Chrome for Android copies Safari’s address bar trick
Google Chrome for Android will now allow users to relocate the address bar to the bottom of the screen, a design modification mirroring a change introduced by Apple’s Safari in iOS 15 in 2021. This feature, previously implemented in Chrome for iOS, provides users with configuration options for the address bar’s placement.
The adjustment in address bar positioning addresses user comfort during mobile device interaction. Users can initiate this change by long-pressing the address bar and selecting the relevant option, or by navigating through the Chrome Settings menu to configure its location. This flexibility aims to enhance accessibility, placing the address bar closer to the natural resting position of a user’s thumbs during one-handed phone operation.
Apple encountered significant user feedback following its initial implementation of the bottom address bar in Safari. Upon the introduction of iOS 15, the address bar initially floated above webpage content. Users reported issues with this placement, citing instances where the bar obstructed critical website elements, necessitating manual dismissal to access underlying content. Other users expressed general dissatisfaction with the design alteration.
In response to this feedback, Apple subsequently revised Safari’s design. The address bar was relocated to the bottom of the screen, positioned below the page content, and its adoption was made an optional setting rather than a mandatory default. Google has adopted a similar strategy with Chrome for Android, providing user choice regarding the address bar’s location, thereby avoiding a forced design change across its user base.
The rollout of this optional address bar placement feature for Chrome on Android devices commenced today and will continue to become available to all users progressively over the coming weeks.