Chrome Tab Groups Colors on Android are getting a Material You Design makeover

Google is improving its existing tab group color-coding feature in Chrome on Android with new visual improvements tied to its upcoming Material 3 Expressive design language. This update, based on Google Material 3 (GM3) design, allows users to choose and display colors for their tab groups. It is currently being tested behind a flag in Canary.

Currently, Chrome for Android allows users to name tab groups, but color customization is limited. Now, with the experimental feature “Android Tab Groups Color Update,” users can assign custom colors to tab groups from eight distinct colors (previously nine) when creating them, for improved visual distinction.

“GM3 Flags for Tab Group Colors,” a commit message from Google on Chromium Gerrit says:

The flag description reads as below:

Android tab groups color update If enabled, allows tab groups to display the color chosen by the user. – Android
android-tab-groups-color-update-gm3

The new color options based on GM3 will be reflected while creating a tab group as well as when editing tab group colors.

That’s not all—Google Chrome on Android has started warning that it will automatically close inactive tabs that you haven’t used in three months with the Tab Declutter feature. It also informs you that you can turn this off anytime in settings.

Apart from the Tab Group color getting a Material design overhaul, Google is looking to make Chrome Android’s Omnibox match the desktop version. Additionally, when it comes to the desktop, a new ‘Delete Browsing Data’ dialog without tabs is now available in Canary.