What you should know
- Chrome on Android is getting a new look with its New Tab Page (NTP) adopting the Material You design language, bringing consistency to Google’s first-party apps and enhancing the browsing experience.
- The search bar in the new design is thicker, similar to the one in Gmail and Google Chat, with bolder hint text and more distinct microphone and Lens icons. The most visited sites now reside in a rounded card, visually separating them from the rest of the page.
- The Material You makeover started rolling out with version 119 and is now picking up pace with version 120. Users can enable this new look by enabling chrome://flags/#enable-surface-polish to experience the 4×2 grid of favicons and a carousel showcasing 12 frequently visited pages.
- This redesign marks a significant step for Google in unifying its Android app aesthetic, making the New Tab Page feel more polished and cohesive, while retaining its core functionality.
Full Story
Android’s Chrome is getting a fresh look. The New Tab Page (NTP) is now adopting the Material You design language.
This isn’t a major overhaul, but it’s a nice touch. It brings a bit of consistency to Google’s first-party apps and makes browsing a bit more enjoyable.
9to5Google has documented the changes. The first thing you’ll notice is the thicker search bar. It looks a lot like the one in Gmail and Google Chat.
Google seems to be making this design a standard for Android apps. It’s all about a unified visual language. The search bar also has bolder hint text and more distinct microphone and Lens icons. They’re easier to find now.
Remember the flat grid for your most visited sites? It’s gone. Now, they’re in a rounded card. This separates them visually from the rest of the page. The Discover/Following switcher also gets a similar rounded treatment. The Discover feed, though, is mostly unchanged.
Old NTP vs New NTP
These changes might seem small, but they’re a big deal for visual coherence. The NTP, which is a part of the browser you access a lot, now feels more polished. It’s more in sync with other Google apps. Plus, the increased padding doesn’t affect content visibility. Your browsing needs are still the focus.
The Material You makeover started rolling out with version 119. Now, it’s picking up speed with version 120. If you’re eager to try it out, and you’re okay with messing with feature flags, you can enable this new look. Just enable chrome://flags/#enable-surface-polish to experience the 4×2 grid of favicons.
You also get more options within the flag. You can enable a carousel that shows 12 frequently visited pages. If you like the old search bar, chrome://flags/#query-tiles-ntp lets you bring back the previous search queries.
Feature flag for Chrome’s surface polish with all the additional options
This redesign is a subtle but important step for Google. It’s about unifying the look of its Android apps. The New Tab Page, now with Material You touches, feels more polished and cohesive. It still has its core functionality.
So, the next time you open a new tab in Chrome, take a moment to appreciate the subtle changes. They bring a touch of Material You magic to your browsing experience.
