How to Switch Back to the Old Chrome Design

Jim Tanous Read more July 17, 2019

Chrome is a fantastic browser that nearly everyone has switched to in some capacity. Whether you’re using Chrome on a Windows or Mac OS device, you’ve installed the app on your iPhone or Android phone, or you’re using one of the many browsers based on Chromium, the open-source version that is used in apps like Brave and even Microsoft Edge.

If you use a regularly updated version of Chrome, you probably noticed a change about a year ago in the way that the Chrome browser looks. That’s because Google has had launched a new version of Chrome, complete with a designh overhaul. The new look swaps out Chrome’s familiar angles and squares for a softer look, with rounded corners, circular icons, and a slightly lighter color scheme. Thankfully, those who don’t like the new Chrome look can still restore the old design, at least for now.

Switch Back to the Old Chrome Design

The setting we need to change to switch back to the old Chrome design is, like most advanced Chrome features, toggled via a Chrome flag. To see and configure these flags, launch Chrome, enter the following in the address bar, and hit Enter/Return:

chrome://flags

Scroll down through the list of options (or use the search box at the top of the page) to locate UI Layout for the browser’s top chrome.

Use the drop-down menu to the right of this entry to change it from Default to Normal. Chrome will prompt you to restart the browser. You can do so by clicking the Relaunch Now button or by manually quitting and relaunching the app. Just keep in mind that while Chrome is quite good at remembering and reloading your open websites, it’s not always perfect. So be sure to set any bookmarks and save any data before relaunching the browser just to be on the safe side.

When the browser reloads, you’ll notice that the old Chrome design has now returned. Note, however, that while the look of Chrome has changed, you’ll still be running the newest version of the browser under the hood.

Unfortunately, it’s important to note that some users saw this option leave their flags page after an update in December 2018, so you may have to roll back your version of Chrome to continue using the older, angular design. Alternately, Chrome also offers a number of themes in their web store that allow you to change what the app looks like, so you may be able to save Chrome after all.