Google has made a user-friendly change to Chrome for iOS by relocating the address bar to the bottom of the screen. This move is a solution to the challenge of stretching your thumb to reach the URL bar on larger smartphones. Interestingly, this update has been rolled out for iOS users, leaving Android users in anticipation, despite Google’s management of the Android ecosystem.
The ergonomic advantage of placing the address bar at the bottom of the display is evident. With the growing size of smartphones, it has become increasingly challenging to access the URL bar comfortably. Shifting it to the lower part of the screen simplifies the tapping action, which is a frequent task for most users throughout the day.
What’s intriguing is the prioritization of iOS over Android by Google, especially since Chrome is a Google-developed browser. It’s possible that iOS users expressed a stronger demand for this feature, which already exists on Safari since 2021. The reasons behind this choice remain a subject of curiosity.
Enabling this feature on Chrome for iOS is straightforward. Users can tap and hold on the address bar and select “Move Address Bar to Bottom.” To revert it to the top position, simply tap and hold again, then choose “Move Address Bar to Top.” Alternatively, users can customize the address bar’s position in Chrome’s settings.
Considering the diversity in size and shape among Android phones, it’s likely that this feature won’t remain exclusive to iOS for long. However, Google has not provided a timeline for its arrival on Android, leaving non-iPhone users in a state of anticipation.
The feature was initially teased in August, suggesting that Google might offer Android users a similar heads-up before its launch on the iOS platform. Notably, Google had previously tested the feature on Android in 2020 but eventually abandoned it.
This change is part of a series of recent updates to Chrome. In October, Google introduced five new enhancements, including improved autocomplete, typo correction, bookmark search, and more. While this update brings Chrome closer to its Safari rival, Android users will have to wait a bit longer to enjoy this convenient feature.
