Chrome For Android Just Got A Slick New Visual Upgrade
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Chrome 135 brings an edge-to-edge layout to Android, letting web content extend behind the gesture bar.
- The update is rolling out gradually via a server-side switch.
- For now, it only works on small-screen devices using gesture navigation, not tablets or three-button navigation.
Google is starting to roll out a more immersive look for Chrome on Android, bringing an edge-to-edge layout that uses more of your phone’s screen. The change was first debuted in testing last month, and it’s now beginning to reach more users as part of the Chrome 135 update.
As 9to5Google demonstrated, the update lets Chrome draw content all the way down to the bottom of the screen, behind Android’s gesture navigation bar. That bar no longer appears on top of a solid background when scrolling. Instead, it floats transparently over web pages for a cleaner, full-screen feel.
Google is implementing this through a so-called “dynamic bottom bar,” which internally is referred to as “the chin.” This component dynamically retracts as users scroll down, giving the appearance of the web content filling the entire screen. The background still appears when the page is at the top or when scrolling back up, and the update doesn’t change how websites are built or displayed. Google gave the somewhat obvious warning that, in some cases, the gesture bar might still obscure parts of the page.
While Chrome 135 is now widely available via the Play Store, the edge-to-edge effect itself is rolling out through a separate server-side update. That means not everyone will see it immediately, even if they’re on the right Chrome version.
The change is currently limited to Android phones using gesture navigation, with users on three-button nav seeing no difference. Tablet support is also still in the works for a future release.
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