Google has rolled out the Chrome 2023 Refresh to the latest stable version of its browser. The redesigned look is not enabled by default, and below we'll see how you can enable it.
The company initially made the Chrome 2023 Refresh available in an update to the Canary channel, via Google Labs.
The new look uses Google's Material You design language, and isn't a major update in itself, but it does have subtle visual improvements to match modern design standards across various operating systems.
2 months later, these improvements were released with the stable release.
Changes to the new look include rounded corners (edges) for many visual elements such as the menu, address bar, etc. The search box (Omnibox) has a Tune icon, which you can click to see information about the current web page, such as connection security, cookies and site data. Even Chrome's profile menu has been redesigned.
To enable the new design of Google Chrome in the stable version
1. Open the chrome://flags internal page
2. Search for refresh and you will see a couple of options named Chrome Refresh 2023 and Chrome WebUI Refresh 2023.
3. Both options are at their default value, which is disabled. So you'll need to click the drop-down menu next to each option and change it to Enabled.
4. Click the Restart button that appears at the bottom of the window to restart the browser.
Google Chrome 2023 Refresh is available on Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, Fuchsia, and Lacrosse.
When will we see it as a default appearance?
In May 2023, Google had mentioned its plans to replace the HTTPS lock icon of Chrome with a different icon for security reasons.
The company had said at the time that the change would happen alongside a redesigned look that will launch in September. The next major update, Chrome 117, is scheduled for September 12. So it is very likely that we will see the change in the coming weeks.
