Whenever there is an option to turn on a compact mode, I pick it. The main reason for that is that compact mode removes whitespace so that more content is displayed on the screen at the same time.
Google is testing a compact mode for its Chrome web browser. An experimental flag was added in Chrome Canary that adds the mode to the browser.
Compact Mode reduces the height of the user interface elements tabstrip and other toolbars, including the bookmarks toolbar. Google says that this frees up space for web content.
Here is how you enable it:
- Load chrome://flags/#compact-mode in the browser’s address bar.
- Set the status of the experimental flag to Enabled.
- Restart Google Chrome.
- Right-click on a blank spot on the tabstrip and select Toggle Compact Mode.
The change is immediate, a restart of the browser is not required. Repeat the steps listed above to restore the regular interface of the Chrome browser.
Chrome Compact Mode vs. Normal Mode
Here is a before and after screenshot for comparison:
The height of the toolbars is reduced, which means that they take up less space. It is a useful feature for users who want compact toolbars to free up room for web content displayed in the browser.
Note: Google lists compact mode as a prototype right now. Since it is an experimental flag, it is not guaranteed that the feature will make it into stable Chrome. It could change before it lands or it could be pulled entirely by Google before Stable users can set their sights on the feature.
Closing Words
I prefer compact modes, but this is not enough to convince me to make Chrome my default browser. It would go too far to list my reasons here, but I prefer browsers that are not run by advertising companies.
What is your preference? Compact Mode all the time or do you prefer other modes? Feel free to leave a comment down below.
Are you sure those screen shots the same web page?
I guess we all cherish displays that are intuitive, ergonomic and reasonably space-hungry.
Point is these aims are subjective.
Personally I use all 3 bars : tabbar, urlbar and bookmarks bar which occupy 100px of screen height on a 1920X1080 screen. I’ve included in the bookmarks bar all the bookmarks top folders (15) which normally are located in the Bookmarks Menu folder here on Firefox, giving me a quick access to all bookmarks without having to open the sidebar.
But, of course, reactions are mixed : some like, others don’t. Display is organization, and organization has always been a blend of rationalism and one’s personal approach of his environment : some of us even manage their items, their data in what is perceived by others as chaotic, simply because their brains have their organizational paths that others cannot even conceive 🙂
To answer the article’s question : compact mode, normal mode, whatever mode … if display may be modified by CSS I usually tailor whatever mode, LOL.