A new side panel helps you change themes and colors on a whim.

If you can't stand your web browser's default gray look, Google may have just what you're looking for. The company recently updated Chrome on desktop with a side panel that makes it easier to change the app's theme and color. Click "Customize Chrome" in a new tab and you can browse theme packs or set colors in real time. You can upload custom images, or set a daily rotating background if you crave variety.

There's no mention of a similar change coming to mobile. The confines of a phone screen wouldn't make this customization as practical as it is on a computer, though, so we wouldn't count on a direct equivalent.

Browser customization isn't new, of course. However, you've typically had to dive deeper into the settings to access the feature, even in other Chromium-based browsers. Microsoft's Edge, for instance, requires visiting an appearance section in settings to make similar changes. The Chrome update theoretically encourages more people to give themes and colors a try. That, in turn, may keep them using Chrome instead of switching to rivals.

Source:
courtesy of ENGADGET

by Jon Fingas

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