Google Officially Rolls-Out Chrome To Phone For Android Smartphones

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Google has officially introduced Chrome To Phone, which is actually made up of two items — an Android app and a Chrome browser extension. And just as the name implies, it will allow you to send items from the Chrome browser on your computer to your Android smartphone.

With that, the Android app is called Chrome To Phone and can be found in the Market. On the other hand, the browser extension is sporting the same name, but with the addition of extension on the end — Chrome To Phone Extension. Which brings me to the same disappointing part as the Voice Actions announcement, Chrome to Phone requires Android 2.2 Froyo.

With that, those who are lucky enough to be sporting Android 2.2 can read on and then proceed to download, install and begin using. And the rest of us can read on and then sit back and wait for Froyo.

Breaking Chrome to Phone down a little further, it will allow you to take the page you are currently reading with you. It is done simply by clicking on the extension icon. Not much there. Just click the icon on your browser and it will be sent to your phone. Your phone will even automatically open the link once it is received.

This can be used for a variety of content types. It can be as simple as passing over a web page that you are reading. In that case, your phone will receive the link and open the browser. Or you can use it to send over Google Maps directions or a YouTube video. And as you would imagine, those would open the Google Maps app or the YouTube app on your phone.

Furthermore, you can also select a bit of text, such as a telephone number. In this case, just highlight the number, click the extension icon on your browser and it will be sent to your phone which will launch the dialer and make the call. And just in case you wanted the number handy and not called immediately, it was also noted that selected text can be sent to the clipboard on your Android smartphone for later use.

All said and done, it may not be quite as exciting as the Voice Actions, but still a nice feature to have. Just a shame it is limited to Android 2.2 devices.