The recent Google Chrome update brought a new design, featuring rounded corners and updated icons, which is nice for touchscreens. However, these changes can also make things feel a bit more spread out, which isn’t always great, especially if you’re not using a touchscreen device.
If you’re missing the old Chrome interface, there’s good news: you can easily revert to the classic look without needing to downgrade your browser. This is done by tweaking a few experimental settings, allowing you to disable the new UI elements and bring back the familiar appearance.
How to Get the Old Chrome Back
- First, open Google Chrome on your computer, whether it’s a Windows or macOS machine.
- Next, type
chrome://flagsinto the address bar and hit Enter. This will take you to Chrome’s experimental features page.
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In the search bar at the top, type in
refresh 2023to quickly find the relevant flags.
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You’ll need to locate four specific flags:
Chrome Refresh 2023,Chrome WebUI Refresh 2023,Chrome Refresh 2023 New Tab Button, andChrome Refresh 2023 Top Chrome Font Style. For each of these, use the dropdown menu on the right and selectDisabled.
- After disabling the flags, a prompt will appear at the bottom of the screen. Click the
Relaunchbutton to restart Chrome and apply the changes.
- Once Chrome has restarted, you’ll see that the browser has gone back to its previous interface. The familiar design will be back in place!
By adjusting these settings, you can enjoy Chrome without the latest redesign. If you have feedback on the redesign, you can always use the feedback option in Chrome’s Help menu to share it with the developers.