Google Chrome’s new extension to let users create side panel UI

Desktop version of Google Chrome's side panel will soon introduce support for Manifest V3 extensions that aim to display an interface

San Francisco To enhance users’ browsing experience, the desktop version of Google Chrome‘s side panel will soon introduce support for Manifest V3 extensions that aim to display an interface.

Manifest V3 (or Manifest Version 3) is the latest iteration of the Chrome extension platform.

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This capability is now achievable due to the Chrome Side Panel API (Application Programming Interface) that enables “persistent experiences that complement the user’s browsing journey”, reports 9to5Google.

“The Side Panel API allows extensions to display their own UI (user interface) in the side panel, enabling persistent experiences that complement the user’s browsing journey,” according to the Chrome developers page.

Users can launch side panels by clicking the existing button next to the address bar, selecting it from the drop-down menu, or even by pressing the shortcut key.

Moreover, the report said that the other Google experiences that leverage side panels include Lens, Journeys, the UI for customising browser appearance, and soon, Reading Mode.

The Side Panel API is available to Manifest V3 extensions and is “currently available in Chrome Beta 114”.

Meanwhile, Google has announced it will migrate one per cent of Chrome users to Privacy Sandbox and deprecate third-party cookies for them in Q1 2024.

The move will support developers in conducting real-world experiments that assess the readiness and effectiveness of their products without third-party cookies, said Anthony Chavez, VP, Privacy Sandbox.