Chrome Custom Tabs were announced at I/O earlier this year and finally rolled out with version 45 of Chrome for Android in September. Users are now starting to see the official Twitter for Android app adopting them when opening links.
For developers, Custom Tabs allow them to customize how Chrome looks and feels when opening a link from their app. Devs can tailor such things as toolbar color and add app-specific buttons to the toolbar. Pages and links can also be preloaded in the background.
The result is a faster and more seamless transition from app to web when compared to opening in Chrome or using an in-app browser. Users get all of Chrome's features such as already being signed in to pages, saved passwords, and auto-fill.
Twitter's implementation of Custom Tabs is not all too different from their previous in-app browser. Tapping the overflow button reveals the same options to share the link via tweet or direct message, copy the link, shave via another app, or open in browser. What's new is the "Find in page" option usually seen in Chrome.
The update appears to be activated server side as I did not immediately see Custom Tabs after the latest Twitter app update on the 16th.
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