Google is pushing Chrome deeper into productivity territory with three new features that transform the browser into more of a workspace hub. The company just announced Split View for side-by-side tab browsing, native PDF annotation tools, and a 'Save to Chrome' feature for syncing content across devices. The timing isn't coincidental - Chrome's fighting to maintain its 65% market share as Microsoft Edge and upstart Arc chip away with their own productivity-first features.
Google just handed Chrome users a suite of productivity tools that blur the line between browser and workspace. The company announced Thursday that Split View, PDF annotations, and a new 'Save to Chrome' feature are rolling out globally, marking Chrome's most aggressive push yet into productivity territory.
The Split View feature does what power users have been jury-rigging with window management tools for years - lets you view two tabs side-by-side within a single browser window. No more alt-tabbing between research docs and writing tools, or dragging windows across multiple monitors. It's a direct shot at Microsoft Edge, which has offered similar split-screen capabilities since 2023, and the design-forward Arc browser that's been stealing mindshare among creative professionals.
But the PDF annotation tools might be the bigger deal. Chrome's new native markup features let users highlight, draw, and add text directly to PDFs without bouncing to Adobe Acrobat or third-party extensions. For the millions of workers who live in Google Workspace, this creates a tighter loop - research in Chrome, annotate in Chrome, share via Google Drive, all without leaving the ecosystem. It's the kind of friction-reducing feature that doesn't sound revolutionary until you realize you're using it dozens of times a week.
'Save to Chrome' rounds out the update with cross-device syncing that goes beyond bookmarks. Users can now save articles, images, and other content to a dedicated space that follows them across desktop, mobile, and tablet. Think of it as Google's answer to Apple's Reading List or Pocket, but baked directly into the browser's core experience. The feature taps into Chrome's existing sync infrastructure, which already handles passwords, history, and settings across more than 3 billion devices.
