Google will finally let you move the address bar on Chrome for iOS

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Google Chrome browser may finally let you move the address bar to the bottom of the screen on iOS. It’s an overdue update, as Apple added this feature to Safari years ago. 

A much-awaited Google Chrome update for iOS users 

Steve Moser, a MacRumors contributor, spotted a test version of Google Chrome on iOS that lets users move the address bar to the bottom of the screen. 

Google Chrome for iOS updated with Bottom Omnibox Setting. It was just added to the Testflight version of Chrome for iOS.
Link below with more screenshots and info: pic.twitter.com/W8Lrnc7GrX

— Steve Moser (@SteveMoser) August 23, 2023

It’s a nice little tweak for Chrome users on iOS, but the update is way overdue. Apple had already moved the URL bar to the bottom of the screen, closer to the thumbs on Safari two years ago with iOS 15. Still, it’s better late than never! 

According to Moser, the new Google Chrome feature is only available through the TestFlight app, and there are only two ways to move the address bar at the moment. 

The easiest option is to press and hold the address bar, which brings up the option to switch the bar’s position. You also have the option to do the same from Chrome settings. 

For now, we’re unsure whether the feature is iOS-only or coming to Android. Although Google did experiment with the feature on Android in 2017 in Chrome for Android, they removed the feature later. 

That said, we do hope Google will push out the feature widely. Smartphone screens are getting bigger and bigger, so moving the address bar to the bottom will make it more accessible.

Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion to our Twitter or Facebook.

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