Best browser themes for Chromebooks

Update April 20, 2017: We've added a new comic book theme, as well as some awesome new Star Wars themes.

Since your Chromebook uses the Chrome browser, you can customize the look and feel of it to suit your mood and interests. The Chrome Web Store is packed with myriad themes, so we went in a pulled out a few of the best, just in case you didn't feel like slogging through.

These themes won't change your Chromebook's background or layout, but they'll definitely make your Chrome browsing experience more enjoyable or more functional, depending on your preference.

Remember: You don't have to use the same theme on all of your devices that have Chrome! You can have a different theme to suit every experience and every purpose.

Space themes

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Sometimes you just need to space out and enjoy the heavens while you're cruising your Chromebook.

Universe: Alison Goldsmith

This is a beautiful theme that extends beyond the home screen up onto the address bar. If you enjoy a serene spacescape, this is the theme for you.

Resolution: 1920x1080

Download: Universe (free)

Space Planet: Thee Pupil

This is a very serene theme to get you in a mellow mode whilst using your Chromebook. Take a trip by Saturn (or what looks like Saturn, anyway) and enjoy the calmness of the cosmos.

Resolution: 1920x1080

Download: Space Planet (free)

A Crack in Time and Space: Greg Cordover

Get a little wibbly wobbly with A Crack in Time and Space by Greg Cordover. This is a Dr. Who-inspired theme for your Chromebook that's vague enough to be enjoyed by all, but specific enough to please the Whovian within.

Resolution: 1920x1080

Download: A Crack in Time and Space (free)

Earth: Thee Pupil

Earth's a beautiful place when you stop and look around. Now you can stop and look around from space with Three Pupil's Earth theme for your Chromebook. Your tabs flip between green and blue, making this a theme that extends beyond your home screen, taking a piece of Earth with you to every web page you visit!

Resolution: 1920x1080

Download: Earth (free)

Minimalist themes

Some themes can be altogether distracting. If you want to personalize your Chromebook but want to keep things simple and refined, a minimalist theme is the way to go.

Slinky Elegant- slinky.me

Slinky Elegant is the little black dress of Chrome themes. It's simple, jet black, and entirely unobtrusive.

Download: Slinkey Elegant (free)

Black carbon + silver metal: bitofcode.net

Black carbon + silver metal is about as simple as it gets for Chrome themes, given that it only affects the address bar and tabs. It's highly effective, though, if you're looking to jump between tabs and apps quickly, since each tab stands out nicely from the background.

Download: Black carbon + silver metal (free)

Dark Vibe: Bjarki Jónasson

This gorgeous theme is a dark gradient that goes from black to a deep, deep blue. If you're trying to focus on the task at hand and want nothing in your background to stand out, then Bjarki Jónasson's Dark Vibe theme is the perfect solution.

Download: Dark Vibe (free)

Classic blue theme: bitofcode.net

If you want an unobtrusive theme but would perhaps like something a bit more cheerful than black, the Classic blue theme will suit your needs nicely. This theme only affects your address bar and tabs with a lovely two-tone blue that hearkens back to Windows XP.

Download: Classic blue theme (free)

Nature themes

Just because you're inside enjoying your Chromebook doesn't mean you can't indirectly enjoy nature.

Beautiful Landscape: www.chromeposter.com

This is an awesome full theme that affects all aspect of Chrome, which is great for those who want their theme to affect every aspect of their Chromebook experience. Two-tone tabs let you know which tab you're presently on by turning it a lovely grassy green. If you'd like your Chromebook to be a functional Bob Ross painting, then Beautiful Landscape is where it's at.

Resolution: 1920x1080

Download: Beautiful Landscape (free)

The Simple Life: Jallacy

Do you dream of the simple life and want be reminded of that dream every time you open a new tab or look at your background? The Simple Life theme by Jallacy features a lovely little cabin nestled in the mountains, presumably on a farm where happy little crops grow.

Resolution: 1920x1080

Download: The Simple Life (free)

Indescribable: atavi.com

If you're tired of the rat race and dream of a vacation destination with crystal-clear waters and sandy beaches, then download the Indescribable theme. It'll soothe your workaday woes and perhaps provide a bit of inspiration as you slog through work in search of the weekend. (Inb4 "Why'd you describe Indescribable?")

Resolution: 1920x1080

Download: Indescribable (free)

Palau HD: t22sai

Now and then we all need some jellyfish. Whether they're for racing through like Marlin and Dory, or for making peanut butter and jellyfish jelly sandwiches, they're just lovely to look at. Palau HD is another escapist theme for your Chromebook that'll allow you to take a breath now and then and take you out of your immediate surroundings and toss you in the ocean.

Resolution: 1920x1080

Download: Palau HD (free)

Comic book themes:

Who doesn't love a great comic book theme?

Deadpool [FVD]: coolchromethemes.com

Time to make the chimi-f**in'-changas and grab this sweet Deadpool theme for your Chromebook. If your common sense is tingling at all, then you'll download it. No you won't. Yes you will. No you won't. OK, of course you will. Get the Merc with a Mouth on your Chromebook now!

Resolution: 1920x1080

Download: Deadpool [FVD] (free)

Iron Man-Material Design-: JamesB

If you like a blend of comic book and minimalist themes, this Iron Man theme is your bag, baby. The colors are muted and mellow and Iron Man floats in the center, a sentry guarding your Chromebook.

Resolution: 1920x1080

Download: Iron Man-Material Design- (free)

Captain America-Miranda Bartley

Captain America

For those of you that are fans of the First Avenger, this Captain America theme is the one for you! It's fairly simple with three different shots of the one and only Steve Rogers arranged around your chrome search bar.

Resolution 1920x1200

Download: Captain America (free)

Flash [FVD]: coolchromethemes.com

Fan of the CW's Flash? Why not wear your fandom loudly and proudly on your Chromebook? Central City's Scarlet Speedster makes for a great Chromebook theme with the muted red of his suit being just as easy on the eyes as Grant Gustin.

Download: Flash [FVD] (free)

Batman: SpliffMobile.com

If you're a fan of the Arkham games and Batman in general, this theme is right up your Crime Alley. It features an image of the Dark Knight from Arkham City, along with the Bat Symbol front and center, just in case you didn't know this was a Batman theme.

Resolution: 1920x1080

Download: Batman (free)

Pokémon themes

Pokémon is where it's at right now, so why wouldn't you be playing Pokémon in the streets and then come home to Pokémon on your Chromebook? POKÉMON!!!

Ghost Pokémon: Suchy

Everyone's favorite creepy, purple family, Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar take their place on your Chromebook and then take their place in your dreams (where they eat them). I'm not sure of this theme's resolution, but I'm working on a 5k Mac and it's the first one to stretch to fit my browser, which is almost full screen. This is an excellent theme for any Pokémon fan.

Download: Ghost Pokémon (free)

Wobbuffet: lincolnstoel

WOOOOOOOBBUFFET! Come on. The perennial Team Rocket jokester, let Wobbuffet onto your Chromebook and into your heart. This theme will stretch to fit any screen and the Wobbuffet-blue background is gorgeous and easy on the eyes. You can see the jagged edges where the Wobbuffet and Poké Ball tab images were cut out a little bit, but it's easy to get past.

Download: Wobbuffet (free)

Pokemon: Legendary pokemons theme: zigrass

How great would it be if someone rendered the Legendary Bird Pokémon as realistic Chinese art-style animals? Boom! Legendary pokemons theme by zigrass! Yes, the title is a bit off, but the imagery is allll legendary.

Download: Legendary pokemons theme (99 cents)

Pokemon Red: RatchetV

Do you dream of riding a Charizard into the fiery crucible of battle? Well, you can't, but your Chromebook can with the Pokemon Red theme by Ratchet V. Allow gorgeously rendered fan art to grace your Chromebook in muted colors that are gorgeous when viewing the full image but unobtrusive when you're not.

Download: Pokemon Red (free){.cta .large}

Star Wars

Everyone is stoked for Star Wars, especially since Star Wars: The Last Jedi comes out later this year. If you need an epic theme to get you in the mood for the story in a galaxy far, far, away, then this should help to do the trick!

Star Wars VII: BB-8 Droid

If the newest droid addition to Star Wars has stolen your heart, then this minimalist theme may be just what you're looking for. You get BB-8 taking a peek at you from the left side of the screen, with a simple tan background.

Download: Star Wars VII: BB-8 Droid

Star Wars VII: Kylo Ren's Lightsaber

When it comes to the dark side, the newest baddie on the block is Vader's nephew Kylo Ren. This theme is quite dark, except for a stylized version of Kylo Ren in the middle of the screen. While the chrome search bar will hide half of Kylo from sight, you can still see his light saber quite well.

Download: Star Wars VII: Keylo Ren's Lightsaber

Star Wars Episode VII Millenium Falcon

One of the most iconic characters in Star Wars isn't a person or a droid, but a ship. The Millenium Falcon, originally owned and piloted by none other than Han Solo, is here to spice up your theme. It takes up most of your screen, and is somewhat blocked by the Chrome search bar, but it's a beautiful ship. Even in Chrome.

Download: Star Wars Episode VII Millenium Falcon

What's your theme?

Everybody's gotta have a theme. What theme are you using on your Chromebook? Sound off in the comments below!

Mick Symons
Mick is a writer and duty editor for Android Central. When he's not on the job, he can usually be found vacuuming up pet hair or trying to convince his wife that he needs more guitars.