Chrome commands the most desktop market share amongst all browsers so it makes sense that Google keeps adding new features to add more value for its users, enabling it to retain existing customers while attracting new ones. It has now announced that it will soon integrate a new capability in Chrome that will block annoying website prompts automatically.
In a blog post, Google has highlighted that the next version of Chrome will sport a machine learning model that will autonomously block permission prompts and notifications from websites. This decision will be taken based on your historic pattern of interactivity with similar websites. For example, if you typically deny location permissions to websites, Chrome will automatically deny those on your behalf to new websites that you visit too and won"t even show you prompts.
The idea behind this feature is to ensure that you have an uninterrupted experience while browsing websites. Google has emphasized that machine learning predictions will happen entirely on your device and no data will be sent to the company.
Although Google hasn"t explicitly mentioned it, the "next version of Chrome" likely refers to Chrome 103 which will enter the Stable channel on June 21.
Another capability coming to Chrome in future releases is the utilization of machine learning to rearrange buttons on your Chrome toolbar. For example, depending on various factors like the website being visited and the time of the day, you could either be shown the mic icon at the front of the toolbar or the share button. You would still have the option to manually arrange the buttons.
The company has highlighted success with other machine learning models in Chrome too. These include the Safe Browsing initiative that automatically detects and blocks malicious websites from opening, and Journeys, which is essentially an enhancement to browsing history that allows you to retrace your online activity.