Android tip: how to move the Chrome address bar to the bottom

Google recently integrated an option in Chrome that lets you move the browser’s address bar to the bottom. However, it hasn’t yet made its way into the standard browser settings. In view of ever-larger displays, this option could make it easier to enter URLs.

Activate it in the experimental settings

You need to activate the option that lets you move the address bar in Chrome’s experimental settings. To do this, carry out the following steps:

• Enter «chrome:flags» in the address bar (without the «», of course).
• Enter «Bottom» in the search bar and go to the «Bottom Toolbar» button.
• Set the switch to «Enabled».
• Restart the browser. Please note: Chrome’s restart button didn’t cut it for me. I had to close the browser completely then restart it to be able to perform the following step.
• Tap and hold the address bar until the «Move Address Bar To Bottom» option appears. Select it.

With the last step, you can also move the address bar back to the top if you don’t like the new position.

Function only partially developed

I tried it out myself and noticed a few things that explain why Google’s still hiding the option in its experimental settings:

• The narrow area takes on the colour scheme of the website. With a smartphone in dark mode and a white website background, this doesn’t look nice.
• If you tap on the address bar to enter a new URL, it moves back to the top again. Naturally, you want to have the keyboard at the bottom, but the address bar could also remain directly above it.
• Sometimes the address bar disappears completely and only reappears when I restart Chrome completely.

Above all, the address bar disappearing prevents me from activating the option permanently for the time being. However, once these problems have been resolved, the function will be quite useful.