Chrome 51 for Android Finally Abandons 'Merge Tabs and Apps' Option

After releasing Chrome 51 for desktop in May, the company has now also released a Chrome 51 update for Android. The app gets some bug fixes, while also reintroducing the old tabs feature that was removed in 2014.

The latest version is available on Google Play where it can be downloaded for free. The update brings back the default tabs layout that it had killed in 2014 with the introduction of Android Lollipop. It had then brought the 'Merge tabs and apps' feature that put tabs into the app switcher instead of all in one place. The change was not accepted well by users, and Google has finally decided to backtrack and reintroduce the old tab layout as default, while removing the merge option altogether.

Apart from this, the update largely focuses on security improvements and bug fixes. As mentioned earlier, Google Chrome for desktop also got an update to version 51 earlier. It brought along a total of 42 security fixes. The update claims to reduce power consumption by up to 30 percent, with a revamped off-screen frame rendering system. This means that videos, images and other media in the background will not be rendered unnecessarily.

(Also see: Google Chrome to Soon Ditch Backspace Shortcut After Complaints)

It also introduced the new Credential Management API, which essentially aims to manage passwords better, or eliminate their need altogether. This will enable websites to interact with Chrome directly, and developers can inadvertently allow users to 'sign-in with just one tap' when required.