Disable Rounded Look in Chrome 69 and Restore Classic UI

Chrome 69 includes some new features and enhancements, including the Material Design Refresh user interface. It sports a rounded UI (rounded tabs with a blue background). If you’re not fond of the new rounded design, here is how to restore the appearance of Google Chrome to “Normal” user interface.

There is a Chrome flag that lets you change the style for the top frame of the browser’s window, which can be used to restore classic or Normal look.

To disable the new rounded design in Chrome 69 (and above) and restore the Normal (classic) design, follow these steps:



  1. Start Google Chrome.
  2. Type the following URL into the address bar:
    chrome://flags/#top-chrome-md

    This is the setting you want to change:

    UI Layout for the browser's top chrome

    Toggles between 1) Normal - for clamshell devices, 2) Hybrid (previously touch) - middle point for devices with a touch screen, 3) Touchable - new unified interface for touch and convertibles (Chrome OS), 4) Material Design refresh and 5) Touchable Material Design refresh.

    Enabling #upcoming-ui-features forces the Material Design refresh option. – Mac, Windows, Linux, Chrome OS

  3. Of the above 5 choices, choose the option named Normal
  4. Click “Relaunch Now” button at the bottom.

That’s it! You’ve now disabled rounded user interface design and restored the normal/classic look in Google Chrome.


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Ramesh Srinivasan is passionate about Microsoft technologies and he has been a consecutive ten-time recipient of the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional award in the Windows Shell/Desktop Experience category, from 2003 to 2012. He loves to troubleshoot and write about Windows. Ramesh founded Winhelponline.com in 2005.

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