I have been using the default UI ever since I started using Chrome. When chrome 69 came out, and the hideous changes were made to the user interface were implemented (horrible looking bubbled tabs, small dark grey lines separating each tab), I immediately googled and found a solution to revert it to it's superior original state: go to chrome://flags/, search for "**UI Layout for the browser's top chrome"** and use the dropdown box to change it from default to normal, so me and many others who dislike this layout can be rid of the new horrendous looking UI. However, today when I turned on my computer I was greeted with this issue again. So, I thought no problem; I'll change it back. However, Google decides, nahhhhh. WE like our UI changes better than our old one. In Chrome 71 we're just gonna have to go ahead and REMOVE the option to change it despite what others may prefer.
This is absolutely ridiculous. The fact that we (as users) can't choose our own damn UI is ridiculous. As much as I hate any other browser available, I hate this new UI more. I am seriously thinking of making the switch to Firefox instead if I can't find a way to switch this back. Either using an extension, or Google just decided to put the option to change the UI, this needs to be changed. Is anyone aware of how to change it back?
**TLDR**: How to change the chrome UI back to its original state?
The only way is to downgrade back to a previous version. That’s the disappointing state we are in now.
Knowing Google, I was expecting this. After picking the right theme, it doesn’t look so bad, yet I recommend you to try Opera if you like a nice UI while you can keep your Chrome extensions.
Google, don’t do what Microsoft does, which is to change shit just to change shit (for no reason). If it ain’t broke….
Why do people dislike this new theme? Honestly, it looks more modern, I disliked the sharp edge theme of the tabs. The rounded tabs fits their own design guidelines. I feel like you’re just resistant to change, good or bad.
This fucking sucks.
I’m having this issue too… ugh. Is there any fix to this other than downgrading my browser?
Sry OP, but you are getting the browser for free (well, if you do not care about the price for your privacy) and stating that you hate all other browsers. There is no option for people like you – haters.
AT VERY LEAST, the chrome UI team needs to add accessibility options to the new UI. High contrast, bold outlines, fucking something that helps me see one tab from another, and which one is active.
While I personally think the new UI LOOKS like shit, I believe there can be a very compelling science-based (IE measured) argument that the new UI also fundamentally conveys LESS information to the user.
While we’re on the topic – Let’s start changing the safety markers on all public roads, or outright removing elements from them to make them “more streamlined”. It’s not like that reflective tape or other universally adopted safety symbols/features are THAT helpful, grounded in scientific research, or anything of that nature.
Google was a Benevolent Dictator for quite long time since their beginnings. Now they are just a Dictator and moves like this only detract people from them (not that majority cares in any way – just like in case of Apple).
The garbage they make now is beyond my understanding. Fuck them. Not going to use any of their shit anymore. (pity that Firefox made VERY similar move. Like we need all Browsers “unified” to same disappointing pile of waste. And of course THEY know what we NEED much better than US.
TBH I didn’t really notice the change. So it looks slightly different now … who cares?
Related issue: https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=912416
You can star it and express your disappointment there. I think it will be easier for Chrome Dev team to reach it from there.
Same reason I am here. Was quite happy with the revert-to-old-UI flags
I’ve tried to understand the hate of the new layout.
50+ tabs consume the same amount of space as they used to, but don’t look like horribly aliased trash. Seems like an upgrade.
The user selection option is now built in to the extension area. Less space wasted in the title bar, more room for tabs.
Change is always resisted, but this is ridiculous.
“As much as I hate any other browser available, I hate this new UI more.”
I hate firefox more. At least chrome doesn’t nuke it’s extensions on a regular basis.
I went back to the previous version, fuck this new Ui. looks like shit.
I used these guides to revert back from the last UI change (69-70 I think). I just updated to 71 and nothing changed, so I assume all the flag changes suggested are still working as stated. Sadly rolling back to an earlier version like most people want to do is going to become a security risk if you stay on the old version long enough.
[https://www.downloadsource.net/how-to-change-google-chromes-interface-back-to-the-old-look-old-chrome-material-design/n/13295/](https://www.downloadsource.net/how-to-change-google-chromes-interface-back-to-the-old-look-old-chrome-material-design/n/13295/)
[https://www.downloadsource.net/how-to-change-back-to-the-old-new-tab-style-on-google-chrome/n/13307/](https://www.downloadsource.net/how-to-change-back-to-the-old-new-tab-style-on-google-chrome/n/13307/)
Agree! Downgraded back to version 70.
This is fucking garbage. If they want people to leave their shitty browser because they literally dictate how it looks then this is how to go about doing it. What it so bloody important about them forcing us to use this shit.
Honestly, looking at it, I can think of only one major flaw that interferes with how I use Chrome.
In maximised windows, the tabs go all the way to the top of the screen. Makes it extremely difficult to move windows around instead of tabs.
I hate it. I tried it and wanted to like it back in August but I hate it.
The filing cabinet tabs is what makes Chrome Chrome. Now it just looks like Edge or Firefox. Really cheap tacky touch-screen designed shape of the GUI.
Anyway, there has to be a way to restore this. Chrome is open source.
It looks so stupid, bubble shapes tightly pressed against eachother.
The tabs are actually a few pixels taller so there’s space wasted.
It really feels like I’m using Firefox, that clunky mess.
Just updated and my sixth sense actually told me that something like this can happen AND IT FUCKING DID! This sucks sooo much I don’t even have proper words to describe it…
Reverted to chromium-70.0.3538.110-1 in the meanwhile
New design is RETARDED, but the decision to remove the ability to return old one design is realy way more MORONIC.
Fucking hell, I run my browser in full screen, and the new UI pushes the contents of the page down when I reach for the macOS top bar, forcing the site to re-render, and sharing even more information about who I am than before. Time to switch to Firefox for real, been thinking about it for a long time, but it’s time.
ive never been more disappointed in chrome, the new look is just absolutely awful. i woke up today and booted up my computer to this new update, and i thought, no big deal, ill just go under flags again. welp, i was wrong. i tried downloading chrome 70, but the problem is, ive already downloaded the new update, and downloading old versions just redownloads the newest version for me. any tips?
Everyone here, send feedback/bug report to google asking them to add the flag back in because the new tabs are too hard to distinguish, maybe they’ll get the picture.
Mine kept the old look I’d selected until this morning when my laptop unexpectedly shut down. Turned it back on and surprise surprise, the changes were in effect.
This is a bunch of crap. It hurts my eyes. Why can’t they just keep adding new layouts but keep all old ones or introduce themes so we can have our UI our way. How’s Firefox looking these days?
This UI is simply dogshit.
\+1 for the old design.
I wish I saw this before I let Chrome install update to version 71.
Why in gods name did they remove the classic design? absolutely infuriating.
I think it’s a bug. It seems to me like not everyone is referring to the same awful UI. I’m using Chromium not Chrome, but that shouldn’t be the issue here.
Check these tweets to compare:
* [https://twitter.com/stucki/status/1072795934340333568](https://twitter.com/stucki/status/1072795934340333568)
* [https://twitter.com/RitzmannMarkus/status/1072810478433394688](https://twitter.com/RitzmannMarkus/status/1072810478433394688)
Going to find out next if that is already known to the Chromium developers…
New UI really sucks! Hoping that google will get Normal back next version.
I came back from work and saw this disgusting shit, this is insanity, all my tabs are stuck together in a mess, I can not accept this, this is disgusting.
Same issue here, Hope this is a bug!
Just opened my browser and noticed I can no longer revert to the old UI layout. This is so ugly, I might use Edge or Firefox now, it’s just pissing me off so much!
Seriously, why can’t I have the old design if I want it, why force me to use the new one?!
The person who designed the chrome tab and the pixel 3 xl notch has to be fired. Those two look awfully similar BAD
Last version with old UI (use flags) is 70.0.3538.110
Here are full, offline installers (~50MB):
https://www.neowin.net/news/google-chrome-7003538110-offline-installer/
If you need MSI or links above expire (they link to google servers) use **MAGNET** torrent link from here (I checked digital signatures, all 4 files are original):
https://zooqle.com/google-chrome-70-0-3538-110-enterprise-2018-%D1%80%D1%81-x3gw8.html
Obviously companies never factor this in, but when companies change their UI without leaving people with an option to use older interfaces, people like myself with OCD suffer a lot. I know in my head it’s silly, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that I feel severe anxiety, frustration, sadness, and a lot of other unhappy feelings. I’ve been using high-dpi-scaling and device-scale-factor on Chrome for a year now, and with the new update it made the fonts, tabs, bookmarks, right click menu, and ect SMALLER. It’s not asking for much, just let us at least customize a little bit. Some of us out here have disorders that we can’t control (to an extent), and we’re being thrown aside like garbage.
Agree fully. Awful design.
try switching to the torch browser. its built from chrome so most things that are compatible with chrome work on torch and the browser looks and feels like old chrome. it also comes with a built in torrent browser. ontop of this, since its built from chrome, theres an option to transfer all your settings right over to torch. all your bookmarks, passwords, and all that crap will transfer over nicely. it even comes with a button that can download any media from any page. works on youtube videos, audio files, anything realy. doesnt work on “pay per view” youtube vids though. nice way to give google the finger without ditching the good version of their browser. chrome is open source after all so its even legal for torch to exist and be used
Edit: i forgot to include a download link, [so here you go](https://torchbrowser.com/)
i removed chrome after 8 years today because of this stupid new ui and no way to change it back.
Well
Shit
So, I’ve kinda went through all the stuff you guys said, but no one mentioned the audio mute button. It doesn’t work anymore #bummer.
Highlighted in yellow are the things I hate about the “new” Chrome shit that Google stuffs us with (with to OPTION to set the theme/UI you want)
\- 1 Why is that ending like someone forgot to design it?
\- 2 Why the Audio Mute button on the “not active” tab isn’t working anymore, not even from flags?
\- 3 Why are my bookmarks crossing the yellow line? Because before this shitty update, they were til there (#ocdstrikes)
[https://imgur.com/a/0jJmm23](https://imgur.com/a/0jJmm23)
Conclusion:
I’m done with the unnecessary “refreshes”! #uninstalling
No fix yet? i dont want to use an outdated chrome forever. probably i should change to firefox for now…
chromium 70 can found at the public github, download the “chromium\_sync.exe” (only win64)
That UI update is the best thing happened to me in the last week. Just installed the brave browser and could not be happier – UI is slimmer, loading is faster, same as chrome functionality, but faster and private, dev tools are the same. I am amazed. Hardly imagine what can make me move back to chrome.
[https://brave.com/](https://brave.com/)
I just kept ignoring the new update, until Google forced it upon me when I rebooted my PC. Found out the same discovery, so I downgraded and disabled updates. Google better not cut us off with updates like this…
Fixed it. Does anyone work at Google who can explain why they keep acting like idiots?
chrome new ui is shit!