I tried Google Chrome's new bottom URL bar on Android, and it's a mess

Google Chrome on Android has lastly caught up with the remainder of civilization by bashing two rocks collectively to introduce a bottom URL bar. Customers who’ve sought out the characteristic and discovered it on Firefox, Samsung Web, and Microsoft Edge can now select which tackle bar place they like on Google’s browser: the standard high of the display or the extra handy bottom-edge placement.

Don’t get me flawed — whereas I am aggravated that Google took this lengthy to implement the characteristic, I am thrilled that Chrome lastly has it. It’s a case of higher late than by no means for many who use the browser, even when it comes a lot later than its contemporaries. Delayed software program that’s good and works nicely is at all times superior to rushed wares that splutter and falter.

Nonetheless, regardless of taking almost two years for this characteristic to debut on the steady channel, it nonetheless feels unfinished. After enabling the bottom bar and trawling the web for a few hours, I’ve encountered a number of foolish points that ought to have been recognized and corrected earlier than the characteristic’s official debut on Android.

First issues first. To allow the bottom bar in Chrome, faucet the three-dot menu icon, open Settings, then choose Deal with bar. From right here, faucet Bottom. The tackle bar ought to now be positioned on the bottom of the display. Whereas that sounds nice for followers of this characteristic, Chrome makes it tougher to make use of than it actually must be.

The most important good thing about a browser’s bottom bar is its nearer proximity to your thumb. With a high tackle bar, I typically have to make use of my second hand, stretch my phone-holding hand, and danger dropping my telephone — or reposition the system to faucet it. Nonetheless, with a bottom bar, this drawback is basically solved. This entire state of affairs was much less pronounced when handsets have been smaller, however trendy monster smartphones, whose screens recurrently clear 6 inches in measurement, have modified the definition of helpful UI.

If something, app controls on the bottom of the display have develop into the required norm moderately than the exception. However, oddly sufficient, Chrome’s bottom bar is just helpful in idea. In follow, I’m undecided why Google even bothered.

What went flawed with Chrome’s bottom URL bar? Let’s begin with the new tab web page.

I enabled Chrome’s bottom bar and opened the app. I didn’t discover an tackle bar as I anticipated on the bottom of the display. As an alternative, the browser’s stylized search bar continues to be positioned three-quarters up the highest of the web page. That defeats the purpose of this toggle, doesn’t it? So as to add to the record of wierd selections, the profile icon, tabs icon, and three-dot menu buttons are additionally nonetheless situated on the high of the display.

I used my second hand to faucet the search bar, however this nonetheless doesn’t transfer any controls to the bottom of the display. In actual fact, the tackle bar now seems on the very high of the browser window. Extra annoyingly, Google’s search ideas are positioned beneath the URL bar and not above the keyboard. Solely when I enter a URL and navigate to it does the tackle bar transfer to the bottom of the display.

So, every little thing is solved, proper? Not fairly. Tapping on the bar as soon as once more pushes all of it the way in which as much as the highest of the display, together with the ideas and different helpful search choices that I’d like fast entry to, corresponding to voice search and Lens.

How do different Android browsers deal with bottom bar quirks? Effectively, as luck would have it, much better.

• Firefox retains the bar above the keyboard if you faucet on it, however ideas are nonetheless pinned to the highest of the display. Tabs are additionally biased in the direction of the highest of the display, though the house web page format is significantly better suited to one-handed use.
• Microsoft Edge, in distinction, positions nearly every little thing on the bottom of the display as soon as that choice is enabled. This contains person and sponsored shortcuts, ideas, and picture/voice search choices. It’s by far my favourite implementation of this characteristic.
• Samsung Web goes a step additional and locations a number of helpful browser shortcuts beneath the tackle bar, together with favorites, the house button, and its AI-fueled Looking Help icon.

Chrome fully misunderstands the advantages of transferring the tackle bar to the bottom of the display. It’s nearly as if those that carried out it didn’t contemplate why customers choose this feature or why it’s truly vital.

I’ve been ready for Chrome’s bottom bar for ages. I even enabled it in some unspecified time in the future final 12 months when the flag turned obtainable (just for Google to disable it). I thought that was to refine the characteristic and associated experiences which might be affected by the change within the browser, however I was seemingly anticipating an excessive amount of.

Though Google has spent over 40 months sprucing the bottom URL bar for its personal working system since its launch on iOS, it feels rushed and unfinished on the platform Google ought to prioritize. You recognize, Android?

Maybe the excellent news is that each one the issues I’ve highlighted are fixable. We might have a model of Google Chrome that’s pretty much as good as Microsoft Edge in a few patches. And, to be truthful, some parts have been rethought. As an example, the Settings menu now seems on the bottom of the web page, even when it stays far too lengthy to be accessible with one hand.

Even when Google proves me flawed, another Chrome idiosyncrasies are plain troublesome to disregard. The browser’s cussed method to extensions, total UI rigidity, and fixed must be logged in. For me, the bottom bar annoyances are the final nail within the coffin for Google’s browser on my telephone, a minimum of as something past an occasional portal into the corporate’s merchandise.