Google Chrome is a fast and secure web browser designed by Google to provide more straightforward solutions to your frequently asked questions. The company keeps updating and improving the features with every new update to make it user-friendly and accessible.
However, some improvements lead to positive feedback, while the users heavily criticize some. The same situation is happening with the recently released update. A recent update (v124) brought a new homepage shortcut layout. It replaced two rows, one with five shortcuts and another with a row with ten shortcuts.
This new interface has been disliked by many, and some have shown their frustrations on social media platforms. There are so many complaints spread over Reddit and the official support forums. A user explains how it’s a terrible experience with him while viewing a complete 1 row having ten shortcuts in a streak.
Moreover, they try hard to escape with the interface showing a single row instead of two. Some users find it ugly to look at and have trouble navigating to their most-used shortcuts. This single-row arrangement made the icons smaller compared to a proper distribution when with two rows. Google Chrome is quite old, and a sudden change that interrupted user satisfaction is not a welcome addition.
However, a potential solution shared by a Reddit user will help you return to the previous interface, where there are two rows, each with five shortcuts. So, if you are not finding the new UI helpful, you can go to the previous one by following the steps mentioned in the post.
Necessary Prerequisite:
Before diving into the excitement of going to the previous interface, let’s clarify that you have to interfere with the Chrome flags. To those unaware, these flags help activate browser features that are unavailable by default. In addition, after successfully executing the steps, you may find issues in your Chrome UI.
Step to Get Two Rows of Shortcuts in Google Chrome
- Go to your Google Chrome address bar. Type: chrome://flags/ and select Enter.
- Find the “Temporarily unexpire M122 flags” and “Temporarily unexpire M123 flags.” flags. There’s a drop-down menu beside each flag; go and Enable them.
- Scroll down on the flags page and click the “Relaunch” button. With this, Google Chrome will close all the previous flags and restart with the newly selected ones.
- After it reopens, return to chrome://flags/ and navigate for “NTP Single Row Shortcuts.” With the help of the drop-down menu, find and select “Disabled.”
- Finally, press the “Relaunch” button again. This step will conclude with all your changes, and the two-row shortcut will appear on your Google Chrome.
Note: It is a temporary solution that works, and it’s up to you whether you want to go for it because we have listed the effects you will likely face after implementing the solution. But, if you do not like the new home screen layout, it’s better to opt out and go back to your two-row home screen layout.
We don’t know if there is any permanent solution or something. Do you have any? If yes, then do share them below. Let’s wait and hope that Google introduces an option to customize your preferences with upcoming updates. What are your views on this? Let us know in the comments section below.
