Google to test RSS Follow feature in Chrome Canary builds
- Google will introduce a new RSS follow feature in Chrome.
- The experimental feature allows users to monitor the RSS feeds of their favorite websites in the browser.
- The feature will initially be introduced as a test on Chrome Canary builds in the US.
Many of us still miss Google Reader, the company’s super-simple cross-platform RSS reader. However, the company can turn back the clock and reintroduce an RSS reading feature for Google Chrome on Android.
With the addition of “RSS Follow” users can subscribe to and follow feeds from their favorite websites directly in Google Chrome. The updates will appear in a new section below on the browser’s new tabs. The company notes that the move is to use the browser to create “deeper connections” between publishers and consumers.
RSS, or Really Simple Syndication, made its debut more than two decades ago, making it possible for websites to post easy-to-read updates for users and apps alike. Android has seen plenty of RSS readers in its day, many of which are powerful news curation stations. However, users still need to install one more app. Adding RSS Follow to Chrome will likely encourage more users to embrace the venerable standard.
Google notes that the function will first be tested in Google Chrome Canary, which will be based on Android “in the coming weeks”. For the time being, the test will also be limited to the USA. It’s unclear whether desktop Chrome canary builds will get this feature as well.
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“We will provide more guidance to web publishers as we learn and evaluate whether this feature moves from an experiment to a broader rollout in Chrome,” Google said in the announcement.
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