Google Chrome’s desktop version might be taking some style notes from Edge

The days when using a mouse and keyboard with computers was required are long gone. Currently, a lot of our favorite Chromebooks are 2-in-1 convertible notebooks with touchscreen capability and fold-flat hinges. Like Windows 11, several desktop operating systems include touchscreen-friendly display options with bigger menu items and practical touch targets. With the menu elements in everyone’s preferred browser, Chrome, and its significant upcoming desktop update, Google appears to have the same concept.

Although the 2023 Chrome update is supposed to be kept under wraps, feature researchers like Leopeva64 frequently unearth intriguing new features that will be included. The researcher has now discovered that switching on the 2023 refresh flag in Chrome Canary for desktop (v114) alters the vertical spacing for items in the overflow menu. Like Microsoft Edge, the wider padding produces a more dispersed menu with larger spaces between adjacent entries and the menu separators. Other sub-menus also show the change. The menu’s Find and Edit choices have been integrated, and a few other options have been rearranged. The final interface seems to be touch-friendly as well.

Although the researchers were unable to find any mentions of padding or margin references in chromium-gerrit regarding this update, this could’ve been because of a bug. Other than that, the items, including re-sequencing and overflow items combination menu, seem intentional.

Along with that, there are some other features available in the 2023 refresh, along with the overflow menu, and they can be seen by enabling the Chrome red flag. If these changes are introduced to the browser, it’ll make the deal quite easier for touchscreen computers without any specific settings. This latest update can be relevant to the older ones, like the taller address bar or  omnibox, and it will keep Chrome at the same level as Microsoft Edge, which contains an icon-heavy interface along with albeit compact menus.

If you are still thinking this change was accidental and want to remain just on the safe side, you can try Chrome 113, which has been updated with some of the latest features recently.