah]

On my desktop computer the Home button in Chrome is set to the Google search page. I decided to once again try Chrome on my S4. It synced from PC to phone like it was supposed to.

Chrome on the phone: I cannot for the life of me locate the Home button. I want it set to the Google search page. That's what I want to see when I open the browser. That's what I want to see if I open a new tab.

Where is the Home button?
How do you set a specific site that you see every time you open the browser
How do you set that same site link so that it shows on every new tab?

 

[Unforgiven]

You don't. If you want to search it is the same as Chrome on your PC. Just type your search term n the address bar. On a blank page (new tab) at the bottom you should see "Most Visited | BookMarks | Other Devices." Using the address bar for search and these three tabs I can usually get where I want pretty quickly.

 

[Petrah]

Thanks for replying.

I can't believe Google wouldn't add such a useful thing. On my PC when I open Chrome, everything I need is right there on the Google search page; quick link to my apps, quick link to news, Google+ and loads of other things that I enjoy having quickly at my fingertips. These are the things I want to see when I first open the browser.

All of the things Google added for me are right there on one Home page in every browser except their own on Android. Makes no sense whatsoever.

 

[chanchan05]

Well, a PC has a bigger screen and more resources. Plus, isn't the functionality you are looking for in the Chrome app is the functionality of the Google Now app?

 

[Petrah]

Well, a PC has a bigger screen and more resources.

It's not about the screen size. It's about the ability to set a home page that is there every time I open the browser (for me I prefer Google.com since it has everything I need right there on that page).

Plus, isn't the functionality you are looking for in the Chrome app is the functionality of the Google Now app?

No sir. When in Chrome if I open google.com I see the same thing on my cell phone that I see in Chrome on the PC. I just want to set Google.com as my home page. Apparently this is not possible with Chrome for Android. I have to go through additional steps to get to Google.com every time I open the browser, and I shouldn't have to.

 

[chanchan05]

I meant the quick link to news feed, weather and certain info. I remenber that was part of Google Now. Can't be sure as it's services in my country is very limited. It seems all the more so since Google.com on my own PC doesn't have all those things you are looking for. It's a blank search engine to me.

 

[ocnbrze]

to be honest i see no reason to set google.com as your home as you can just enter your search in the address bar like unforgiven has mentioned.

however, i understand what you're saying.....for me the home button is set for the user cp here on AF. this way i can see all of the threads in which i subscribe to automatically.

this is not the case on my phone. but i'm used to it by now so it is not a big deal for me.

 

[Goodspike]

Ignoring the lack of a home button, in a way they actually work the same way. On your phone Chrome will pop up to the last page you were at, which is exactly what happens on your desktop assuming you've not exited out of Chrome. It's very unlikely that Chrome will have exited out on your S4, so it's still running each time you "start" it, and it will be where you left off.

Have you discovered how bookmarks work? Syncing the desktop Bookmarks bar shortcuts and the separate mobile bookmarks. By creating a mobile bookmark you could get to the page you want your home page to be.

 

[Goodspike]

Thinking about this further, with the S4 I have similar issues with many other apps, because the S4 has so much memory that apps don't typically ever get closed! So when I "launch" them again they're right where I left them, because they were just in the background, which for at least one of them means I have to back out of where I was to get to where I want to be (the beginning).

Quite the difference from my old Droid 2 Global, where if I received a phone call when driving one of the other apps I was using (e.g. a music app) might be unloaded from memory by the OS and I'd have to re-start it.

 

[Petrah]

Ignoring the lack of a home button, in a way they actually work the same way. On your phone Chrome will pop up to the last page you were at, which is exactly what happens on your desktop assuming you've not exited out of Chrome.

On my desktop and laptop both, Chrome opens (even if it's been closed) to Google.com. When I open a new tab, it opens to Google.com. I wouldn't even be using Chrome if Firefox had not gone in the crapper.

It's very unlikely that Chrome will have exited out on your S4, so it's still running each time you "start" it, and it will be where you left off.

I am aware of this. Dolphin does the exact same thing, only it gives me the ability to set a home page and that's where it opens every time I tap on the browser icon. This is the second time I've attempted to use the Android version of Chrome, and since you cannot set a Home page I guess I'll be going back to Dolphin again.

I'm really big on the ability to have options available to me. Chrome does not offer the options that I need (home button, ability to set a home page). It's a shame really since Google is going out of their way to ensure that their users have everything they need right at their fingertips without having to search for it (as evidenced with the PC version).... with the exception of their phone browser.