Chrome for Android's upcoming bottom address bar is already getting weird

11 Oct 2024, 20:33 by Chris Thomas · Android Police

Key Takeaways

Chrome for Android will see the bottom address bar option return, but reportedly at the expense of a trickier link copying process.
The pre-beta Canary build introduced an Omnibox long-press menu combining options for Copy Link and Move Address Bar.
Google's decision makes little sense, in making a common task more complicated for niche feature inclusion.

A surprisingly vocal subset of Chrome for Android users has clamored for the return of the optional bottom-aligned address bar in the years since its 2020 removal. To their satisfaction, an APK teardown recently revealed the existence of just such an option within Android's Chrome Canary build — but there's a catch.

In exchange for releasing the niche-but-beloved feature from hostageship, developers apparently plan to punish every single Chrome for Android user by turning the single-tap Copy Link tool into a long-press menu containing both Copy Link and the new Move Address Bar To Bottom option (per Twitter/X user @Leopeva64). Inconceivable.

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Sacrificing the mass user experience for obscure fan servicec

Preventing dislocated thumbs, but at what cost?

This change is, in a word, bizarre. Upper address bar alignment is the standard for every major browser in every major operating system. As much respect as Android Police and its readers have for power users and customization, it's unclear why Google considers this the kind of frequently accessed UI adjustment that deserves a place just one click away from the main browser window.

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You either likes the browser bar on top, or on the bottom. Swapping between the two doesn't seem like the kind of feature many users will use repeatedly throughout a browsing session. For that matter, it even takes a little getting used to if you already know you prefer bottom alignment.

Even if the UI team deems it too important to bury deep in Settings menus, it could surely be hidden slightly farther off the main trail. Stashing it exclusively in the kebab menu, for example — did you know that's what the top-right corner's three-dot menu is called? — wouldn't introduce a stumbling block to as simple a task as copying the current page's URL for sharing with friends, posting to social media, or adding to your notes for posterity.

But that's not even the worst of it. The code review indicates that address bar realignment will reside in the Settings menu, in addition to the pop-up omnibox long-press menu. What is going on in Google's developer clubhouse?

Why double up on setting locations only to kneecap quick link copying?

While Chrome Canary implementation doesn't mean a feature will definitely see public release, precedent indicates our days of one-tapping the Copy Link button into existence are, in fact, limited. Chrome for iOS has allowed bottom address bar alignment for 6 years, and although it requires TestFlight beta enrollment and a flag activation, it cannibalizes Copy Link convenience the exact same way.

What an unusual method of providing the most dedicated users with their desired features, at the expense of nearly everyone's smooth interface experience.

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