One of my favorite things about Android is how the platform is an infinity pool of possibility and power-user potential. No matter how long youve been using it or how deeply you think youve explored, theres always something new and exciting bubbling beneath the surface and waiting to be discovered.I was reminded of this delightful bit o nerd bait as I started digging into one such virtual gold mine this week and thats Googles Chrome Android browser. Chrome is constantly being updated and expanded with interesting new elements, and some of the most intriguing additions of all are actually available to the curious among us well before theyre announced or in any way publicly promoted.All youve gotta do is swim your way into the right out-of-sight channel, flip a secret switch or two to get the feature up and running, and then sit back and smile at the newfound enhancement youve unlocked for your personal Android productivity pleasure.Before we dive in, allow me to issue a standard word of warning: All of these settings are connected to Chromes flags system, which is a home for under-development options that are still actively being worked on and arent technically intended for mainstream use. The flags system is meant for expert users and other similarly informed (and/or insane) folk who want to get an early look at advanced items. It also evolves pretty regularly, so its entirely possible some of the settings mentioned here may look different from what Ive described or even be gone entirely at some point in the not-so-distant future.Whats more, Chromes flags system has loads of advanced options within it, some of which could potentially cause websites to look weird, Chrome itself to become unstable, or even your ears to start spewing a delightfully minty steam. (Hey, you never know.) So in other words: Proceed with caution, follow my instructions carefully, and dont mess with anything else you encounter in this area of the browser unless you actually understand it and know what youre doing.Capisce? Capisce. Now, grab your nearest snorkeling gear and Speedo (maximal skin coverage kindly requested), and lets dive deep into Chromes latest unseen corridors.[Psst: Want even more advanced Android knowledge? Check out my free Android Shortcut Supercourse to learn tons of time-saving tricks.]Android browser power #1: Pinned tabsChrome has offered up the ability to pin a tab in the desktop domain for ages and now, for the first time, that same feat is making its way into the mobile arena with a snazzy new tab-pinning setting for the Chrome Android environment.Like with its desktop equivalent, pinning a tab on Android allows you to instantly send the site to top of your tab list for easy ongoing access. And once you get the feature enabled, it couldnt be much easier to use: You just tap Chromes three-dot menu icon anytime youre viewing a site and look for the Pin tab option that gets added into that main browser menu.Pin a tab on the browser now available on an Android device near you.JR Raphael, FoundryOnce you tap it, poof: The tab is pinned. And it shows up in your Chrome tab overview (accessible by tapping the tab number box in the browsers address bar or by swiping downward on the address bar) accordingly.Pinned tabs are set to stay in the topmost position, with a pushpin icon for added emphasis.JR Raphael, FoundryEasy peasy, right? And enabling the option takes just a quick several seconds:First, type chrome:flags into your Chrome Android apps address bar.Then type pinned into the search box on the screen that comes up.See the line labeled Android pinned tabs? Tap the box beneath that and change its setting from Disabled to Enabled.Tap the blue Relaunch button at the bottom of the screen.And thats it: Once the browser restarts, the option should be present for you and you can pin to your hearts content.Android browser power #2: A custom new tab pageSpeaking of desktop-to-mobile differences, the Chrome desktop browser has long allowed you to customize and take control of your own new tab page yknow, the screen that comes up when you first open the browser (or when you dont have any other tabs open) in all sorts of interesting ways.But in the Chrome Android app, weve weirdly never had much of any real flexibility in that area.Today for you that changes.Check it out:You can at last customize your Chrome new tab page once the right out-of-sight settings are enabled.JR Raphael, FoundryIve just enabled a series of new Chrome new tab page customization commands that let me tap a single new pencil icon in the upper-left corner of the screen and then edit all sorts of stuff. I can turn the site shortcuts on or off, enable or disable a bunch of different types of contextual cards that show up at different times, turn on or off and customize the Discover feed built into that area, and even change up the appearance of the page with a slew of nifty new theming options.Chromes Android new tab page customization is filled with interesting new possibilities.JR Raphael, FoundryOh, and I can also add my own custom website shortcuts onto the page, too, and even pin em to the start of the list, if I want.Custom website shortcuts might be the most useful new capability for the Chrome new tab pages expanded form on Android.JR Raphael, FoundryReady to unleash all this awesomeness on your own Android environment?Once again, type chrome:flags into the Chrome address bar.This time, type new tab into the search box.Look for the following options:Customize the new tab pageCustomize the new tab page V2Customize the new tab page for Most Visited TilesNew tab page customization toolbar buttonFor each of those, tap the box beneath the item and change its setting from Disabled to Enabled.Now, change the search at the top to most visit and find the line labeled Customize Most Visited Tiles and make the same shift for it.And last but not least, tap that blue Relaunch button at the bottom of the screen.Once Chrome restarts, simply open up the new tab page and look for that pencil icon or, with the website shortcuts, press and hold any icon in the list or scroll all the way over to the end of the list to add a new one to get going.Android browser power #3: The incognito splitThis next one might be my favorite of all. If you ever have a moment when you opt to open something in incognito while youre wandering around the web to see something without any sign-ins, to avoid having a certain site in your history, or for any other 100% work-related reason that we wont probe any further you know how awkward it can be at times to have that site completely take over your Android browsing experience.In many such scenarios, youre probably just looking for a quick peek at the site before returning to your primary browsing path. And this next under-development Chrome enhancement offers a clever new way to make such a slice of sorcery transpire.Once activated, anytime you fire up a new incognito window, itll open into a split-screen setup by default like so:Two tabs on-screen together zero effort required.JR Raphael, FoundryYou can then slide upward on the divider between it and your primary Chrome session to split it off into its own full-screen interface in which case itll exist completely separately from your regular Chrome session, as if it were its own independent app or you can slide downward on that divider to close and dismiss it. Or, you can simply keep the two tabs open together in a split, in any ratio you like, to see and interact with both at the same time.Heres how to get this one enabled on your device:To start, type chrome:flags into the Chrome address bar. (Starting to feel familiar yet?)Type incognito into the search box on the screen that comes up.Look for the Open incognito tabs in new window line and change its setting from Disabled to Enabled.Tap the blue Relaunch button at the bottom of the screen.Then, just open up an incognito tab via the main Chrome menu or by long-pressing a link within another page and selecting the option from there and you should see the magic in action.Android browser power #4: The incognito screenshotSpeaking of incognito intelligence, one of the most irritating things about using an incognito tab for actual productivity purposes (which, yes, some of us genuinely do!) is realizing that Chrome typically wont let you capture a screenshot of anything within that tab.Its set to work that way on purpose, for privacy reasons, but it can be plenty irksome if youre simply using the browsers incognito mode to debug or look at a site without any of your standard sign-ins and settings present.Now, you can opt to avoid that entirely, if youre so inclined and allow screenshots to function normally and capture the complete contents of anything inside a Chrome incognito tab.Any guesses how well get that done?Hey, you got it! Type chrome:flags into that address bar againThen, once more, type incognito into the search box.Look for the Incognito Screenshot option, and change its setting from Disabled to Enabled.And tap that big ol Relaunch button at the bottom of the screen.After that, you can capture a screenshot of any incognito tab using the standard power-button and volume-down button combo or any other Android screenshot capturing method you like and your screenshot will be proper and present and no different from any other screenshot saved anywhere else across Android.Android browser power #5: A simple summary shortcutIf you ever find yourself facing a dauntingly long online article that you really dont want to read not anywhere on this website or by this long-winded word juggler, of course this next cup of steamin hot Chrome craftiness is precisely what the geeky barista ordered.Its a new way to add an on-demand one-tap summarizing shortcut right onto your Chrome Android address bar for instant access, anytime.Just note that this one seems to rely on a server-side switch that enables an underlying mechanism to operate, so it may or may not work for you right away. You can always activate it and see, though, and if it doesnt start working immediately, youll at least be set to see it show up as soon as the system becomes available.With the option enabled, the Toolbar shortcut section of Chromes main settings gains the following new choice:Summarize with one quick tap? Hey, why not well take it.JR Raphael, FoundryAnd, if you select it and have the associated system fully activated, the summarize icon will appear at the right side of the address bar anytime youre on a page where its possible to invoke it.Lets get there:Type chrome:flags into that address bar to start.Then type summary into the search box that comes up next.Find Adaptive button in top toolbar Page Summary and change it from Disabled to Enabled.And tap Relaunch.Then tap Chromes three-dot menu icon, select Settings, and select Toolbar shortcut to find and select your snazzy new summary option and see if it works for you.Android browser power #6: PWA protectionOur final browser power-up is probably the least exciting but arguably the most useful at least, in the right sort of situation.First, for context: Progressive web apps are a special type of app you can install directly from the browser. They essentially run with Chrome as their engine but look and act just like regular apps only with a fraction of the weight and resources required.The problem, though, is that PWAs (as well call em henceforth) arent treated as apps by Android. And that means they dont automatically follow you around from one device to another and restore like more traditional types of apps do. Its up to you to remember em and go back to find and install em one by one, via each of their associated websites, each and every time you sign into a new device or restart an existing one.That, suffice it to say, is a massive pain in the patootie.But now, Chrome has a better way. Halle-freakin-lujah.All youve gotta do is enable it:One final time, type chrome:flags into that beautiful address bar of yours.Type pwa into the search box.Find both Enable the PWA Restore Backend and Enable the PWA Restore UI and flip em over to Enabled.And drumroll, please tap Relaunch.Now, whenever Chrome detects that youve got web apps you might need to restore, itll pop up a simple prompt offering to do so with absolutely no annoying web wading and manual app installing required on your part.Restorable PWAs are finally a reality with the Chrome Android apps latest under-development addition.JR Raphael, FoundryJust remember that youll need to activate those same options on all of your devices in order for the feature to function properly and start detecting and suggesting PWA restores.For now, its a peek into the future and an enticing way to get a taste of something useful well ahead of most average Android-appreciating animals.As a productivity-loving power-user, that may be the most satisfying feeling of all.Get six full days of advanced Android knowledge with my free Android Shortcut Supercourse. Youll learn tons of time-saving tricks!