Google has updated its Chrome browser for iOS with support for its Physical Web standard, which allows smart devices to communicate with your phone without the need for other apps.
This refers to Google’s open source protocol that lets connected devices like parking meters and bus stops send URLs straight to Chrome’s Today view widget for actions like payments or checking how long you’ll have to wait for your ride.
The company says it’s only begun exploring how this technology can make users’ lives easier, so it’s not clear exactly how widely available Physical Web devices are just now.
In addition, the update brings a a much-requested feature to Chrome: swiping to navigate between pages.
When browsing pages in a single tab, you can go back by swiping from left to right, and forward by swiping from right to left. This saves you the two taps previously needed to bring up the toolbar and hit the navigation buttons.
➤ Google Chrome [iOS | Android via VentureBeat]
Read next: Google launches Eddystone, its platform-agnostic iBeacon competitor
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