Google Chrome is still the most popular browser in the world, with a market share far exceeding that of its competitors. Therefore, it is understandable that Chrome is regularly updated with new features to maintain and expand its leading position. And soon, Google will add a 'quiet' feature that many users will surely love.
Specifically, Google is developing a new feature for Chrome on Android and computers, allowing you to automatically revoke the right to send notifications from websites you rarely interact with.
Chrome already has a Safety Check tool that helps manage camera and location access. Now Google wants to extend that capability to notifications, making it less annoying for users.
According to Google's internal data, users only interact with less than 1% of browser notifications, suggesting that most of them don't add any real value and are mostly annoying and disruptive to the browsing experience. So the company is implementing a smart, automated system to revoke notification permissions from sites that are no longer active — and Chrome will, of course, notify users when this happens.
Of course, users still have full control over this feature:
- It is possible to completely disable the automatic revocation mechanism if desired.
- Or re-grant notification permissions to the site by accessing it directly or through Safety Check.
Notably, installed progressive web apps (PWAs) will not be affected by this change.
Google says testing of the feature has already begun, and the initial results have been positive:
Notifications have dropped dramatically, but click-through rates haven't dropped at all, and pages that send fewer notifications have even seen more engagement.
According to Google, this feature will help bring a cleaner, more focused and 'quiet' browsing experience. However, an official release date has not been announced yet.