Activate The Redesigned New Tab Interface In Google Chrome

Note: You will need to be using the newest Dev Channel release of Chrome (version 3.0.191.3) to activate this. To get your installation of Google Chrome set up on the Dev Channel, check out our article here.

Before

A quick look at the old new-tab interface…looks ok, but time to have fun with the new design!

Get Chrome Set Up for the Redesigned New-Tab Interface

You will need to do a little bit of prep work to get Chrome ready to display the redesigned new-tab interface. Locate the shortcut(s) for Chrome and right click on them. Select “Properties”.

Once you have clicked through, you will see the “Properties” window with the “Shortcut” tab displayed.

In the address area for “Target:” you will need to add the following command to the end of the target path making certain to leave a single space in between the final quote mark and the redesigned new-tab interface command.

Here is an example of what the the target path should look like…

Or as an example, here is what your target path could look like if you have enabled extensions, user scripts, and the redesigned new-tab interface.

Once you have that finished, click “Apply”, then “OK”.

What the Redesigned New-Tab Interface Looks Like

When you start Chrome and open a new tab, this is the default layout that will display for you. If this style does not suit your needs or is not aesthetically pleasing to you, it is very simple to customize the layout (wonderful!).

To make changes to the layout, go to the upper right corner of the tab window. You will see three buttons there. The first is to display thumbnails of webpages, the second is to display those webpages as a list, and the third allows you to hide or display thumbnails, the webpage list, recent activities and recommendations.

The New-Tab Interface with a list of webpages instead of thumbnails…

Hide the webpage thumbnails and list…

Want the ultimate in blank? Hide everything!

Additional Thumbnail Options

As you can see in the screenshot, you can now pin webpage thumbnails to the tab page permanently or delete them by clicking on the “X”. You can also drag-and-drop the thumbnails to suit your preferences.

Have fun with the redesigned New-Tab Interface!