Chrome for Android is getting a major New Tab Page appearance upgrade with themes and backgrounds

Google is revamping the New Tab Page (NTP) in Chrome for Android with two major updates. The first update is about to reach all users, and the second is a bigger appearance-focused upgrade still in development.

Version 1: New Tab Page content control coming to all users

The first update, which will soon be available to all users, gives you more control over what appears on the New Tab Page. You will be able to:

• Customize cards: Turn cards like ‘Continue with this tab‘ and ‘Safety check‘ on or off.
• Manage your feed: Easily switch the Google Discover feed on or off, and manage the topics and interests that appear.

This first update focuses on managing content, not its appearance. The feature is currently available behind the flag:

chrome://flags/#new-tab-page-customization

It’s now ready for a full rollout, as a Chromium launch commit confirms Google has approved it to be enabled by default for 100% of users. This means the feature will soon arrive in stable Chrome releases.

“[NTP Customization] Launch NTP Customization. Enabled-by-default-reason: … approval for launch to 100%.”

Version 2: New Tab Page appearance upgrade in development

The second, more significant update is still in development. This experimental version focuses on personalizing the look of the page, letting you change the background or apply a theme. It adds a new Appearance section to the customization menu with these options:

Chrome default: Restore the page to its standard look.
Upload an image: Use your own picture as the background.
Chrome colours: Choose from preset theme colours, with an option to refresh daily.
Theme collections: Apply pre-made sets of wallpapers and colour themes for a quick one-tap style change.

These additions bring Chrome for Android’s New Tab Page closer to the desktop Chrome customization panel, which already supports backgrounds, colours, and collections.

The New Tab Page is the most frequently seen screen in Chrome, especially on mobile. By moving beyond just cards and feed toggles, Google is aiming to make it more personal and visually adaptable.

Version 1: Focused on content control (rolling out to all users soon).

Version 2: Focused on appearance control (still in testing, available behind a flag).

With both versions, Chrome for Android’s New Tab Page is set to change from a simple feed-and-search hub into something users can make their own.

That’s not all. Chrome PWAs on Android are set to get Window Overlay support to look more like native apps. Additionally, Chrome for Android may also gain a built-in grammar checking tool and the ability to import data from other browsers.