Google Chrome 16 Arrives With Profile Manager

News
By Wolfgang Gruener
published

Google has just added updated its stable browser channel. Version 16 takes the profile manager live and adds enhancements to the syncing.

Chrome 16 is the eighth release for Chrome this year. The big news is multi-profile support in one browser window. You can simply add new user profiles by clicking the user icon on the top left of the browser window or via the Tools/Options menu. This new feature enables multiple users to use the same browser window and load their browsing history as well as bookmarks (a carryover feature that previously required a retired Google Gears feature), as long as they are synced. What you can't do is run two profile in parallel at the same time.

Google also added 15 (published) security patches and paid $6000 to those who discovered them. The nightly Chrome (Canary) has arrived at version 18, which recently introduced an overhaul to the extensions page, which is still very much work in progress.

Download Chrome 16 here.

Wolfgang Gruener
10 Comments Comment from the forums
  • notsleep
    i prefer iron myself. someone needs to murder the guy in charge of version numbering for chrome and firefox...
    Reply
  • motamedn
    IDK what the fuss is about. I just put in the decimal point they forget. I'm looking forward to Chrome 1.6! :)
    Reply
  • iLLz
    Version numbering aside, Chrome is a great browser. I love the apps/extensions they have for them. Angry Birds for the kids, Adblock Plus and so much more for myself. Keep up the good work Google.
    Reply
  • soccerdocks
    Why does everyone make such a big deal about numbering? It doesn't really matter what version they call their browser. It really makes much more sense for them to do their numbering this way. None of the new releases in the past year or two have had any MAJOR changes. All of their changes have been gradual and in steps. This is much better for the consumer as they don't have to spend a ton of time reacquainting themselves with the browser and its features. They only have to spend a minute or two each 6 weeks (if even that).

    If they were to call it Chrome version 1.6 then once they get to "1.9" people would be a big change when "2.0" comes out. This probably won't happen. It didn't happen with the change from 9 to 10. Updating the version number with each release really is the most LOGICAL way to do things.
    Reply
  • eddieroolz
    SRWare Iron for the win. The Chrome experience without Google snooping in on you.
    Reply
  • I've been using the Chrome 16-Beta for several weeks now and although it has some major stability issues, I couldn't do without the profiles. I work from home and was tired of having to launch an incognito window for all of my work related accounts...the Profiles are wonderful.
    Reply
  • ha, you jokesters need to use rockmelt or flock for a real browser experience, srware iron is leftovers from the win95 dayz, way to take the open source chromium and take a ...
    Reply
  • stingray71
    Simple feature, but very useful. This will be nice for the wife an I. I hope the profiles sync across multiple computers.
    Reply
  • tidex
    eddieroolzSRWare Iron for the win. The Chrome experience without Google snooping in on you.
    Your tinfoil hat is on too tight.
    http://chromium.hybridsource.org/the-iron-scam
    Reply
  • There are a number of inaccuracies in this article.

    First of all, each profile get its own browser window -- they are not shared inside the same window.

    Secondly, you do *not* need to sync in order to use multiple profiles. Sync is optional, and any given profile can be synced or not synced.

    Third, you *can* run two profiles at the same time. Each one gets its own window, and both windows can be open at the same time.

    Please try to do some research next time before blogging.
    Reply