Google tests new tool to 'follow' sites in Chrome on Android

San Francisco, May 21

Google is testing a new feature for its Chrome browser on Android that lets users “follow” sites to create an updating list of new content they publish.

The feature is based on RSS (a web feed) and it is an open web standard that’s been the backbone of many popular web aggregation tools in the past, The Verge reported on Thursday.

“We have heard it loud and clear: Discovery and distribution are lacking on the open web and RSS hasn’t been ‘mainstream consumer’ friendly,” Paul Bakaus, Google’s head of web creator relations said in a tweet. 

“Today, we are announcing an experimental new way, powered by RSS, to follow creators with one click,” Bakaus added.

The test is small-scale—the following sites will only be an option for some US users of Chrome Canary (the bleeding-edge version of Chrome that lets enthusiasts access beta features). 

Users will be able to follow sites from the browser menu and updates will be aggregated in a card-based feed that’s shown when users open a new tab. 

It’s not clear whether this feed is wholly dependent on sites providing RSS support or if Google will fill in the gaps itself, the report said. — IANS