Google is rolling out a bookmarks bar for Chrome users on Android tablets and foldables (basically, large-screen devices) with Chrome version 146. The feature might sound familiar, as it has been available on Chrome for desktop for years.
As seen on desktop, the bookmarks bar appears below the omnibox, spanning the full width of the screen and showcasing favicons alongside site names, while a right-facing chevron handles overflow. Long-pressing a bookmark reveals its full URL.
What problem does the bookmark bar on tablets and foldables solve?
To enable the bookmarks bar in Chrome on tablets or foldables, go to Settings > Appearance and select “Show bookmarks bar.”
Until now, accessing bookmarks on Android devices required opening the three-dot menu and navigating to the Bookmarks section, which adds extra friction when using the feature on tablets and foldables, even for users who rely heavily on it on desktops.
However, for tablet users juggling research, productivity, and browsing across a handful of sites, the feature reduces the effort required to access frequently visited sites (from 2 clicks to 1).
This changes how Android users access frequently visited sites
The bookmarks bar doesn’t interrupt the current page or open a separate screen. For Android users who access Chrome on a handful of devices, such as a work PC or a travel tablet, the consistency helps streamline the experience.
Over the past year, Google has been at it, improving Chrome’s tablet interface with better tab layout, improved multi-window behavior, and more desktop-like controls, since a growing number of users are familiar with them.
Given that Android 17 will make large-screen responsive layouts mandatory for developers, the bookmarks bar is a sign of where Google’s tablet ambitions are headed.
