Learn how to move Google Chrome’s address bar from the default top position to the bottom of the screen for easy one-handed use on iPhone and Android.
Chrome’s combined URL and search bar, called Omnibox, can be quite challenging to reach with your thumb at the top of the screen.
Similar to Apple’s Safari browser, it would be much more practical to relocate Chrome’s address bar to the bottom of the screen for easier one-handed searching and browsing.
The good news is, you can swap the position of Chrome’s Omnibox while browsing or visit the app settings to set your preferred spot for the URL bar.
Needless to say, this helpful option is unavailable in Chrome for Mac, Windows PC, and iPad, where it wouldn’t make sense since you don’t use those devices with one hand.
Move Google Chrome address bar to the bottom on an iPhone or Android phone
Open Chrome on your iPhone or Android phone and visit a website. Now, touch and hold the top address bar, and tap “Move address bar to bottom” in the hidden menu.
Here’s how it looks on an Android phone:
To move Chrome’s Omnibox back up, tap and hold the address bar again and choose the option labeled “Move address bar to top.”
Make these changes in Chrome settings
- Open Google Chrome on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap the three-dot menu button and choose Settings.
- Tap Address Bar from the list of settings.
- Select Bottom to relocate the URL bar to the bottom of the screen.
Here’s how it looks on Android:
Maybe retrain your muscle memory?
Like Safari, Chrome’s bottom URL bar only works in portrait mode. Turning your iPhone sideways to enter landscape mode pushes the address bar back to the top.
Google says each person has their own preference for address bar placement, depending on the size of their hands and devices. “We took those preferences into account when building this highly requested feature,” reads Google’s Keyword blog.
People say muscle memory can be difficult to undo, but I disagree. I switched to the bottom bar in Safari early on, and reaching for the bottom URL bar with my thumb became second nature after just a few days of getting used to the new layout.
Some more Chrome tips for you: