Google has released an update for its Chrome browser for Android devices which introduces RSS functionality.
In the latest Android version, Chrome users can follow the flow of updates from their favorite pages via a new menu item that you find via the three dots in the top right corner. Articles published on web pages that support this will appear in a feed that appears every time you open a new browser tab.
according to Twitter posts By Adrienne Porter Felt, Chief Technical Officer of Google Chrome, this feature should already be available to some users using Chrome 94. Others can enable it manually via Chrome’s own settings available by entering chrome://flags in the address bar and then searching for ” Web Feed.
Unfortunately, this feature is not yet available for iOS or PC users. However, this will change according to Porter Felt, and updates are already underway on these platforms as well.
By creating entirely new ways to share and find content on the Internet, the rise of social media such as Facebook and Twitter meant the end of the RSS heyday.
However, over time, algorithm-based recommendations have proven problematic and there are a lot of people calling out different ways to gain more control over the content they can see.
Nowadays, many different forms of free RSS readers are used, with many variants being developed with little or no budget, something that often leads to a less pleasant experience. Now, however, Google seems to want to atone for the fact that it once dropped its RSS reader, Google Reader, by reviving the concept directly in Google Chrome.
Paul Backus from Google Writes Regarding the feature launch: “We hear you clearly. The ability to find and distribute information online has flaws, and RSS hasn’t been consumer friendly.”
While RSS may not find its way back to its former glory and stature, Google’s decision to revive the technology may start new trends. The setback to social media and the economy around headlines and fake news could mean that RSS (or other similar technologies) gets a chance to play a bigger role in how people interact with the Internet in the future.
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