Missing feature preventing me from switching to Samsung Internet

Chrome has been my default browser for a long time, but I’ve recently been looking for alternatives that offer useful new features that Google’s browser can’t match. There’s always a sticking point that brings me back to Chrome, and unfortunately the same can be said for the Windows version of Samsung Internet. It works wonderfully, but a missing feature prevents it from becoming my primary browser.

The feature I like the most in Samsung Internet is the split view mode, as well as the sidebar. Split view puts two tabs side by side without having to open a new instance of the tab. The sidebar, as seen on the far right of the image, is a space where you can open a third page in a mobile UI. This has been great for researching and writing articles because I can have my writing tabs and two research tabs open in the same place without switching windows.

The sidebar becomes even more useful with its ability to sync with Samsung Internet on your Android phone. Tapping the phone icon at the top of the sidebar will display all currently open tabs on your phone or tablet, as well as mobile favorites. You also don’t need to use a Samsung phone, as Samsung Internet can be used on any Android device.

Samsung Internet also borrows some of its user interface design from Samsung tablets. When you’re in split view, you’ll see a small blue bar at the top of the tab you’re currently using, just like you’d see on a Galaxy Tab S11 when you have apps open in split-screen. By clicking on this bar, you have the option to move the tab to a new window, the side panel, or exit split view.

Split view and sidebar are not new concepts. Arc Browser and many others have similar features, but it is by far the easiest to use in my experience. There are no strange or confusing key combinations to learn, and overall it’s a familiar browser for those of us used to Chrome.

The lack of AI features constantly shoved in your face is also appreciated. There’s an AI button in the upper right corner that can summarize and translate a web page, but that’s it. No chatbots, no AI search modes trying to hijack your usage. So if there’s so much to love about Samsung Internet, why isn’t it my new favorite browser?

Samsung Internet offers a number of search engines, but you can’t add your own – you’re limited to those included by Samsung. I use custom search engines all day, every day, and that’s something Chrome makes easy. In Chrome, if I type “aa” followed by the tab key in the URL bar, all the search results I get will be from Android Authority. If I do the same thing and type “APK”, the results come from APK Mirror.

This makes finding articles much easier and outweighs the benefits I get from the sidebar or split view. It may be clunkier and less useful, but I can use multiple Chrome windows to achieve the same thing, whereas Samsung Internet has no alternative to custom search engines.

Other issues would make it difficult for me to switch to Samsung Internet. I store all my passwords and login information with Google, and even though Samsung Internet imports my search history and bookmarks, the passwords are not retained. This isn’t unique to Samsung’s browser, however, and switching to any Chrome alternative would pose the same problem.

Ultimately, using Samsung Internet has been frustrating because it comes so close to perfect. It’s fast, all my Chrome extensions work, and the split view and sidebar are wonderful to use. I could ignore all the minor annoyances if it allowed custom search engines, but I can’t give up on something I use so much. Plus, Google is rolling out its own shared view to Chrome, so it’ll be easier for me to wait for that to come to me rather than switching to a whole new browser.

Are you going to try Samsung Internet? Or are you happy with your current browser? Let us know in the comments.