Chrome finally lets you move the address bar to the bottom, but not on Android

Repositioning the Chrome address bar on iOS
(Image credit: Google)

What you need to know

  • Google announced that it's allowing iOS users to move the address bar to the bottom of the app.
  • The feature should make the bar easier to access as opposed to placing it at the top, and it's similar to a move Apple made with Safari.
  • The feature is not yet available for Android but was previously tested on the platform.

Oftentimes, new features will hit Google apps on iOS before they come to Android. This is one of those times, as Google has just announced that the Chrome browser on iOS will now allow users to move the address bar from the top to the bottom of the display.

To do so, open the Chrome browser on your iOS device and long-press the address bar. You'll see a menu open with an option to "Move address bar to bottom." Alternatively, if you find you prefer it on the top, you can always move it back by following the same steps.

You can also enter the Chrome settings menu and select the "address bar" option.

Repositioning the Chrome address bar on iOS

(Image credit: Google)

This move mirrors one Apple made a couple of years ago with Safari on iPhones, and for some, it's a welcome change that makes the address bar more reachable than before, especially as smartphones continue to grow in size. Some of the best Android browsers already let you do this, such as Firefox, and it was my favorite thing about using the Edge browser on Windows 10 Mobile (RIP).

"We know people prefer different address bar positions depending on the size of their hands and devices, and we took those preferences into account when building this highly requested feature," says Chrome product manager Nick Kim Sexton. Interestingly, the feature has only been announced for iOS and not for Android phones.

Google previously tested letting Android users move the address bar to the bottom, but the option never stuck around for some reason, nor did it see a wide rollout. Earlier this year, signs indicated that the feature would make it to iOS as the option showed up in the beta channel. However, its presence on iOS suggests that Google may finally bring the option to Android users.

Derrek Lee
Managing Editor

Derrek is the managing editor of Android Central, helping to guide the site's editorial content and direction to reach and resonate with readers, old and new, who are just as passionate about tech as we are. He's been obsessed with mobile technology since he was 12, when he discovered the Nokia N90, and his love of flip phones and new form factors continues to this day. As a fitness enthusiast, he has always been curious about the intersection of tech and fitness. When he's not working, he's probably working out.

  • fuzzylumpkin
    Google suck.
    Reply
  • Laura Knotek
    That's one of the reasons I use Samsung Internet Browser instead of Chrome.
    Reply
  • sremick
    JFC, people... just use Firefox on Android instead. It's superior than Chrome and has allowed the address bar to be moved to the bottom for ages.

    Just because you use an OS by Google doesn't mean you need to use their browser too. Stop feeding the toxic browser monopoly.
    Reply
  • fuzzylumpkin
    sremick said:
    JFC, people... just use Firefox on Android instead. It's superior than Chrome and has allowed the address bar to be moved to the bottom for ages.

    Just because you use an OS by Google doesn't mean you need to use their browser too. Stop feeding the toxic browser monopoly.
    If you actually use Firefox on Android, you will know that sometimes stuff just doesn't work and like it or not you are pushed to a chromium-based browser.
    Reply
  • Bkdodger1
    Chrome is my main browser ..Google everything for me ...Samsung Internet is solid and I use it ..
    Reply