Chrome for Android 68 To Downsize ‘Add to Home Screen’ Banners

• Chrome for Android’s Version 68 update will downsize the ‘Add to Home Screen’ pop up that appears on mobile devices.
• The feature allows users to add web shortcuts for easy access, similar to the bookmarks feature.
• The new update will make the banner much smaller and less intrusive for users.

Chrome for Android’s annoying pop-up banner that allows users to add shortcuts to websites on their home screens will finally be downsized. The banner has been around since the version 42 beta and was one of the most requested features to help users quickly access commonly visited websites. The feature is similar to Bookmarks, but it creates icons directly on your phone’s home screen instead of an in-app menu.

The banner which allowed users to add websites to their home screens was rather intrusive and took up a lot of space, especially on smaller displays. Users have been complaining about the banner and how it gets in the way of using the app. In the latest version 68 beta of Chrome for Android, Google seems to have finally addressed the issue. The banner is much smaller and does not get in the way of normal usage.

Image Courtesy of Google Chrome

The beta update will be available to users later this month. If you are interested in getting rid of the huge banner as soon as possible, simply download the Chrome beta to your phone once the update goes live. Beta versions of the browser are meant for testing purposes for new features and other improvements and often suffer from hiccups here and there. If you want a more stable experience, continue using the standard version of Chrome for Android until the version 68 rolls out.

The new update includes a mini-info bar which can be tapped to bring up the ‘add to home screen’ prompt. It also prevents accidental installs which many users with smaller displays have previously complained about. The new update will make the app consistent across all platforms. Chrome for Android was the only remaining version that retained the large banner-style add a button for shortcuts, and the developers are finally getting rid of it to make adding shortcuts less intrusive.