Enhanced browsing with indication of prefetching status

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon, instructions that, if executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform operations of enhanced browsing, the instructions comprising:

• instructions to identify, in a first web page displayed by a browser in a browser window, a target link to a second web page;
• instructions to prefetch automatically content from the second web page prior to the computer system receiving a selection of the target link;
• instructions to cause, while the computer system automatically prefetches said content form the second web page, display of a first indicator associated with the target link, the first indicator configured to visually convey in real time an initiation of prefetching of content from the second web page;
• instructions to, upon completion of the prefetching, cause display of a second indicator in place of said first indicator to visually convey in real time the completion of the prefetching, wherein the second indicator is different from the first indicator;
• instructions to, in response to a determination that the prefetching has failed, cause display in the first browser window of a third indicator, different from and in place of said first indicator, to visually convey failure of the prefetching;
• and
• instructions to, in response to detection of a security threat in the prefetched content, cause display in the first browser window of a fourth indicator, different from and in place of said first indicator, to visually convey information regarding the security threat.

A computer-implemented method of enhanced browsing, the method comprising:

• causing display in a browser window of a first electronic page containing a set of target links, including a first target link;
• automatically prefetching content linked to by the first target link;
• causing display of a first status indicator associated with the first target link, to visually convey in real time a status of the automatic prefetching of the content linked to by the first target link, wherein the first status indicator is displayed prior to receiving a selection of the target link;
• upon completion of the automatic prefetching of the content linked to by the first target link, causing display of a second indicator in place of said first status indicator to visually convey in real time the completion of the automatic prefetching of the content linked to by the first target link, wherein the second indicator is different from the first status indicator;
• in response to a determination that the prefetching has failed, causing display of a third indicator, different from and in place of said first status indicator, to visually convey failure of the prefetching;
• and
• in response to detection of a security threat in the prefetched content, causing display of a fourth indicator, different from and in place of said first status indicator, to visually convey information regarding the security threat.