After what feels like an eternity of rumors, false starts, and iOS envy, Google is finally making good on a promise it first flirted with nearly a decade ago: the bottom address bar is officially rolling out to Chrome on Android. And no, this isn’t another “enable this experimental flag” situation — it’s here. It’s real. And it’s actually usable. For most people (Source: 9to5Google).
A long-awaited feature
Customization? On Android? Never heard of it
If you’re running version 138 of Chrome for Android, you might’ve already seen a toast notification pop-up: “You can touch and hold to move the address bar to the bottom.” Long-pressing the Omnibox brings up a new menu that includes a simple toggle to reposition the address bar, along with a convenient “Copy link” option that’s been nestled in with it.
Once enabled, the Omnibox relocates itself just above Android’s gesture navigation bar — a long-overdue move that dramatically improves one-handed usability, especially on the slab-sized devices we’re all toting around these days. The three-dot overflow menu drops down ever so slightly to follow the new flow, though its layout remains untouched. That’s great for muscle memory, but some users might’ve appreciated a full bottom-bar makeover with more frequently used tools (hello, Share) front and center.
The saga of the stretchy thumb
Let’s be clear: this isn’t Google’s first tango with a bottom-aligned address bar. Back in 2016, experimental flags allowed brave users to live that dream — briefly — before the feature was yanked in 2020 with the arrival of Chrome 84. Then, in a twist that had Android fans grumbling, the bottom bar quietly returned in 2023… exclusively on iOS. Cue the slow clap.
But now, after a slow and somewhat secretive rollout that began in April and culminated in last month’s official announcement, the feature is going mainstream. There’s even a dedicated “Address bar” page in Chrome’s Settings menu — a subtle nod that, yes, Google really means it this time.
If you’re not seeing the option yet, try force-stopping Chrome from the App Info page. You might have to do it twice — I did. Still nothing? Sit tight. It’s rolling out more widely than ever, though a handful of devices might be lagging behind. Neither of my Android tablets have it yet, for that matter.
So go ahead, shift that Omnibox down where your thumb can reach it. It’s been a long time coming — and Google swears it’s sticking around this time. Probably.
