Based on the results in the video below, I should start by
clarifying that a web browser is a piece of software that you use to view web
pages. The top three browsers are: Internet Explorer (Microsoft), Firefox
(Mozilla) and Safari (Apple). Google’s browser (named “Chrome”) is a close
fourth. There is a 98% chance that you’re using one of these browsers to view
this page right now.
Browsers are commonly confused with search engines, which are
just web pages that you view using your web browser software. That’s obviously
not a surprise to some of you, but like it says in the Google video below, it
is a secret to almost 90% of people.
Knowing some browser tricks will make this tool work much
better for you.
Modern browsers have tabs, which promote easier multitasking.
There are a few ways to perform the tasks listed below, but here are a few of
the best (and least used) tricks for managing tabs in the top three browsers
mentioned above.
Managing Tabs
- Open new tab: double click on empty area of tab bar
- Close tab: middle click anywhere on the tab (does not work in Safari)
- Open link in new tab instead of replacing current page: middle click on link (instead of left click)
Because we spend a lot of time reading text in our browser,
there are a couple of features built in to make reading easier. Try these
keyboard shortcuts right now.
Reading
- Scroll browser down exactly one page: spacebar
- Scroll browser up exactly one page: shift + spacebar
- Full Screen Toggle: F11
- Zoom In (make text larger): ctrl + scroll mouse wheel up
- Zoom Out: ctrl + scroll mouse wheel down
If you know other really useful browser secrets, leave a
comment so everyone can enjoy.
