Samsung adds QR reader, Quick Menu button, and more to its browser

Great news for those of you who use the Samsung Internet browser: the company has released an update with a bunch of useful features on board.

Among them is a new extension called CloseBy, which provides you with a notification containing info about your surroundings once you approach a Physical Web beacon. To give you an example of how it works, when you get to a bus stop enabled with the Physical Web beacon technology, CloseBy will provide you with a URL you can visit to get more info on bus routes and arrival times.

Samsung’s browser also has a built-in QR code reader that allows you to quickly scan a QR code when you need to. The feature is turned off by default, but you can enable it by opening up “Extensions” and then tapping on “Scan QR code.”

Another great feature is the Quick Menu button that floats on top of a page in the browser and can be moved around the screen. It gives you quick access to certain functionalities including opening new tabs, modifying text size, and sharing content with friends and family, among others.

The new version of the browser also makes sharing video content with connected devices a bit easier. Simply tap on the “View on TV” button to watch content on your television, or check it out with the Gear VR headset by tapping on the “View on Gear VR” button.

Finally, the tech giant has optimized the browser to work better with the Samsung DeX dock for the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus. Multiple browsers can now be opened simultaneously and you have the option of switching between mobile and desktop versions of the same website, depending on whether you’re using your smartphone or Samsung DeX.

The company said the update is already rolling out and will make its way to Samsung devices running at least Android 5.0 Lollipop.

Adding new features to its browser is definitely a smart move by Samsung and a necessary one if it wants to compete with Google Chrome. But it’s probably not breaking enough new ground to convince people to ditch their current browser in favor of Samsung Internet, right?