Google is known for constantly adding slight updates to the interface of its services and apps. What it prepares for Chrome the following year, though, is very interesting though not announced yet. We can only guess what it will be, but it seems that Google will make its Material You interface more ubiquitous and logical, and Chrome will be covered too.
What made dataminers suppose that Chrome is to be refreshed is the line in the code of the latest version of Chrome. The lines they found directly mention so-called ChromeRefresh2023, and the other ones make them assume this will have something to do with buttons. And probably the revamped buttons are only a part of the change to come.
The code mentions “radius on text fields”, which probably means there will be rounded buttons instead of pure text links and commands. This falls in line with the overall Material You trends we could witness emerge in apps like YouTube or YouTube Music. As the changes were found in the Chromium engine code, probably they will apply to all the platforms where Chrome exists, both mobile and desktop.
The secrecy may be explained as we remember how comparably long it took Google to introduce dark themes for ChromeOS and separate apps long after it had become commonplace. The reason was probably the introduction of Material You, so all the apps and services needed to be optimized for colors and shapes to look better and yet recognizable and common in both modes. Probably the secrecy around ChromeRefresh2023 means there will be more to it than just rounded buttons.
Yet we are yet to witness it. And the teasers by dataminers will not quench the desire to see what’s to come unless Google announces it or even starts rolling out without announcing, like it does with many minor changes. Do you think Google Chrome will benefit from it? And what do you think about Material You in general? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!