If you’re like me, one of your trading goals is to have an efficient and fast trading computer to make your life easier and your trades more profitable. You may be surprised to know that Google Chrome features can help traders be more productive and profitable during their trading day.
According to PC Magazine’s article: Best Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, or Safari: Which Browser Is Best for 2023, Chrome is the most popular web browser. So there is a high probability you are already using Chrome. But whether you are using it already or not, you are probably unaware of some of the hidden Chrome features.
Here are the top nine reasons every trader should be using Google Chrome as their preferred web browser.
1. Speed Up Your Google Searches
When you are researching a stock to trade and you get stumped on a new business or technology term, you don’t need to open a new browser. You can just right-click the term and use the Search Google for “<term>” option to find out more.
2. Resolve Browser Slowness
Not all websites are made equal. Some sites have inefficient scripts that can slow down your browser experience.
If your Chrome browser seems to be slower than usual, go to the triple dot on the right side of your Chrome window, click to get the dropdown menu, and select More Tools > Task Manager. This will give you a view of what each Tab and extension is up to.
Close the unused tabs that are hogging CPU or memory. Disable extensions you rarely use that are big resource hogs.
3. Mute Annoying Ads
Whether you are a day trader or a swing trader, you are periodically going to be doing research. And nothing breaks your concentration more than a sudden burst of audio from a webpage. You can right-click on the tab and select Mute Site to stop any sound originating from the tab.
4. Stop Video Autoplay
If you prefer not to Mute Site, you can take preventive measures to stop video autoplay by downloading an Auto Play Blocker from the Chrome Web Store here.
5. Reopen Tabs Instantly
If you have too many tabs open, it’s easy to mistakenly close a tab you need. Use the Control-Shift-T for Windows or Command-Shift-T for Mac to reopen the last closed tab.
6. Zoom In/Out Faster
You might have to zoom in and out to view trading tables and charts. On a Windows trading computer, you can use Control and plus sign(+) for zoom in, Control and minus sign (-) for zoom out, and Control and zero (0) for getting to 100%. On a Mac, replace the Control key with the Command key.
7. Pin Tabs
When you have a lot of trading sites open, it’s difficult to keep track of everything on your browser. To stay organized, try the Pin Tab option. The pinned tabs will always stay on the left side of the screen, so you know where your most important websites are. This will also keep you from accidentally closing tabs.
8. Select Multiple Tabs
When you want to break your trading research into groups, the multiple tabs selection option is handy. All you have to do is hold down Control (Windows) or Command (Mac) and click on multiple tabs to select them as a group. Then you can drag them out to create a new Chrome window.
9. Make Application Shortcuts
If you visit a certain trading website regularly, try making a shortcut for it. Just select the URL in the Chrome browser bar and drag it to your desktop or dock. It should create an icon. You can now click on the icon like you would any application and it will take you to the website.
Conclusion
If you aren’t using Chrome yet on your trading computer, give it a try. If you are already using it, try a few of the hidden Chrome features above and see if they don’t make your workday more productive and pleasant.
There are more trading computer tips like this in our EZ Trading Computer’s buyers guide. Check out our “How To Buy a Trading Computer” e-book.
We hope today’s Quick Tip helped you. If you found this helpful, you’ll want to check out the other trading computer productivity articles here. You can always call us if you have questions: 800-387-5250