Google revealed Thursday that it is working with Adobe to upgrade its Chrome browser for PCs so it will automatically pause non-essential Flash plugins.
The move will reduce battery consumption, thus enhancing performance and improving overall stability of the browser, according to Android Authority.
The new feature will give the browser the ability to detect the Flash content on a web-site enabling the browser to intelligently play only the plugins that, as Google puts it, are "central" to the web-page while the "non-essential" Flash content is paused. In case the feature fails to detect some Flash plugins that the user finds important and blocks the content, users will have the option to resume playback.
"When you're on a webpage that runs Flash, we'll intelligently pause content (like Flash animations) that aren't central to the webpage, while keeping central content (like a video) playing without interruption. If we accidentally pause something you were interested in, you can just click it to resume playback. This update significantly reduces power consumption, allowing you to surf the web longer before having to hunt for a power outlet," Google said in a blog post.
The feature is currently available in Google Chrome's beta build and will be released soon for the regular desktop Chrome, The Verge reported. While the feature is enabled by default, users have the option to manually activate the feature by clicking on the browser's content settings and selecting "Detect and run important plugin content." The company also promised "more power improvements" in the near future.
