Google Chrome bringing back Bookmarks "Tree View" in Side panel

Chrome Bookmarks Tree View, a feature removed a while back makes a comeback behind a flag in Canary

Reading time icon 2 min. read


Readers help support Windows Report. We may get a commission if you buy through our links. Tooltip Icon

Read our disclosure page to find out how can you help Windows Report sustain the editorial team. Read more

Google is reintroducing the Tree View for bookmarks in the side panel, a feature that was removed some time ago. Chrome is adding it to compact view behind a flag named “Top Chrome Bookmarks Tree View” in Canary.

The flag description reads, “Show the bookmarks side panel in a tree view while in compact mode.” In our testing, enabling the flag brought the tree view for bookmarks in the side panel in compact view. It remains to be seen how long Google will test this feature before making it available to users in the release.

Google revives Bookmarks Tree View feature in Chrome

We noticed Google’s implementation allows users to navigate through their bookmarks using the arrow keys on their keyboard.

How to Enable “Bookmarks Tree View” in Side Panel in Chrome

  1. Launch the latest Chrome Canary.
  2. Visit chrome://flags/#bookmarks-tree-view.
  3. Select Enabled from the dropdown and restart Chrome.
Top Chrome bookmarks Tree view flag. Image Credit:WindowsReport

After restarting, ensure the bookmark bar is not hidden, click “All bookmarks,” and select “open side panel” to see all bookmarks. Choose “compact view” for “All Bookmarks.” You can notice bookmarks tucked under arrow > in folders, you can expand them to see bookmarks.

Bookmarks tree view in side panel after enabling flag. Image Credit:WindowsReport.

Chrome used to offer a tree view in the side panel for bookmarks, allowing users to expand and collapse multiple folders in the same view. This made it easier to navigate and manage bookmarks, especially for users with many folders. However, this feature was removed in a recent update, and the reason behind its removal hasn’t been officially stated by Google.

present bookmarks view in compact mode in side panel. Image Credit: WindowsReport

With this change in the future, users may ditch third-party extensions they relied on until now, such as “Minimal Bookmarks Tree”, “Tidy Bookmarks Tree”, and “Bookmark Sidebar”.

Apart from this, Chrome is integrating Gemini AI into Permissions and Profile Picker. Additionally, Chrome is working on audio ducking for background tabs.

More about the topics: bookmarks, Google Chrome, side panel

User forum

0 messages