Summary

  • Chrome Custom Tabs offer app developers control over animations, custom toolbars, and more.
  • The new bottom bar feature in development includes options to save, share, and access a page insights hub.
  • Users can choose between two layouts for the bottom bar, including a shortcut for AI-generated key points about the displayed web content.



Google Chrome is one of the top-rated browsers on Android, but it has also enabled effortless browsing across operating systems, often enabling in-app interactions with the web using a feature called Custom Tabs. App developers can customize browser interactions using this Chrome feature, so navigating to the web doesn’t feel detached from the app UI. This interface doesn’t see much change, but Chrome developers have been working on a bottom bar for this UI, which seems to be taking shape now.

google-chrome-tabs-ap-hero

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Custom Tabs in Chrome are an alternative to WebView implementations for app developers, and it has a big set of advantages, ranging from control over the entry and exit animations, content sharing support, and support for custom toolbars. That said, Google also has a default toolbar in these Custom Tabs, which was spotted in development in March when Chrome feature researcher @Leopeva64 spotted flags for a new bottom bar.

The researcher recently noted the implementation is now functional, and enabling the flag corresponding to the feature reveals a bottom bar with three buttons — an option to save the page to your favorites, a Share button, and a central “i” button to open what Google calls the Page insights hub.

chrome://flags/#cct-google-bottom-bar




Two layouts to choose from, and AI

Interestingly, Google has a few states you can choose for this Chrome flag. The Enabled Balanced bottom bar option places the buttons in the aforementioned sequence, but switching the flag state to Enabled PIH basic in spotlight reorders the buttons so Share and Save buttons are huddled together in the bottom right corner while the Page insights hub button is left-aligned.

Eagle-eyed readers may notice the Page insights hub button has the Gemini AI iconography in the superscript position. Leopeva64’s demonstration of the feature shows tapping the option brings up AI generated key points about the page you’re viewing, and a few links to content other people view.



It remains unclear which behavior and bottom bar layout Google will pick as the new default for Custom Tabs in Chrome. We might need to wait for another stable update for that.