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Chrome for Android starts showing most-visited site tiles in the Omnibox
Curb your enthusiasm: it looks like another server-side switch
If you're anything like most web users, you have a core dozen or so sites that you visit regularly (including Android Police, right? Right?), while the rest you only peruse when it's pertinent. Chrome for Android is starting to recognize this, and give you more visible suggestions for your most-visited sites via new icons in the Omnibox.
Google ends its attack on the URL bar, resumes showing full address in Chrome
You don't need to enable flags to get back the web address
Google has tried multiple times for years to dumb down the internet by simplifying Chrome's "scary" address bar. It first tried to erode the URL entirely by showing just search terms in the omnibox, but its impractical design forced Google to retire it. The developers recently tried to simplify the omibox again — this time hiding all parts of the web address except the domain name. While it received a fair amount of criticism from users, Google defended its decision to move forward, citing its intention to help people better identify malicious sites. But now it seems that Google has reconsidered things, as it recently decided to close the curtains on its experiment.
The latest Chrome build brings back an annoying change for Omnibox custom search engines
Tab to search is back, but it's buried in the flags menu
Back in February, a new version of Chrome changed the way that users activate a custom search engine in the Omnibox: instead of indicating the engine and beginning your search string with a tap of the space bar, you had to press tab instead. Long story short, everybody hated it, so Google reverted the change and tried something else. Well, the tab-to-search functionality is back ... but don't worry, it's buried deep in Chrome's Flags menu.
Part of the changes introduced with Chrome's Duet interface (previously known as Duplex) is a new search button in the bottom bar that lets you jump to the address bar and perform a Google search. But until now, it wasn't clear that you could start typing a new query immediately, as the URL was still there and highlighted. A new Chrome flag has been added to clarify things, plus make it easier to share or copy the current page's URL.
URLs for Google search results are big, ugly things that contain a lot of information you probably don't need to see most of the time. The team behind Chrome development is looking into remedying that eyesore, though, by showing your search terms in the Omnibox rather than the full URL for the results.
A couple of months ago, we heard that Google was working on an updated UI for Chrome's omnibox. Colorful images and brief descriptions were being tested when you searched something in the Chrome URL bar, and this was a welcome change from the sea of white and gray that would normally be seen. Further improvements are also on the way, with favicons being introduced next to bookmarked pages.
It's time to point out a little-known feature in Chrome's omnibox that may save you a tap or two. If you're looking for something on the page you're currently viewing, rather than tapping on your overflow or menu button, going to "find in page" and typing your search string, you can do it via Chrome's omnibox as shown below. Take a look at the first option with the magnifying glass inside the box.