Most users are not aware of the sidebar features of the Chrome browser. Let's see how useful it is.
The sidebar of the Google Chrome browser is a particularly useful but underrated feature that can make your web browsing easier.
It offers faster access to the main features of the browser, such as reading mode, reading list, bookmarks, Google Lens.
In addition many times you makes it easy to bypass annoying scripts and read the text of a site that insists you disable the ad blocker extension.
All Chromium-based browsers, such as Brave, Opera, Vivaldi, Edge (vertical tabs), have a corresponding sidebar feature that more or less does the same things. So what we mention here applies to all Chromium-based browsers.
If we've convinced you or if we've piqued your curiosity, let's see what you can do with Chrome's sidebar. We assume you have upgraded Chrome and are running the latest version.
Table of Contents
How to access the Chrome sidebar
As its name suggests, Chrome's sidebar appears in a narrow window next to a web page. This makes use of available space that is often not used by websites.
To access Chrome's sidebar there used to be a square symbol in the upper right corner of the browser window. Now that's gone and each sub-mode is accessed separately, such as reading mode, reading list, bookmarks, Google Lens and history. Except that in the latest version of Chrome, it crashes in the "history" mode.
View reading mode in the Chrome sidebar
Google Chrome's reading function is a handy tool that helps you read only the text of a web page, without being bothered by pictures, ads, and other effects.
To access the reading mode, tap the drop-down box at the top right with the three vertical dots and select the option More tools > Reading mode.
The sidebar will open and display the content of the webpage you are on in text only. At the top of the sidebar you'll find the classic X to close the box and a thumbtack that will put you in “reading mode” on the toolbar, next to your avatar.
The read mode is very useful on websites that detect that you have an ad blocking extension installed and ask you to disable it before you can scroll their page.
Or they ask you to pay a subscription.
For example, the websites of Kathimerini, Ta Nea and many foreign newspapers that apply it to some of their articles and think they are doing something with their script.
View your bookmarks in the Chrome sidebar
Displaying bookmarks in the sidebar provides a quick way to view your favorite sites without visiting the Bookmark Manager.
You can even rearrange your bookmarks right from the sidebar. Viewing your bookmarks in the Chrome sidebar is simple:
Click Settings (three vertical dots) > Bookmarks and lists > Show all bookmarks.
The integration allows you to sort bookmarks in five ways. Newest – Oldest, last opening, from A to Z and from Z to A.
Another option is the Edit button which allows you to delete bookmarks or change their position.
You can even create new bookmark folders within the sidebar. These features create an experience similar to Chrome's bookmark manager.
View your reading list in the Chrome sidebar
Google Chrome's reading list is a handy tool for saving articles you want to read later, as you might not have the time right now. The reading list is divided into two sections for convenience: read and unread pages.
To access your reading list from the side panel, click Settings (three vertical dots) > Bookmarks and lists > Reading list > Show reading list.
Adding new items to the list is simple. Go to the website you want to save, then click the “Add Current Tab” button at the bottom of the sidebar.
Managing your reading list is also easy. Hover over an item to see the action buttons. Click the check box to mark an item as read or click the X to delete an item.
View Google Lens results
Google Lens opens a corresponding window by itself. Go to Settings > Search with Google Lens and you'll see your cursor change to allow you to mark any point on your tab.
Your bookmarking result will appear as a search result in the sidebar.
And here as in everything else you can click on the pin and have the Google Lens feature permanently in the toolbar.
View your history in the Chrome sidebar
We would tell you how and what this function does, but in those Chrome we tested with the request "Settings > History > Grouped history" Chrome crashed and closed (!). You can, if you want, try it for fun.
Brave apparently for this reason does not even have this feature. In theory though, instead of opening a separate page to view your history, you can view it directly from the Chrome sidebar.
Overall, though, the Chrome sidebar is one of the best browser hacks out there. Especially if you have a widescreen monitor, utilizing the dead space on websites will guarantee you an efficient and productive browsing experience.
