Google Chrome desktop version to get a new look; find details

Google announced plans to update the Google Chrome web browser with a new look and features this month. The latest update comes when Chrome will soon be 15 years old. In a blog post, Google says that Chrome's next appearance is based on the Material You design, which Android smartphone users started receiving in recent years. Google says Chrome's icons have been "updated" with a "focus on readability." New themes and colours help users distinguish between profiles, such as their work and personal accounts.

The settings menu is also updated with more options for easy-access features. Google notes that the Chrome menu will offer faster access to Chrome extensions, Google Translate, and Google Password Manager.

The Chrome Web Store will also include Material You Design for a visual review. Google introduced Material You with Android 12. Simply put, it is a design language that uses more colours and a simple UI (user interface) based on the phone's wallpaper. Users can also customize the colours of individual elements, including accent and text colours. In the context of the Chrome browser, the icons, home page, and settings page will be very similar to the browser theme. A uniform look usually helps with higher retention and easy-to-navigate options.

Aside from the new look, the Chrome Web Store will look much like Google Play regarding recommendations. Google says the store will add extension categories, such as AI-powered extensions and Editors Spotlight. There will be more personalized recommendations. Google is expanding security checking to extensions to allow users to identify unpublished extensions that violate Google's Terms of Service.

The new blog post reiterates Google's commitment to expanding Bard's generative AI features to more tools. Google Search gradually offers a summary of queries in a side panel by leveraging the power of Bard's generative AI. A similar feature also exists in Microsoft Edge, Google's Chrome rival. Users can even pin the Google Search side panel to their toolbar.

Google Chrome is also improving security with real-time Google Safe Browsing. The blog notes, "We're upgrading Safe Browsing so it will now check sites against Google's known-bad sites in real-time. By shortening the time between identification and prevention of threats, we expect to see 25 per cent improved protection from malware and phishing threats." Google will also launch its new Pixel 8 phones this month.