Google explored a new Safari-like redesign for Chrome in 2016 – but decided against it

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Chris Lee, a former Google staff interaction designer, writes in a blog post: Chrome Home was an ambitious redesign of the main user interface of Chrome mobile. It brought the Chrome toolbar to the bottom of the screen and transformed into a peek panel that could be swiped to expose additional controls. I created the original concept and presentation for Chrome Home in 2016. It was based on two insights:

1. Phones were growing in size and we had the opportunity to innovate in creating a gesture and spatial interface that would still be usable with one hand.2. Mobile Chrome was also growing in features, but because its minimalist interface kept everything behind a “three-dot” menu, these features were underused and difficult to access.

The idea took hold internally, eventually becoming a priority of the Chrome organization. I then led a team to execute and iterate on the concept. Running on Chrome Home required rethinking not just the toolbar, but almost the entire Chrome user interface – search, bookmarks, tabs, prompts, etc. To inform our decisions, we used a variety of prototypes and testing approaches to increase fidelity. Ultimately, such a fundamental change in a web browser required nothing short of integrating it into the product and testing it in longitudinal studies and live beta experiments. We have heard a mixture of reactions. The feature has gained a cult following among the tech community. But for some mainstream users, the change was confusing. Chrome serves billions of users around the world with diverse technical skills. I became more and more convinced that starting Chrome Home would not serve all of our users. So, just as I had strongly presented the original concept, I asked to stop the launch, which required a lot of discussion. Lee adds, “oh, and Safari in iOS 15 has garnered some similar ideas and critiques.”

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