If you use Google Chrome and need to sync bookmarks across several instances of the browser (for example, between office and home computers, or between desktop and laptop) you have two main options: either you use a third-party application like Google Chrome Backup or FavBackup or you use the brand-new Chrome’s embedded syncing functionality.
The catch (yes, you knew there would be one) is that this synchronizing tool is currently only available through Chrome’s Dev channel, a special update channel that allows all eager Chrome users to test the latest features when they’re still at a very early stage of development. These updates can sometimes be unstable and are not the best option for those of you who want to have a reliable, safe web browser. But if you don’t mind the risk and want to take a look at Chrome syncing, here’s what you have to do:
1. If you’re already using the Dev channel, go to the wrench menu and select About Google Chrome. Update your browser to the latest version. If not, download the Dev channel version from this page. Please remember to backup all your data first. You can go back to a stable version of Chrome again any time, simply by downloading the latest stable version from Chrome’s website.
2. Close Chrome if it’s running. Right click the browser’s shortcut on the desktop and select Properties. Add --enable-sync
to the shortcut target as shown in the screenshot.
3. Launch the browser again and you should be able to see the Sync my bookmarks option in the wrench menu. All you have to do is enter your Google account credentials and bookmarks will be automatically synced with Google, stored in a folder inside Google Docs.
4. Next time you use the syncing option in Chrome from another computer, the browser will give you the option to sync and merge your current bookmarks with the ones you’ve previously synced. Nice!