Google has started testing a new interface mode called “Minimal UI” in the Chrome browser for Android. According to leaks, this feature aims to enhance the Progressive Web Apps (PWA) experience, making it smoother and more natural. With this mode, users can run PWAs with fewer browser elements, creating an experience closer to traditional mobile apps.
Google is Testing a “Minimal UI” Mode for Chrome on Android
The new interface removes classic browser elements like the address bar and navigation buttons when running PWAs. This allows apps to operate in full-screen mode, providing a cleaner and more immersive user experience. “Minimal UI” is said to be optimized for tablets and foldable devices, improving multi-window support on larger screens.
Google is currently testing Minimal UI in the Canary version of Chrome. Users can enable it by visiting chrome://flags and activating the “Enable new minimal UI in desktop windowing” option.
Google has been heavily investing in PWA technology in recent years. Compared to traditional mobile apps, PWAs take up less storage, update directly from the web, and work across multiple platforms. However, they still have some limitations in the mobile ecosystem compared to native apps.
Google believes PWAs’ fast loading times, low data usage, and offline capabilities will attract more users in the future. However, how developers and operating systems will respond to this shift remains to be seen.
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