Thursday, August 12, 2010

Instantly zap links, maps and phone numbers to your Android phone with Chrome to Phone!

(Cross-posted from the Google Chrome blog.)

Ever wanted a way to quickly and easily send links and other information from your desktop or laptop to your phone to view on the go? The new Chrome to Phone extension adds a button to your Google Chrome browser that instantly sends the current web page, map, YouTube video, or selected phone number or text to your Android device running Froyo (or Android 2.2).

Suppose you're reading an interesting article on your favorite news website and need to leave for an urgent appointment. Simply click the extension icon in your browser to send the link to your phone and the device's browser will automatically open the link, ready for you to view on the go. Chrome to Phone also works seamlessly with Google Maps. Say you’ve looked up an address or driving directions on your desktop. Clicking the extension icon in your browser will push the information to the Google Maps app on your phone. YouTube videos work the same way with the extension. You can also select a phone number on a web page and send it to the dialer on your phone. Selected text can also be automatically copied from your browser and sent to your Android clipboard for later viewing.



The Chrome to Phone extension is available in English for now, but we hope to expand to other languages soon. Check out the help center if you have further questions. To get Chrome to Phone, install the extension in your Google Chrome browser and the Android application on your phone from Android Market, and you’re ready to go.

Posted by Dave Burke, Engineering Manager

30 comments:

  1. could you please post a qr code of it?

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  2. And for those of us that prefer to use Firefox, here's a port of this extension (including some extra goodies): FoxToPhone (previously SendToPhone)

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  3. I like this feature, BUT...
    I have 2 brothers with phones and my wife, all on Android 2.2

    I send links etc quite often to them but have to do it through email, is there a way to choose which account I send it to?
    maybe they can pre-approve me so no password is needed?
    it would be a good feature to have, seems pointless sending myself stuff when I send more links to my family etc

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  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. App is nowhere to be found in the german Android market :-(

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  6. Great! Let me grab a sticky note and a pen, so I can keep track of all the apps that I can't use on my G1, because no one at T-Mo or Google have sought fit to provide us a means to upgrade to 2.2.

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  7. gerrrg:
    Add Samsung Behold II to your sticky note list. When I got it was told it could upgrade. Ver 1.6 is now the best it will get to.

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  8. Awesome!

    Would be even better if I could use it on my Motorola Milestone in Canada, which is currently only at Android 2.1, with no news about possible updates :(

    I know it's out of Googles hands at this point. But I feel cheated by Telus.

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  9. Looks cool, but I'm getting an "Installation unsuccessful" from the market every time I try to install it on my Nexus One

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  10. Interesting. This is the opposite, I suppose, of BlackBerry's Screen Munch app, which takes a snapshot of your BlackBerry to read on your PC later, sent via email.

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  11. Yo guys do realize that 95% of your user base is NOT on Froyo right? OK just checking I thought we lost you...

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  12. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  13. Not much use when it means adding a whole NEW account to my Android phone, because it doesn't work with my Google Apps Account.

    Doh.

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  14. Great app, but it won't let me select text..i get a ERROR FINDING LINK error message...

    :(

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  15. By the time this extension in Spain??

    Thanks

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  16. Dave Burke, where can I find that camo shirt?

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  17. Sounds like a great feature!

    Unfortunately I can't use it because I live in Germany. Why is the Android app not available in Germany? Because it's in English only? I honestly don't care about that ;)

    Please unlock the app for other countries, too. I would really like to use this feature.

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  18. Why not avalible in sweden? I've used the manunal installed version since it got avalible... but why not letting me download it through market?

    I dont get it how u guys release things in just a few countries when alot of more people wants it....

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  19. Not in the Finnish Android Market, Nexus One owner here. Please fix this!

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  20. nice, but seldom i would really need to have the site or map opened immediately, but maybe later. so e-mailing the link will be the more handy solution for me. so i can open it when i need it.

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  21. For those who cannot download it from the Market, get the v1.7 pre-release version. It's pretty good still. (:

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  22. I'd really love to use this app, but I've got Android 2.1 :(

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  23. And if you have an iPhone, check out http://pastefire.com launched early this year, which also works out of your browser

    It sends links, dial numbers, sends sms, opens map, youtube videos, save picture in mobile galery...right from your computer

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  24. only english? shame on u google... put spanish soon -.-!

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  25. Nowhere to be found in the dutch market, had to install it using appbrain, come on google, the Europe zone is perfectly capable of deciding if they want the English version or wait for their native language.

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  26. Hi,
    Honestly I think that chrometophone being in English isn't an issue at all since using it doesn't require any text interface. I hope you'll release it soon to Europeans Android Market (don't wait for a useless translation) !

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  27. Same here: It is not available on the market on an imported Nexus one with Froyo in the Netherlands. The 1.7 prerelease works great, but needs to be manually installed.

    Please put it in the market.

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    ReplyDelete
  29. good work

    keep it up

    www.only4engg.com

    download e books and much more free free free

    ReplyDelete
  30. I can't find it on Greek Store. Only by download it from the PC and transfer it to my phone. why is that? i can't see any country restriction in this app. I got HTC desire with 2.2

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