As Google continues to make updates to Chrome, it’s common to come across new features or unfamiliar icons. Recently, I noticed a double diamond symbol to the left of the bookmark star in my address bar, and I was curious to learn more about it. This led me to wonder, what does the double diamond symbol mean? And what exactly is a service handler?
To find answers, I hovered my cursor over the symbol and discovered a message that said, “Page wants to install a service handler.” Unfortunately, this didn’t provide much clarity. So, I decided to click on the symbol to see what options were available to me.
A box appeared with three choices: Allow, Deny, or Ignore. The default choice was Ignore, so I clicked on Done, and the symbol disappeared. It seemed like nothing else changed, and after conducting some research, I found that no further action was necessary.
However, I also learned that if I wanted to explore the feature further, I could click on the Manage button. This would take me to the Protocol handlers page in my settings, where I could customize my preferences.
Upon further investigation, I discovered that service handlers enable specific web services, like Gmail or Google Calendar, to be opened directly from a link. For example, if you prefer to open email links with Gmail, you can allow that handler to do so.
In my case, since I chose to ignore the service handler prompt, Chrome assumed that I didn’t want to be bothered with it, which is why the symbol disappeared when I returned to the site.
However, let’s say you change your mind and decide that you actually want to associate your Gmail or another relevant site with the double diamond symbol. But how do you access this feature if the icon is no longer visible?
You can access the Protocol handlers page in Chrome settings, as mentioned earlier. There are two ways to get there. You can either:
1. Open the Chrome menu, go to Settings, then click on the Advanced option. From there, you’ll find Protocol handlers under the Privacy and security section.
OR
2. Type “chrome://settings/handlers” directly into the address bar and press Enter.
Once you’ve reached the Protocol handlers page, you can adjust whether the protocol handler symbol appears when you visit a site. You have two options: “Site can ask to handle protocols” or “Don’t allow sites to handle protocols.”
Additionally, below these choices, you’ll see a list of sites that are not allowed to handle protocols. If you previously clicked on the double diamond symbol and chose either Deny or Ignore, that site will appear on this list.
If you want to remove a site from the blocked list, simply click on the “X” button next to the site address. The next time you visit that site, the double diamond symbol will reappear, giving you the opportunity to make a different choice.
In summary, the double diamond symbol signifies a service handler, which allows web services to be opened with a link. You can manage this feature through the Chrome settings on the Protocol handlers page and customize your preferences for different sites. Whether you choose to allow or deny a service handler is entirely up to you and your desired browsing experience.