Chrome's big design refresh uses Microsoft Mica effect in custom themes

Google is working on a significant design overhaul for Chrome across Windows, Mac, and Chromebook platforms.

Named Chrome's Material You-based, the project is close to roll out and is set to introduce a series of fresh aesthetic changes that significantly upgrade the browser's interface.

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

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

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

For those unaware, Windows 11's Mica is an opaque, dynamic material that incorporates theme and desktop wallpaper to paint the background of long-lived windows such as apps and settings, and it is already used across Microsoft Edge.

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

In Chrome 2023 refresh, it's evident that the theme colour in the Canary version appears darker. Despite using the same theme across both versions, using Mica in custom themes lends a distinct look to the two versions.

All these improvements collectively contribute to a major shift 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)

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