Google Chrome Adds Split View and PDF Annotation with Drive Upload

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.