Google is currently testing a redesign of the Chrome iOS app, and if the search-engine giant rolls out this new layout to users at large, we suspect that the critical response will be mixed — at best.
As How-To Geek pointed out, Google added a brand-spankin' new experimental feature flag to the popular browser's codebase, which could beget a new design change that makes Chrome more visually similar to Safari on iOS.
Google Chrome may look more like Safari
The words "#bottom-omnibox-steady-state," discovered within the browser's codebase, caught How-To Geek's attention. The term "bottom omnibox" reveals that Google may drop the address bar from the top of the screen to the bottom, mimicking the appearance of iOS-based Microsoft Edge, Safari, and other popular browsers.
Hawk-eyed observers also found a Chrome developer's comment within the code that explains that the address bar may temporarily return to the top of the screen when users tap on it or type in a URL. Another comment implies that iPhone users will have the option to roll back to the previous design if the revamped layout doesn't tickle their fancy.
Interestingly, seven years ago, Google experimented with a bottom address bar on the Android version of Chrome. As How-To Geek pointed out, it had several secret codenames, including Chrome Home, Chrome Duplex, and Chrome Duet. Although it went through several design tweaks, it never rolled out widely.
In the same way, this Chrome redesign for iOS devices that Google is working on may never see the light of day. Only time will tell.
