Chrome's new feature to Simplify Tab Navigation and eliminate Tab Bar Clutter

After providing the ability to close unused tabs to declutter the tab bar, Google is testing a new feature that combines the “New Tab” and “Tab Search” buttons into a single combo button in the Chrome browser’s tab strip.

Chrome’s New Tab Strip combo button

Chrome’s new “Tabstrip combo button” is available behind a flag in the Canary. This combo button merges the functions of opening a new tab and searching through existing tabs into one convenient button. This prototype is designed to simplify tab strips and improve user navigation

How to Enable the Combo Button in the tab bar

To try out the combo button, follow these steps:

1. Open Chrome and type chrome://flags in the address bar.
2. Search for the flag named Tabstrip combo button.
3. Enable the flag by setting it to “Enabled”.
4. Restart your browser to apply the changes.
   

Once enabled, the new tab and tab search buttons will appear as a single combined button in the tab strip, regardless of the tab search position setting.

Chrome already offers the ability to move the tab search button from the left to the right in the appearance settings. Generally, the new tab button appears to the right of the active tab.

With the introduction of the combo button, changing the tab search position no longer affects the combined button ensuring a consistent user experience. This may change later.

The tab bar combo button feature is currently available on Mac, Windows, Linux, ChromeOS, and Lacros in Chrome Canary. As it is still in the testing phase, feedback from users will be important for Google to determine its final implementation.

Apart from this tab navigation improvement, Chrome is bringing all its AI features into one place for users to manage via a redesign. Additionally, Chrome AI-powered History search can now provide answers.