Google is rolling out a small but useful update to Chrome. The update makes the address bar in the web browser more customizable and accessible. You can now place it at the top or bottom of the screen, as you prefer.
The ability to change the position of the address bar in Google Chrome has started rolling out and will be available to all users over the coming weeks. You can long-press on the address bar and select the "Move address bar to bottom" option. Alternatively, you can also go to Settings > Address bar to customize it.
"Depending on the size of your hand and your device, one address bar position may feel more comfortable than the other," the company said in a blog post. "We designed this update to give you the flexibility to choose your preferred location — so you can browse with more ease."
The address bar is where you can type website names you want to visit. It's a crucial part of our browsing experience and also doubles as the search bar in Google Chrome. The browser's Android version has been around since 2012, and the address bar's top position has remained the default for most of its time.
Over the years, Google has enhanced the address bar with additional features, such as the ability to automatically hide when scrolling up on a web page, thereby offering more screen real estate.
A bottom-mounted address bar could be a better option for users with small hands or those who prefer to use their device with one hand. Interestingly, this is not the first time Chrome has had a bottom address bar, as Google briefly experimented with the feature in the past.
The bottom address bar even made its way to Chrome for iOS, where you can long-press the address bar to toggle between the two options or change it in the settings. It's hard to digest that it took Google so long to add a simple feature.
The defunct Windows Phone had this feature as far back as 2012, and Chrome's rival Safari added a Bottom layout option in 2021. Nonetheless, the latest update brings Chrome in line with other browsers that offer a bottom address bar on Android.
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