Google Chrome Adds Split View and PDF Annotation with Drive Upload
•February 19, 2026
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Why It Matters
These additions turn Chrome into a more complete work platform, cutting reliance on separate apps and reinforcing Google’s ecosystem dominance.
Key Takeaways
- •Split View shows two tabs side‑by‑side.
- •PDF viewer now supports annotation and highlighting.
- •Save to Drive uploads PDFs directly from Chrome.
- •Right‑click menu adds “Open Link in Split View.”
- •Feature rollout completes with Chrome 145 release.
Pulse Analysis
With the release of Chrome 145, Google is turning its browser into a more robust productivity hub. The new Split View feature lets users display two web pages side‑by‑side without opening separate windows, echoing similar capabilities in competing browsers but integrated directly into Chrome’s tab architecture. By adding a dedicated icon and right‑click menu option, Google reduces the friction of multitasking, a move that aligns with the broader industry push to keep users inside a single application for research, communication, and content creation.
The built‑in PDF viewer now supports annotation, letting users highlight text, add comments, and even apply quick signatures without downloading a third‑party editor. This functionality streamlines review cycles for legal, marketing, and engineering teams that frequently exchange PDFs. Because annotations are saved in the browser’s cache and can be exported, the feature maintains the security model of Chrome while offering a lightweight alternative to Adobe Acrobat or other paid tools, potentially lowering costs for enterprises that rely on Google Workspace.
Saving PDFs straight to Google Drive from the viewer further tightens the integration between Chrome and Google’s cloud ecosystem. Users can choose the destination account and the file automatically lands in a “Saved from Chrome” folder, making it easier to organize and share documents across Teams, Docs, and Slides. The convenience encourages more frequent use of Drive for file archiving, reinforcing Google’s data‑centric revenue model and giving the company another lever to differentiate Chrome from rivals that lack native cloud‑save shortcuts.
Google Chrome adds Split View and PDF annotation with Drive upload
Chrome adds Split View, PDF annotation, and Save to Google Drive
Google is officially announcing a trio of new desktop Chrome productivity features today: Split View, PDF annotation, and Save to Google Drive.
Split View lets you have two tabs open side‑by‑side. Meant to cut down on “back‑and‑forth tab fatigue,” you activate it by right‑clicking on a URL for the new “Open Link in Split View” option alongside New Tab, Window, and Incognito.
This brings you to a dual‑pane interface beneath the Omnibox, with the URL updating based on the page you’re currently interacting with. There’s a new Split View icon — Pin by right‑clicking — to the left of the address bar with options to Separate, Close, and Reverse. You can adjust the width by dragging the center, while the Split View nature is reflected in the tab strip.
Example use cases include watching a video and taking notes, or having a meeting window and Docs open at the same time.
Meanwhile, the Chrome PDF Viewer is adding annotation support. You can highlight text and add notes by tapping the squiggle icon in the top row. The panel at the right gives you Size and Color options. This “eliminates the need to download the file and open a separate application just to make a quick note,” and can be handy for quick signatures.
Similarly, you’ll now find Save to Google Drive in the top bar of Chrome’s PDF Viewer. You can select which account it’s uploaded to, while it’s automatically added to a “Saved from Chrome” folder.
These three features have been rolling out for some time, and should be widely available as of Chrome 145 today.
Author
Abner Li (technacity) – Editor‑in‑chief. Interested in the minutiae of Google and Alphabet. Tips/talk: [email protected]
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