Google is working on a major Chrome design overhaul on Windows, Mac, and Chromebook platforms.

Named Chrome’s Material You-based, the project is about to roll out and is expected to introduce a series of new aesthetic changes that significantly improve the browser interface.

One of the most notable aspects of this redesign is the replacement of all sharp corners with more visually pleasing rounded corners. The address bar, commonly referred to as the “Omnibox”, has been thickened, with the area around it now featuring curved edges in line with the Material You design philosophy.

A separate change in the Chrome 2023 refresh changes how custom themes look in the browser.

The custom is now only applied to the active tab, while the rest of the tab strip retains the Mica effect. This is a design change from the current version, where the theme color is applied evenly across all tabs.

For those who don’t know, windows 11 mica is an opaque, dynamic material that incorporates a theme and wallpaper to paint the background of long-running windows such as apps and settings, and it’s already used in Microsoft Edge.

With Mica, Google plans to update Chrome’s backdrop to delight users and create a visual hierarchy.

In the Chrome 2023 refresh, it is evident that the theme color of the Canary version appears darker. Despite using the same theme in both versions, using Mica in custom themes gives a distinct look to the two versions.

All of these improvements collectively contribute to a major change in the overall look and feel of Google’s widely used browser and bring it closer to Microsoft Edge, which already uses rounded corners and Mica.

Via Leo (Reddit)