Google is adding something small to Chrome on Android, but for many people, it might make a real difference. The address bar, which has always sat at the top of the screen in Chrome’s mobile version, can now be moved. If you want, you can place it at the bottom, where it may be easier to reach, especially on phones with larger displays.
The update is not arriving for everyone at once. It’s starting to appear now for some people, and Google is gradually making it available more widely. When it turns up on your device, you can press and hold the address bar to bring up an option that moves it to the lower edge of the screen. There’s also a setting inside the browser’s menu where you can make the same change, if you prefer to adjust it there.
For Android users, the address bar has remained in the same place for more than a decade. Chrome first launched on Android back in 2012, and in all that time, the bar at the top has been the usual way to browse. Although Google has changed and improved some things over the years, like letting the bar disappear when you scroll upwards to create more space on the page, the position of the bar itself has stayed the same.
For some, reaching the top of the screen can be awkward, particularly when using the phone with one hand. Moving the bar to the bottom might help with that. It’s not really a new idea. Google has tried this approach before, though in those earlier tests, the feature never became a regular part of Chrome for Android.
Interestingly, people using Chrome on iPhones have already had a similar choice. On iOS, it’s possible to switch between a top and bottom bar, either by pressing and holding the bar or by using the browser’s settings. That version has offered this flexibility for a while.
It might come as a surprise that Google is only now bringing the option properly to Android. Other browsers added it quite some time ago. The Windows Phone, which has long disappeared from the market, was already giving users a bottom bar back in 2012. Apple’s Safari browser introduced a similar change in 2021, letting people move the bar for easier access.
Even so, this update means Chrome for Android is now catching up, giving people the chance to choose a layout that works better for them. For many users, having that choice may make everyday browsing feel a bit more comfortable.
Read next: AI Firms Face New Legal Boundaries as Court Differentiates Fair Use from Copyright Theft
The update is not arriving for everyone at once. It’s starting to appear now for some people, and Google is gradually making it available more widely. When it turns up on your device, you can press and hold the address bar to bring up an option that moves it to the lower edge of the screen. There’s also a setting inside the browser’s menu where you can make the same change, if you prefer to adjust it there.
For Android users, the address bar has remained in the same place for more than a decade. Chrome first launched on Android back in 2012, and in all that time, the bar at the top has been the usual way to browse. Although Google has changed and improved some things over the years, like letting the bar disappear when you scroll upwards to create more space on the page, the position of the bar itself has stayed the same.
For some, reaching the top of the screen can be awkward, particularly when using the phone with one hand. Moving the bar to the bottom might help with that. It’s not really a new idea. Google has tried this approach before, though in those earlier tests, the feature never became a regular part of Chrome for Android.
Interestingly, people using Chrome on iPhones have already had a similar choice. On iOS, it’s possible to switch between a top and bottom bar, either by pressing and holding the bar or by using the browser’s settings. That version has offered this flexibility for a while.
It might come as a surprise that Google is only now bringing the option properly to Android. Other browsers added it quite some time ago. The Windows Phone, which has long disappeared from the market, was already giving users a bottom bar back in 2012. Apple’s Safari browser introduced a similar change in 2021, letting people move the bar for easier access.
Even so, this update means Chrome for Android is now catching up, giving people the chance to choose a layout that works better for them. For many users, having that choice may make everyday browsing feel a bit more comfortable.
Read next: AI Firms Face New Legal Boundaries as Court Differentiates Fair Use from Copyright Theft
