How to Clear the Cache of Specific Websites in Chrome

We recently found a solution to clearing specific cookies from websites and even clearing autocomplete suggestions based on your browser history. While a cookie stores information like settings, selections and cart contents of the user, the cache is used to store redundant files and images of websites so that the browser doesn’t have to use up data to reload assets every time. But the cache, if allowed to grow can slow down a machine over time due to its size. Thus it’s prudent to clear browser cache regularly. In this article, we look at how to clear the cache of specific websites in Chrome in addition to clearing the cache completely.

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Clear Browser Cache of Specific Domains

There are two methods to go about this so let’s go over both.

Method A

Step 1: Visit the visit for which you want to clear the cache.

Step 2: Go to Developer Tools from the Menu or using the keyboard shortcut Control (Command on macOS) + Shift + C

Open Developer Tools in Chrome

Step 3: Click on the arrow button next to Elements and select Application.

Select the Application button

Step 4: From the left panel of the window click on the option Clear Storage. On the right side of the panel select Clear site data. This will clear the cache of that particular website.

Click on Clear site data

Method B

Step 1: Follow the same instructions as Steps 1 & 2 from the previous procedure.

Step 2: This time right-click the refresh button and click on Empty Cache & Hard Load.

Select Empty Cache & Hard Reload

Even though both methods do the same thing it’s up to you to decide which one you prefer. Although the first method is contingent on Chrome running version 52.0.2743.116 & above.

How to Clear the Entire Browser Cache in Chrome

Step 1: If you’d like to clear the entire Chrome browsing cache for all the websites, first go to Settings.

Step 2: Type the keyword “Clear Browsing Data” in the Omnibox & select the option highlighted below.

Select Clear browsing history

Step 3: In the pop-up window select only Cached images and files and make sure everything else is unchecked. Finally hit the Clear browsing data button to clear the entire browsing cache.

That about concludes the procedure for clearing the cache of certain websites. But do leave a comment below if you have any other queries regarding Chrome which you’d like us to cover.

RELATED: 10 Simple Tricks To Improve Google Chrome Performance

The post How to Clear the Cache of Specific Websites in Chrome appeared first on Google Tricks Blog.

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Meet the Assistant App Hidden Within the Google App

Due to the open source nature of Android, it’s pretty easy for companies to supplant Google’s assistant with their own as the default solution like with Samsung’s Bigsby in its Galaxy devices. With every major tech company building its own voice assistant from Amazon’s Alexa to Microsoft’s Cortana, the competition for who’ll replace Google’s assistant is at full throttle. But did you know that Google’s own app has secret assistant features hidden? This guide will show you how to access the assistant app hidden within the Google app.

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Access Secret Assistant Apps & Features from Google App

We just recently saw how to use Nova Launcher’s Activities feature to launch directly into an app’s function or screen. Using this tool we can create an app which directly triggers Assistant’s main screen with new apps & personalised voice commands.

Requirements

First, make sure that the Google app is updated and that your phone supports Google Assistant. As of now, the assistant shortcuts only work in a select few countries with the US being the main one. So it’s important to change the language of the assistant to English (US).

Step 1: Launch Google Assistant window by long pressing the home button. Then select the menu button and go to Settings.

Step 2: Select Phone under devices and tap Assistant language. This will take you to Android’s language preferences window.

Step 3: From here, press Add a language and select English (United States). Then make sure to rearrange the languages to put the US on top. This will make the US the primary voice language of Google assistant.

Doing this enables Assistant shortcuts. Now when you trigger Google Assistant there’s a new icon where the menu icon was once present.

The new icon is reflected in the top right

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Create a Google Assistant Shortcut

Step 1: Long press the home screen to add a Nova Activity widget.

Step 2: Scroll down till you see the Google app. Press the drop-down icon next to it to see a list of all activities associated with the Google app.

Step 3: Now tap the activity with the name com.google.android.app.gsa.staticplugins.OpaHqActivity (with the Google assistant logo)

If you’re still unsure, long pressing will launch the activity as a way to preview the functions. Once you’re ready, tapping the activity will place it on the home screen.

Launching it will open up a whole new Assistant interface with two tabs, Explore & Your Stuff.

Explore: It contains a categorical view of all the Assistant apps available for testing and use.

Explore tab in Google Assistant

Your Stuff: It’s a collection of personal data like reminders, shopping lists with a section to set custom voice commands.

Your Stuff tab in Google Assistant

From a first look, it feels like most of it is still unfinished as certain things feel convoluted. As an example, creating a shopping list in Assistant doesn’t save to Google Keep and instead stores it to its own service which can be accessed by going to this URL.

Creating custom voice shortcuts in Assistant

But it does feature some cool features like custom voice commands and pleasant assistant apps for actions like playing soundscapes, podcasts, games etc. In the end, it still shows a lot of promise for what the future of Google Assistant beholds. In the meantime do let us know which Assistant command you use the most often.

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The post Meet the Assistant App Hidden Within the Google App appeared first on Google Tricks Blog.

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Become an Early App Tester Even If the Beta Program is Full

If you’re someone who loves exploring new apps and trying out new features, chances are you’ve signed up as a beta tester in the Play Store at least once. Then you’re also likely to have seen a message saying that the beta program is full. It’s an efficient and cost-effective way to recruit users to test new features which are especially useful to smaller developers. But here we take a look at some ways to sign up as a beta tester even when the beta program is full.

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Sign Up as a Beta Tester When the Program is Full

Play Store Method

Traditionally to sign up for a beta, users would just head over to the app which hosts a beta program, scroll down to the bottom of the page and hit the I’m In button. Due to high demand its natural for developers to pause or stop new sign-ups. In such cases, the next method might come in handy.

Traditional method to sign up for beta

 

Solution: Google Plus Method

This might seem like a no-brainer once fully explained but a lot of people just aren’t aware of this route. Simple Google the name of the app and the keyword “beta” or “google plus”. If the app is popular enough or indexed well, you’ll likely see a Google Plus link to the app’s community.

Here’s an example search for Nova Launcher

Link to Beta Opt-in found in Google Plus Community

Once you’re a part of this community, links to become a tester are automatically revealed in the sidebar. Just visit the link and hit Become a Tester and the app on your phone will automatically switch to beta the next time its updated.

Sign-up using a URL

If you found this method really bewildering & clunky it’s because before Google rolled out official support for beta testing within the Play Store, this was the go-to method to get beta testers. Fortunately, this solution still works!

Email the developer from Play Store

The Uber app’s testing pool, for example, was full but this simple method managed to help me get in so I have no reservations recommending this method to readers. If you’re still unable to find such a link, your best bet would be the contact the developer directly through their website (if it exists) or via the Play Store.

But remember to always address them politely when making the case for letting you test their app.

Managing Beta Apps

Access Beta tab from My apps section

 

Now easier than ever to manage Beta apps from the Play Store. This is because Google introduced a separate tab for Beta apps making opting out even easier.

To opt out of the beta, visit the app page and select the Leave button after scrolling down to the bottom. If you immediately regret the decision, you can always hit the Rejoin as long as you don’t exit out of the screen. Do let us know which apps you signed up using the old method!

RELATED: Tips to Improve Your Play Store Experience

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Take Control of Android’s Default Apps for a More Cohesive Experience

Choice is probably the first word that comes to mind when people talk about Android. From different manufacturers implementing vastly different specs like camera sensors, CPUs and battery capacities to the diverse OEM skins, there’s no shortage of choice. Alternatives are great. But it can be a bit annoying or even mind-numbing at times if there’s too much to choose.

From opening a simple browser link to choosing a gallery app to play back a home video, Android can at times get bothersome because the choices it offers. Thankfully it’s possible to correct this by setting default apps to handle every task and that’s built right into the Settings app.

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Set Default Apps for Actions in Android

Step 1: Open the Settings app and scroll down till you see Apps.

Step 2: Once inside the Apps menu, tap the gear icon present on the right-hand side of the menu bar.

Press the gear icon to go into Configure Apps

Step 3: This will open the Configure apps screen where users can set defaults for Android launchers, browser apps, dialers, etc. To set a default tap the category of an app and select the app from your installed apps.

Tap the app category to set its default

Step 4: To choose how to handle links in an app by app basis select the Opening links button. Here you can choose how to handle the supported links displayed inside each app.

Configure how links are handled in each app

In typical Google fashion, even if the option is a welcome addition, it’s not intuitively placed and is hard for most users to spot. But here’s hoping Google fixes the placement in future releases.

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5 Features That Make Nova Launcher Great

Nova Launcher is probably one of the oldest apps I’ve been using since switching to Android in 2012. I’ve tried a plethora of launchers over the years but like most users, once you’re accustomed to Nova’s simplicity and features it’s hard to switch over to anything else.

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Get the Best Out of Nova Launcher

Over the years TeslaCoil, the developer of Nova Launcher has also innovated by adding new features like Icon Normalisation, Google Now integration to keep its users satisfied and the launcher relevant. In this article, we go over the best features of Nova Launcher that’ll entice even regular users into giving it a try.

1. Quick Launch Shortcuts

Long press, then drag and drop the shortcuts as app icons

Easily the best part of using Google’s own Pixel Launcher is the app shortcuts when long pressing an app. With growing support from developers, Nova took this feature and made it more robust with the ability to hold down on those shortcuts and directly create an app icon out of it. Of course, things get even better with Sesame shortcuts which we’ll explore more later in the article.

2. Gestures

Gestures were one of Nova Launcher’s earliest features and it really takes using Android to the next level. With just a handful of gestures, users can set the swipes, taps & pinches to trigger apps & shortcuts. You can access Gestures by going to Nova Settings & selecting Gestures & inputs. Additionally, you can also configure the home button press to trigger an action such as launching the app drawer or app search.

How to enable Gestures

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3. Nova Actions & Activities

Probably the most powerful tool of Nova Launcher is the ability to create custom shortcuts using Nova Activities & Actions.

Nova Actions: These are simple but useful tasks to launch certain tasks such as locking the screen, Google now or expanding the notifications panel.

Access Nova Activities & Actions from Widgets

Nova Activities: These are a bit more complicated to figure out but they’re essentially shortcuts to launch an app directly into an environment or part of the app. For example, if I want to go directly to the Battery settings, the Android activity can be found under the Settings app.

Both Nova Actions & Activities can be found by long pressing the home screen and selecting Widgets.

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4. Sesame Shortcuts

The newest addition to Nova Launcher is Sesame Shortcuts. Rather it’s a third party app which vastly enhances Nova’s App Launch Shortcuts. Once inside the app, users have the ability to set custom shortcuts for a growing number of apps. In my use, I found the app to be lacking in features like rearranging & renaming shortcuts but it still proves itself to be quite useful.

For example, it’s possible to set a custom shortcut to directly launch to any website in Chrome instead of creating a bookmark icon in your home screen.

5. Google Now Integration

Last but certainly not the least is Google Now integration directly in the launcher. Simply download the companion app from APKMirror & you’re good to go. If launching the companion doesn’t activate the feature visit Nova Settings & select Integrations. But first, make sure infinite scroll is turned off. Then turn on the switch next to Google Now Page to get the swipe left feature working.

1. Turn off Infinite Scroll

2. Visit Integrations & turn on Google now page

By the end, if you’re feeling more experimental and looking to try Nova Launcher’s newest features, sign up to be a beta tester here. If you do find the beta to be buggy, the only way to get back is to reinstall the app. So be sure to backup your settings in document storage.

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