Dino-mite: That little dino game Google displays in Chrome when your internet is out is surprisingly fun. You can play it even if your connection is good. Type chrome://dino into the Chrome browser address bar and hit Enter. Use the spacebar to hop over obstacles.
🚨 “Malvertising”: That’s the snazzy term for malware that spreads through “sponsored content” results at the top of Google searches. One click and you’re off to a shady site that steals your personal info or worse. Stay safe: Double-check URLs for misspellings or type them in manually. Keep your OS and browser updated, too. The best defense? Strong antivirus software.
⛈️ Tell me the weather: Type “weather” into the address bar at the top of Chrome on the desktop to see a mini forecast — you don’t even need to hit Enter. Want to see the conditions somewhere else? Just add a place name after “weather.”
Like a personal assistant in your browser: ChatGPT’s MyGPTs and Claude’s Personal Projects let you tailor a bot to your needs. It’ll remember what you’ve said so you’re not starting from scratch each time. You can make one for work, scheduling, workouts, recipe ideas — whatever floats your boat!
I’m not easily rattled: I don’t miss using a Nokia cellphone, but there was something soothing about playing the built-in Snake game. Want to play? Search online for “Google Snake,” and it’ll pop up right in your browser.
🪟 Three shortcuts for PCs:
- Windows key + . (period) or ; (semicolon): Opens the emoji picker.
- Windows key + Shift + S: Opens the Snip & Sketch tool for capturing (and editing) screenshots.
- Alt + F6: Allows you to switch between multiple windows of the same application (e.g., different browser windows).
🧮➕ You can count on me: Next time you need to do a simple calculation, type it directly into your browser’s address bar and hit Enter. You can do the same with the search bar in Windows or Mac’s Spotlight Search.
The closer: You finally read that article that’s been open in your browser all week. Leave your mouse alone and close the tab with your keyboard. On Windows, use Ctrl + W. On a Mac, it’s Cmd + W.
📍 For the site you always check: Right-click on a tab in your browser and select Pin. This will shrink it down to a small icon that’s always there.
Math counts: Next time you need to do a simple calculation, type it directly into your browser’s address bar and hit Enter. It even works for percentages, like “What is 40% of 50?” or whatever numbers you need.
No one reads the terms and conditions: There’s a free resource that does it for you. Terms of Service; Didn’t Read is a website and a browser add-on that summarizes the key points before you hit “Agree.”
If you give a mouse a click: It’ll do some handy things. Hover over a link, then click the middle button on your mouse to open it in a new tab. Middle-click an app in your PC’s toolbar to open it in a new window (even if the app is already open). Pro tip: Let’s say you want to refresh a page but you don’t want to lose the current version. Middle-click your browser’s refresh button to open a fresh copy.
🔗 Facebook snoop: They say Link History is a handy tool for saving your browsing. Privacy concern? Absolutely. FB tracks and sells all your clicks. Here’s how to turn it off. Open the Facebook app, tap Menu > Settings & Privacy > Settings > Browser, and toggle off Allow link history.
When you get a pop-up that won’t close: On a PC, hit Ctrl + Shift + Esc. Click the Processes tab. Shut down all your browser tabs. On a Mac, hold down Cmd + spacebar to open Spotlight Search, then type Activity Monitor and press Enter.
Bet you didn’t know this: You can reset your browser’s settings to wipe out bugs and improve its performance. In Chrome, go to Settings > Reset settings. Look for a similar option in your browser of choice.
Nifty shifty: Ctrl + Shift + T reopens the last closed tab in your web browser in Windows. Incredibly useful if you accidentally close a tab. On a Mac, use Cmd + Shift + T.
🐹 Chrome guinea pig: Want to see what’s coming next to your Chrome browser? Put this in the address bar: chrome://flags/
“Come on!” We all have that feeling when we close the wrong browser tab. Get it back faster than navigating the history menu. On a PC, hit Ctrl + Shift + T to reopen your last tab. On a Mac, it’s Cmd + Shift + T. (You can use it multiple times to get back old tabs.)
Free 3D design app: Tinkercad lets you make 3D designs right in your browser. It’s easy enough to jump in, or you can take one of their free courses to learn how to use it. Fun link to hit when the kids or grandkids get bored this summer!
Quick cleanup: Clearing the cache on your browser can fix annoying display or loading issues. With your browser open, hit Ctrl + Shift + R on Windows, or hold down Shift and click your browser’s Refresh button (the one that looks like this — ⟳ — next to the address bar).