Android Users Will Finally Be Able to Move Chrome’s Address Bar
Two years ago, Chrome for iOS copied one of Safari’s best (if controversial at the time) recent changes and finally allowed users to move an app’s address bar (or URL bar) to the bottom of the page. This could make one-handed use more convenient, as some users find it much easier to reach a bottom-aligned address bar with their thumbs, especially on larger-screened smartphones .
However, oddly enough, this feature has not appeared on Android – until now.
About a month ago, Google finally allowed Android users to move the Chrome address bar. It’s pretty simple: long-press the address bar and select “Move address bar down.” Alternatively, you can tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner to open the settings menu and select the address bar position under “Address bar.” To move it back, simply repeat the same steps, but this time select “Move address bar to top of page.”
As small as this change may seem, it’s sure to make life easier for many Android users. It technically started rolling out in late June, but it took a while to reach everyone. Now, with Chrome version 138 , that time has come.
You may have to refresh Chrome before you see it, or even force stop it a few times, but once it’s ready, you should theoretically see a notification next to the address bar that says “You can press and hold to move the address bar down.”
Granted, not everyone sees the notification — my colleagues at ZDNet didn’t, but that didn’t stop them from moving their address bars. If you’re feeling stuck, it’s worth just trying moving the address bar and seeing what happens.
As for whether you prefer the new address bar layout, it probably depends on what phone you have and how you like to hold it. But it’s nice to have more options.