Google Chrome Update: New Browser Features and a ‘Fresh Look’

Google is rolling out a handful of updates and a new look for Chrome as it celebrates the web browser’s 15th birthday this month.

Chrome is getting a refreshed design on desktop, including new theme and color options for you to pick from, according to a blog post from Google on Thursday. The browser’s icons are also getting an update “with a focus on legibility.” Google said the new look is based on its Material You design language and better integrates with your other computer settings, so Chrome can adapt to your preference for things like dark and light mode. 

Google has also changed up the Chrome menu to make it easier to get to features and options like your extensions, Google Translate and Google Password Manager.

With these changes, Google aims to “continue to make it easy, quick and safe to browse on Chrome,” Parisa Tabriz, Chrome’s vice president, wrote in the blog post. 

Google is also redesigning its Chrome Web Store that offers browser extensions. The store is getting a fresh interface, new categories such as “AI-powered extensions” and more personalized recommendations. Google has also expanded its Safety Check feature to Chrome extensions, which can now alert you if an extension you have is “recently unpublished, in violation of our policies, or potentially malicious,” according to the post. 

Google also highlighted a new search feature that brings up additional information — like related searches and more information about a site’s source — in a side panel. And the company touted the expansion of Search Generative Experience, or SGE, its new AI-powered search. People in the US can opt into SGE in Google’s Search Labs. 

Finally, Google said it’s upgrading Safe Browsing in Chrome. It will now check sites against Google’s list of known bad sites in real time, compared to every 30 to 60 minutes previously. Google said by “shortening the time between identification and prevention of threats,” it expects to see improved protection from malware and phishing threats. 

The Chrome changes are among several updates Google has unveiled recently, including a new Android logo, updated Google Maps colors and other new features for the mobile Chrome app. If you’re looking to add a new extension to your browser, these options can save you money.