Google Chrome 49 Moves All Your Extension Icons

[Batu69]

Users might not like what Google did with extension icons

Extension icons can also be hidden in the Chrome main menu

 

Google began rolling out version 49 of its Chrome browser a few days ago, and as more users started receiving the update, they noticed something strange in the browser's UI.

All of a sudden, after updating to Chrome 49, users started seeing a bunch of icons appearing on the right side of the URL address bar.

Unknown to many was the fact that, in October 2015, the Chrome team started debating a Chrome UI change that was eventually approved and made its way into the stable channel with version 49.

This change moves all the custom icons an extension might add, from inside the URL bar to its right, on the toolbar itself, between the URL bar and the Chrome main drop-down menu.

Take for example this extension, which in its preview image shows an icon clearly in the browser's URL bar (even circled in red, so everyone spots it). After you update to Chrome 49, the same icon will be moved outside, like in the screenshot you can find below (and circled in red for nostalgia's sake).

Chrome UI change was done with security in mind

Chrome engineers explained the UI change as an effort to protect users from extensions that use the URL bar to hide their presence. This is the case with PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs), which often abuse their installers to push browser extensions.

The Chrome URL bar didn't always show all the extension icons due to lack of space, but starting with Chrome 49, all icons will be displayed, and users will find it easier to detect a new extension (if it comes with custom actions to warrant a toolbar icon).

In case users still need their space and don't want to be overrun by icons all over their browser, they can right-click an extension's icon and choose the "Hide in Chrome menu" option. This sends the extension's icon in a box at the top of the main Chrome drop-down menu (image above).

Article source

 

[shorty6100]

Not to mention bookmark icons. Only way the icons return is to open all bookmarks at once-then they go away again after a few days.

[CODYQX4]

It's extremely unusable.

 

You want to use something like Vanilla Cookie Manager? No more Omnibar icon. You have to click it and it gets warped into the toolbar and any delay or slightly off click = back to hamburger menu.

 

Extensions like IP Country Domain Flag? No more omnibar icon. Better click that menu.

 

To unhide something requires swift reflexes and clicking gymnastics, because it loves to dismiss before you can do it, or spawn the click point out of the way.

---

"(if it comes with custom actions to warrant a toolbar icon)."

 

Bullshit. I've made my own extensions that run in the background and have no need for a custom action. Chrome oh so helpfully gave them an icon.

 

I made an extension that catches .torrents and redirects them to a specific premium downloader service. It's either 100% on or 100% off. There's no actions or settings, nor is there a context menu. They added an icon anyway.

---

[CODYQX4]

3 hours ago, shorty6100 said:

Not to mention bookmark icons. Only way the icons return is to open all bookmarks at once-then they go away again after a few days.

That's an old Chrome bug. I often lose mine and that's the only way to fix it, but I didn't lose any that weren't already screwed up pre-49.

[BDX]

I have no problem with it. It was a one minute job to hide unused icons to menu.

[CODYQX4]

8 hours ago, BDX said:

I have no problem with it. It was a one minute job to hide unused icons to menu.

Do you have any extensions that put their icons in the omnibar?

 

Those get an icon. Some of those extensions only showed up when relevant. Now, it's either 24/7 in the toolbar, or hide it and not be able to see it without popping up the hamburger menu.

 

A really good example for me was RSS Subscription Extension. This would only show up when a page had RSS (I basically get all my news via RSS and Forums, RSS is a major part of my life). I don't need to see an icon unless there's on the page, but this change means a 24/7 icon that I'd have to click to see if there is RSS, or a hidden icon that I'd have to pull up from a menu, awkwardly pop-in to the toolbar, to see if there is RSS.

[DKT27]

11 hours ago, CODYQX4 said:

Do you have any extensions that put their icons in the omnibar?

 

Those get an icon. Some of those extensions only showed up when relevant. Now, it's either 24/7 in the toolbar, or hide it and not be able to see it without popping up the hamburger menu.

 

A really good example for me was RSS Subscription Extension. This would only show up when a page had RSS (I basically get all my news via RSS and Forums, RSS is a major part of my life). I don't need to see an icon unless there's on the page, but this change means a 24/7 icon that I'd have to click to see if there is RSS, or a hidden icon that I'd have to pull up from a menu, awkwardly pop-in to the toolbar, to see if there is RSS.

 

From what I can understand of all this. Google might well add that functionality back. By that I mean, showing the icon only when required.

 

This how Google works on Chrome though, introduces new things, then completes them later and such.

[Server]

I do not like it at all