Metro browser URL bar on Windows 8 desktop

[andrewbares]

Is there an easy way to access the URL bar on the Metro browser of Windows 8?

Right now it's painfully awful for desktop/laptop users. You have to right click the website you're currently on (making sure you're not clicking on any links) to bring it up. My parents would never figure this out. It even took me awhile to realize this is how you bring the URL bar up.

Is that seriously the only way to bring the URL and tabs up?? If so, they better change this before the actual release, because this is awful and is going to leave millions of users confused and frustrated.

[Dot Matrix]

Is there an easy way to access the URL bar on the Metro browser of Windows 8?

Right now it's painfully awful for desktop/laptop users. You have to right click the website you're currently on (making sure you're not clicking on any links) to bring it up. My parents would never figure this out. It even took me awhile to realize this is how you bring the URL bar up.

Is that seriously the only way to bring the URL and tabs up?? If so, they better change this before the actual release, because this is awful and is going to leave millions of users confused and frustrated.

I think the key is not to be using the metro browser on the desktop. I certainly don't.

[BoyBoppins]

control+L I think just brings up address bar.

Not sure what brings up the tabs, but you can switch between them if you use control+a number that corresponds to a tab

[Jan Veteran]

F4? Key to quickly access the URL bar?

[ObiWanToby]

It is questions like these that worry me. I think Windows 8 is going to be a big tough sell. I had the same issue, finding that URL bar in metro on the laptop is insane. I feel like my brain has to work too hard to figure out how to do simple things.

I am so used to using the Windows 7 desktop. I can see all my open programs at the bottom, Pidgin, Outlook, Firefox, Keepass ... anything. I am just not sure how metro makes sense on the desktop yet. I'll likely spend most of my time on the "desktop" on Windows 8. Hopefully it wont ever be an issue.

[George P Global Moderator]

If you hit spacebar it will bring it up as well last time I checked. Or if you start typing it could also just bring it up as well. Really, people should be used to right clicking on things though, it's kinda odd how many average users after all this time still don't really use the right click option much.

[andrewbares]

I think the key is not to be using the metro browser on the desktop. I certainly don't.

That's obviously not the answer.

Windows 8 is made so that casual users (like my mom and dad) stay in Metro 99.9% of the time. That includes browsing the web in Metro. By default, the Internet Explorer icon on their start screen goes to Metro IE. They won't even know something else exists.

Ctrl+t is nice for opening a new tab, thanks. And F4 opens the current URL, so that's kinda nice. But keyboard shortcuts still aren't the answer to casual users like my parents... Microsoft needs to address that problem before they release Win8!

If you hit spacebar it will bring it up as well last time I checked. Or if you start typing it could also just bring it up as well. Really, people should be used to right clicking on things though, it's kinda odd how many average users after all this time still don't really use the right click option much.

Nope, I've already tried spacebar. That's for scrolling down. And I already tried "just typing", that doesn't work either.

Why the heck would you intuitively right click on a website to bring up the url bar??? No, that's not something that people should be used to. It makes no logical sense.

[Dot Matrix]

Why the heck would you intuitively right click on a website to bring up the url bar??? No, that's not something that people should be used to. It makes no logical sense.

Well, Metro IE is meant to be a chromeless experience, so something had to give. Besides, right clicking isn't much of a hassle when we've been right clicking on various things throughout the years.

[George P Global Moderator]

My mistake, spacebar works for your lock screen. The classic alt+d kb shortcut still works like it always has, that takes you right to the address bar so you can type out what you want. As for navigating without the address bar showing if you move the mouse point to the middle left or middle right of the screen you get forward and backword buttons right there without bringing up the bar. Really, I don't know why right clicking wouldn't come to mind though. If you left flick all over the place and what you want doesn't happen then wouldn't doing a right click be the next logical choice to see what happens?

It does help to know that, like with desktop apps, right clicking brings up an apps "options/menu" it's the same idea in metro apps since a right click brings up an apps menu bar (what they call the app bar). One of the things I first found out back when I used the developer preview was to right click in metro apps.

[ObiWanToby]

Sure right clicking isn't too big of a deal, but right clicking to bring up a context menu makes more sense than to bring up a url bar and tabs.

[George P Global Moderator]

Sure right clicking isn't too big of a deal, but right clicking to bring up a context menu makes more sense than to bring up a url bar and tabs.

Well, as far as metro apps go the right click brings up ti's controls/options so to that extent it fits into the same idea. Right clicking in WinRT apps doesn't bring up a menu like it does in desktop Win32 apps so they might as well use it for something.

I've become used to just using the kb shortcut when I need the address bar though, alt+d and start typing. ctrl+t for a new tab and so on.

[andrewbares]

Well, as far as metro apps go the right click brings up ti's controls/options so to that extent it fits into the same idea. Right clicking in WinRT apps doesn't bring up a menu like it does in desktop Win32 apps so they might as well use it for something.

I've become used to just using the kb shortcut when I need the address bar though, alt+d and start typing. ctrl+t for a new tab and so on.

Yeah you start to figure out that right clicking is essential for everything.

I'm quite sure your average user isn't going to like that. It's all so random and unclear!

Plus you have to find a blank space in the app/webpage to right click, since if you right click on any actual items, it doesn't work.

If I have trouble with this, and I'm a computer nerd who has been following Windows 8 since day one, how the heck are standard users supposed to learn this? It's a big learning curve. I love nearly everything else in Win8, but this is awful.

[George P Global Moderator]

Yeah you start to figure out that right clicking is essential for everything.

I'm quite sure your average user isn't going to like that. It's all so random and unclear!

Plus you have to find a blank space in the app/webpage to right click, since if you right click on any actual items, it doesn't work.

If I have trouble with this, and I'm a computer nerd who has been following Windows 8 since day one, how the heck are standard users supposed to learn this? It's a big learning curve. I love nearly everything else in Win8, but this is awful.

Well, I think average users don't get enough credit when it comes to adapting to new UIs and tech. Look at the large move to smartphones and in some cases tablets. None of them share the same UI really but people have managed to get used to them in time. I suppose a manual will help heh.