Ask yourself how many times you look up directions to a store or meeting on Google Maps or Mapquest. Consider Today I bring you a quick post for those of you looking for an easier way to get that data from your computer’s web browser on to your Android phone or tablet. I will focus on two of the most effective methods, though I am sure there are more out there: Chrome to Phone and Chrome Tab Sync.
Chrome to Phone
This extension was one of the first solutions to try and tackle this problem, and it is aptly named. While it may not be the simplest solution, it is the one I like the best because it allows you to push out any URL and web link to your Android devices. The Chrome to Phone Android app also saves a history of all the links sent to you and allows you to choose whether to automatically or manually launch links as they arrive. Now I can look up an address or plot a trip in Google maps on my desktop and then push it to my phone’s Navigation app directly. It’s great! To get this set up, you will first need to install and log in to the Chrome browser extension here: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/oadboiipflhobonjjffjbfekfjcgkhco And then you need to install the Chrome to Phone app on your Android phone and/or tablet: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.chrometophone&hl=en
Chrome Tab Sync
If you have Chrome browser installed on your device, you can also setup chrome Tab Sync to give you access to all of your open tabs across devices. The only downside to this approach is the fact that you can’t launch directly into related applications such as YouTube or Maps. Here is a help article on how to set up this feature: http://support.google.com/chrome/bin/answer.py?hl=en-GB&answer=2591582
Other Syncing Solutions
If you are not a Google user and prefer something more open source, do not despair! Before Google updated their browser with Tab syncing between desktops and devices, Mozilla’s Firefox was already on the case with their browser. They introduced a system by which you can sync tabs, bookmarks, and even saved passwords between devices. Check out their instructions for setting up this feature here.