Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Write For Us
    • Newsletter
    • Contact
    Instagram
    About ChromebooksAbout Chromebooks
    • News
      • Stats
    • AI
    • How to
      • DevOps
      • IP Address
    • Apps
    • Business
    • Q&A
      • Opinion
    • Gaming
      • Google Games
    • Blog
    • Podcast
    • Contact
    About ChromebooksAbout Chromebooks
    News

    ChromeOS 106 gets a Follow site option for desktop RSS (updated)

    Kevin TofelBy Kevin TofelAugust 16, 2022Updated:August 17, 2022No Comments3 Mins Read
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest

    Earlier this week, I asked the question “Is Google Reader coming back?” That was based on a new “Feed” option in the ChromeOS side panel. I wasn’t sure if this upcoming feature was based on RSS or some Google interpretation of it. Now, I’m pretty definitely sure the side panel in Chrome and ChromeOS will use RSS (see update after the post). The latest Dev Channel version of ChromeOS 106 adds a “Follow site” menu option.

    I discovered the new “Follow site” choice after updating my Chromebook’s software earlier today. And I did follow a few sites by using it. Unfortunately, the Feed view in the ChromeOS side panel still isn’t functional.

    Feeds in ChromeOS 106 side panel to have RSS

    So why am thinking that in a way, Google Reader is making a comeback, albeit only in the Chrome browser and on ChromeOS?

    Travel back to October with me for a second.

    That’s when Google added a “Follow” option to Chrome for Android. It’s the same feature: By clicking Follow, you’re subscribing to the RSS feed of a site. Here’s confirmation of that, along with the big hint that the feature would be coming to Chrome for iOS and the desktop, i.e.; the Chrome browser and ChromeOS.

    It's on already for some % of people, or you can enable it in chrome://flags under "web feed" (Chrome 94+ for Android). To follow, click on the three dot menu and use the Follow button at the bottom. iOS version coming soon. pic.twitter.com/IJeQh1DJMe

    — Adriana Porter Felt (@__apf__) October 8, 2021

    I’ll go one step further here though. See how Adriana, a Director of Engineering at Google for Chrome, specifically mentions this feature enables following a “web feed”?

    The code I combed through earlier this week uses the same terminology:

    RSS web feed in ChromeOS

    I don’t think that’s a coincidence at all. The code may say “web feed” but it’s now reasonable to assume that means RSS. (Update: Confirmed at the bottom of the post that it is RSS)

    I know these web feeds appear on the new tab page in Android, but I don’t think that’s what Google intends for the desktop. It would clutter up the new tab page far too much. It makes more sense to use the real estate of a pop-out, resizable side panel to display RSS feeds on a Chromebook, Mac, or PC.

    ChromeOS side panel resizing

    By the way, I followed a few sites during my testing because I wanted to verify a related hunch.

    I know that Google News has a “Following” section. I use it quite to view news outside of my traditional RSS feed reader. Specifically when I’m browsing through Google News. I wanted to see if my newly followed sites appeared there. They don’t.

    That doesn’t mean they won’t be available there in the future. But it strongly suggests that Chrome and ChromeOS getting a “Follow site” feature is tied to the new Feeds option on the side panel. Google Reader lives again?

    Updated on 8/17 at 3pm ET: I reached out to Adriana on Twitter, asking if this feature would be using RSS. The answer is yes for sites that offer a RSS feed; Google will also push content to the Feed side panel for those that don’t have use RSS.

    you can play around with it right now on Chrome Android, it's RSS plus additional corpus content pulled from sites without RSS

    — Adriana Porter Felt (@__apf__) August 17, 2022
    Chrome browser Chrome OS Chrome OS 106 ChromeOS ChromeOS 106 Experimental Features Feeds Google Reader Side Panel
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr
    Kevin Tofel
    • Website

    After spending 15 years in IT at Fortune 100 companies, Kevin turned a hobby into a career and began covering mobile technology in 2003. He writes daily on the industry and has co-hosted the weekly MobileTechRoundup podcast since 2006. His writing has appeared in print (The New York Times, PC Magazine and PC World) and he has been featured on NBC News in Philadelphia.

    Related Posts

    AI Tools With Shortest User Loyalty In 2025

    August 25, 2025

    Is Janitor AI Down?

    August 21, 2025

    Why Meta Quest 4 Could Be the Next Big Thing in VR?

    August 11, 2025

    Comments are closed.

    Best of AI

    Most Repetitive AI Prompts Ever Entered Into Chatbots (2025)

    August 20, 2025

    Which AI Chatbots Are Most Trusted to Handle Sensitive Data? (2025)

    August 15, 2025

    Most Common AI Tools Used at Work (And What They’re Replacing) 2025

    August 11, 2025

    Which AI Chatbot is Used Most by Students?

    August 7, 2025

    Perplexity Statistics And User Trends [2025 Updated]

    July 29, 2025
    Trending Stats

    Average Chrome Tab Lifespan Statistics (2025)

    September 3, 2025

    Which Chrome Permissions Are Most Frequently Revoked After Being Allowed? (2025)

    September 2, 2025

    Chrome Usage vs. Focus Apps Statistics [2025 Updated]

    August 29, 2025

    How Many Chrome Extensions Does the Average User Have – But Never Use? (2025)

    August 27, 2025

    Chrome Mobile Market Share Statistics (2025 Updated)

    August 23, 2025
    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Write For Us
    • Newsletter
    • Contact
    © 2025 About Chrome Books. All rights reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.