For developers and testers seeking to enable advanced features in Google Chrome on Android devices without root access, the experimental flag chrome://flags/#enable-command-line-on-non-rooted-devices offers a viable solution. This guide provides a step-by-step approach to activating and utilizing this feature effectively.
Step-by-Step Guide to Enable chrome://flags/#enable-command-line-on-non-rooted-devices or Command-Line Flags on Non-Rooted Android Devices
1. Activate the Experimental Flag
- Open Chrome on your Android device.
- Navigate to chrome://flags.
- Search for “Enable command line on non-rooted devices”.
- Set this flag to Enabled.
- Relaunch Chrome to apply the changes.
This step allows Chrome to read additional command-line flags from a designated file on the device.
2. Create the Command-Line File
Using the Android Debug Bridge (ADB), create a file containing the desired command-line flags:
adb shell 'echo "_ --your-flag-here" > /data/local/tmp/chrome-command-line'
Replace –your-flag-here with the specific flag you wish to enable. For example, to set a custom user agent:
adb shell 'echo "_ --user-agent=MyCustomAgent" > /data/local/tmp/chrome-command-line'
Ensure that the file is correctly formatted and saved in the specified directory.
3. Restart Chrome
After creating the command-line file:
- Force stop Chrome to ensure it reads the new configuration.
- Reopen Chrome.
- Navigate to chrome://version to verify that your flag is active.
Note: The “Relaunch” button within chrome://flags may not suffice; a complete restart is recommended.
Important Considerations
- File Location: The command-line file should be placed in /data/local/tmp/ as chrome-command-line.
- Permissions: Ensure that the file has the appropriate permissions to be read by Chrome.
- Flag Persistence: Some flags may not persist after Chrome updates or device restarts; reapplying the configuration may be necessary.
Use Cases
Enabling command-line flags can be beneficial for:
- Custom Testing: Setting up specific environments for web development and testing.
- Feature Activation: Accessing experimental features not available through standard settings.
- Debugging: Gathering detailed logs and performance metrics.
Conclusion
By enabling the chrome://flags/#enable-command-line-on-non-rooted-devices flag and configuring the appropriate command-line file, you can customize Chrome’s behavior on Android devices without root access.
This approach is particularly useful for developers and testers seeking advanced control over the browser’s features.