Chrome OS developers are testing a new feature that would hide the browser UI when scrolling.
This means that Chrome OS would work similar to the mobile version of Chrome. When users scroll down the page, UI elements like the search bar and tabs slide out of the way.
“Chromium Evangelist” Francois Beaufort posted about the change on Google+. It is live in Chrome OS Canary, an early developer channel for testing new features.
One important note, however, is the new behaviour only works on Chromebooks with a tablet mode. Furthermore, it appears those Chromebooks have to be in tablet mode to take advantage of it.
The behaviour makes Chromebooks in tablet mode a sort of middle-ground between mobile Chrome and desktop Chrome.
At the moment, it’s not clear whether the behaviour is optional. Based on early reception to the change, I would think Google will add an option to keep the UI in view if there isn’t one already.
Most users so far seem against the change, arguing that it doesn’t add much to the browsing experience. Having to scroll up every time you want to change a tab could be annoying, and hiding the UI doesn’t save much space on a Chromebook compared to a phone.
Regardless, the change so far only applies to Chromebooks in tablet mode and likely won’t affect many users anyway. It’s likely intended for use on the upcoming Pixel Slate.
Source: Francois Beaufort Via: 9to5 Google
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.
