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Google is trying a new option on its Chrome app for iOS, which should allow users to bring their address bar to the bottom of their screen.
The test was spotted by Steve Moser, who pointed out that the layout complements the current option available in Apple’s Safari browser. As mentioned, however, its availability is still limited as it is currently in the test phase of Google.
The new beta option is accessible by users with Chrome’s TestFlight version, which needs to enable a certain flag:
chrome://flags/#bottom-omnibox-steady-state
Activating the flag and relaunching the browser should give users the option. It can be accessed by tapping the three-dot icon at the top right corner and going to Settings. A new “Address Bar” section should appear on the page, giving you the option for a “Bottom” layout. Alternatively, this change of position can also be quickly performed by touching and holding the address bar.
The setting is not new for Apple customers, who have been using the same layout in the Safari browser since Apple implemented it in its iOS 15 update in 2021. The change was a daring move by Apple, and it even resulted in criticisms by other users. This pushed the company to offer the setting to bring it back to the top of the screen. Now, as iPhones’ displays continue to increase in size each year, iPhone users find the browser setting more useful in using their devices with one hand. It seems Google is following the same path as it tries to get more Safari users to switch to Chome.
It is unknown whether Google will also bring it to Android users. Yet, it is important to note that it already tested the setting in the said group back in 2017, only to remove it after a short time. Nonetheless, with Google now trying it with iOS users, it seems there is a high chance the feature will be resurrected in the Android version of the browser sooner or later.
