Google has updated its Chrome Internet browser with some substantial changes. Perhaps the most notable aspect of this release is what Google removed rather than what it added to Chrome.
One of the biggest changes that Google made was the removal of the notification center, which was first added by Google into the browser back in 2013.
Another big change was the removal of the "OK Google" voice trigger, which worked the same way on Android, allowing users to perform voice searches within the browser.
While some could argue that the removal of these features is due to the fact that people don't use them that much, it seems a little more complex than that.
Both a notification center and voice-activated search are newly available in Microsoft's Windows 10, with the new Action Center archiving all sorts of notifications, including those related to email, calendar, and so on. "Hey Cortana" can be used to trigger voice-activated searches.
It's important to note that voice searches in Chrome are not completely gone. It's just that users can't trigger them using the "OK Google" voice trigger anymore. Instead, users will have to click on the little microphone icon. Computers that run ChromeOS will also still have the voice trigger.
It does make sense that both of these features wouldn't be used much on desktop. It seems as though people have taken to voice control on mobile devices much more than on computers. Still, while it makes sense for Google to lighten Chrome up a little, it will be frustrating for those who made regular use of these features not to have them anymore.
The removal of the two features also indicates that perhaps Microsoft missed the mark in including them in Windows 10. If no one is using them in Google Chrome, it's hard to imagine many people using them in Windows.
