Chrome 135 Rolls Out Edge-to-Edge Bottom Bar Design on Android for a More Immersive Browsing Experience

Google is modernizing the mobile browsing experience on Android with the rollout of Chrome 135, introducing a new edge-to-edge design that eliminates the solid background under the gesture navigation bar while scrolling through web pages. This change delivers a more seamless and immersive viewing experience, aligning Chrome with other modern Android apps that have already embraced full-screen aesthetics.

Chrome 135 Brings a New Dynamic Bottom Bar

In Chrome 135, Android users will now notice that as they scroll down a page, the previously solid-colored gesture navigation background disappears. Instead, the gesture bar overlays directly on top of web content, creating a more fluid visual interaction. This new design doesn’t significantly increase usable screen space but does enhance the sense of depth and immersion, especially on devices with smaller screens.

• When a page is at the top position, or when a user scrolls back up, the background reappears behind the gesture bar.

• As users scroll downward, the gesture bar becomes transparent, showing content all the way to the bottom edge.

Behind the Scenes: “The Chin” and Viewport Expansion

Google refers to this enhancement as a “dynamic bottom bar” or “the chin.” This element retracts dynamically based on the user’s scrolling behavior, allowing web content to extend down to the very edge of the device. The new UI architecture updates the viewport, enabling websites to render to the physical limits of the display.

This feature is especially noticeable on devices with gesture-based navigation. Users relying on Android’s 3-button navigation won’t yet see the same edge-to-edge effect, although a similar update may follow in future releases.

Gradual Rollout and Compatibility

While Chrome 135 is now available on the Google Play Store, the edge-to-edge feature is being activated via a server-side update, meaning users may begin to see the change without needing to manually update the app. It is currently exclusive to small-screen devices such as smartphones, with support for large-screen tablets and foldables coming soon.

Chrome’s latest update represents Google’s continuing efforts to align the mobile web experience with native app design standards, offering a cleaner, more modern aesthetic that better utilizes the capabilities of full-screen Android devices.