Google is currently working on an updated Chrome for Android app that will bring the URL bar to the bottom of the page. For years, the URL bar has been at the top but as smartphone screens get bigger, having that bar at the bottom makes more sense. Having the bar at the bottom will make it easier to use Chrome for Android with one hand for most users.
Google is currently beta-testing the changes that will also see the controls move to the bottom. The company is using the developer-focused Chrome Dev for Android and Canary for the tests.
The controls are on the right making is easier to access them when you are using your phone with one hand. Even though this feature is coming to Android now, it has been available on other browsers for years. Microsoft was the first to introduce it to Internet Explorer for Mobile. Apple has also had the controls at the bottom on Safari for iOS even though the URL bar is still at the top.
Still At Its Infancy
At this point, you shouldn’t get excited just yet. The changes may not be available on Chrome for Android since Google has just started beta testing. We might be able to get the URL at the bottom on the main Chrome for Android sometime in December or early 2017.
If you want to see the changes right now, you can get the Chrome Dev app and then enable the Chrome Home by copy pasting this command (chrome://flags/#enable-chrome-home) in the URL bar.
At the top where the URL bar used to sit is now a black space that clearly shows you that the feature is still being tested. It is not clear if this is the only change Google is working on or if there are other features we don’t know about yet. Either way, this is a big change that will go a long way in improving user experience.
