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Chrome has updated - How to fix the changed New Tab page

24 points by anupshinde 13y ago

InclinedPlane 13y ago
Can be turned off: http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2013/08/changes-to-chromes-new-tab-page.html http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2013/08/changes-to-chromes-...
- edtechdev 13y ago
  "paste this in Chrome's address bar: chrome://flags/, use Ctrl+F to search for "Enable Instant Extended API" and click" Disable Although it only appears to be enabled on non-Linux platforms
- BruceIV 13y ago
  Thank you SO much - I've been using fewer and fewer Google services, and the address box already does search so I don't need another bar, so I was really annoyed at these changes. That said, I spent the evening trying to figure out how to fix Firefox's new tab page (half the thumbnails aren't there because Firefox doesn't store them for https:// https:// sites to protect my privacy) - if you go into the thumbnails subdirectory of the Firefox profile directory, the files there are named using the MD5 hash of the URL of the page - just put a PNG in of the appropriate size and you can customize the blank thumbnails to your liking.
derefr 13y ago
It's pretty clear what Google is doing here, and it means that trying to keep the old Apps page will be fighting the tide. For all the betas of the App Launcher until its recent release, the ability to select apps from within Chrome itself disappeared altogether when the App Launcher feature was enabled. Google seems to think that 'Chrome apps' should not live in your 'web browser' (Chrome), but rather should just be a kind of regular app, for which Chrome is the backing platform -- like Java apps, or Air apps, or Silverlight apps, etc. Apparently this was a bridge too far for users on release, so instead of moving to this new mode of thought all at once, they're giving us this intermediate form -- apps accessible from within Chrome, but much less conveniently. In short: they're incentivizing you to use the App Launcher. Get used to it; they'll probably make it the only way soon!
marban 13y ago
How can Google get away with intrusive changes like this especially if you can't even seem to disable major elements like the horrible most-recent boxes?
- k-mcgrady 13y ago
  They can get away with it because it's their web browser and there are a lot of other choices. If enough people don't like it and switched they would probably change it back.
- josteink 13y ago
  Tell me. How much did you pay for Chrome and what sort of service do you feel entitled to for that money? Oh. Nada? Nothing at all. Then I guess they are at liberty to do whatever they damn please. Like they've done numerous times in the past. If you want a browser you can make (and keep) yours, I suggest you move to Firefox. It's free (as in beer), so it suffers the same problems as Chrome, but it's extensible way beyond what the Chromium allows. The biggest difference is probably that the Firefox-developers main concern is the browser, not the 200 other systems the company is trying to promote and shove down your throat, so asshattery like this is much more rare.
  - fauigerzigerk 13y ago
    Tell me, how much did Google pay me for the right not to be criticized? Oh. Nada? Nothing at all. Then I guess I am at liberty to say whatever I damn please.
    - josteink 13y ago
      Oh feel free. I'm just telling you that you aren't entitled to anything. And that complaining is pointless. Google is way past not listening to its users, power-users or regular users alike, as far as Chrome goes. They have a bigger strategy and Chrome is just one of many means to that end. Make no mistake about it: Chrome will be bent and reshaped to fit that strategy, not your needs or desires.
moot 13y ago
Updating Chrome just now caused my Cookie Clicker tab to wonk out, leading me to believe the update had broken it. It was almost the worst day of my life.
jamesrom 13y ago
I'm happy that the most recent pages now don't look so ugly and don't have that horrible white gradient when you hover over them now.
cliveowen 13y ago
I hate this thing, now I have to scroll to open the most accessed pages. And what is the point of having a search bar there? I already got one below the tabs. I bet the first draft for this thing was written in crayon.
Negitivefrags 13y ago
Since the update, when I open the browser it goes to google.com now. New tabs after that bring up the new tab interface. I don't understand why this is happening. The "On Startup" setting is set to "Open the New Tab page", yet it doesn't. Anybody know a way to fix this?
- numbchuckskills 13y ago
  Set one of the pages to open on startup to "chrome://apps/" if you miss the old page.
irickt 13y ago
Here's an extreme solution: a completely empty new tab page. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/empty-new-tab-page/dpjamkmjmigaoobjbekmfgabipmfilij https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/empty-new-tab-page...
jasonkostempski 13y ago
TL;DR Install an extension. No, thanks. For the very same reasons I don't want all that junk on my new tabs, I don't want extensions. Google can make the default whatever they want and I wouldn't complain if they'd just let me change it to what I want and if it would keep those settings across machines. Everytime I start Chrome and evertime I open a new tab in an existing window I want a blank page and an empty, focused omnibar. I'd also like to be able to remove the back, forward, refresh, bookmark star, and the '3 lines' button that no one has a good name for.
- cfinke 13y ago
  the '3 lines' button that no one has a good name for. It's called a hamburger button: http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/03/18/whats-a-hamburger-button-a-guide-to-app/ http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/03/18/whats-a-hamburger-but...
matthewdavis 13y ago
I actually find myself using a blank page in firefox. But in chrome(ium) I use the extension Currently - https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/currently/ojhmphdkpgbibohbnpbfiefkgieacjmh?hl=en https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/currently/ojhmphdk... Makes a new tab actually useful for me.

24 points by anupshinde 13y ago

Can be turned off: http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2013/08/changes-to-chromes-new-tab-page.html http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2013/08/changes-to-chromes-...

edtechdev 13y ago
"paste this in Chrome's address bar: chrome://flags/, use Ctrl+F to search for "Enable Instant Extended API" and click" Disable Although it only appears to be enabled on non-Linux platforms
BruceIV 13y ago
Thank you SO much - I've been using fewer and fewer Google services, and the address box already does search so I don't need another bar, so I was really annoyed at these changes. That said, I spent the evening trying to figure out how to fix Firefox's new tab page (half the thumbnails aren't there because Firefox doesn't store them for https:// https:// sites to protect my privacy) - if you go into the thumbnails subdirectory of the Firefox profile directory, the files there are named using the MD5 hash of the URL of the page - just put a PNG in of the appropriate size and you can customize the blank thumbnails to your liking.

derefr 13y ago

It's pretty clear what Google is doing here, and it means that trying to keep the old Apps page will be fighting the tide. For all the betas of the App Launcher until its recent release, the ability to select apps from within Chrome itself disappeared altogether when the App Launcher feature was enabled. Google seems to think that 'Chrome apps' should not live in your 'web browser' (Chrome), but rather should just be a kind of regular app, for which Chrome is the backing platform -- like Java apps, or Air apps, or Silverlight apps, etc. Apparently this was a bridge too far for users on release, so instead of moving to this new mode of thought all at once, they're giving us this intermediate form -- apps accessible from within Chrome, but much less conveniently. In short: they're incentivizing you to use the App Launcher. Get used to it; they'll probably make it the only way soon!

marban 13y ago

How can Google get away with intrusive changes like this especially if you can't even seem to disable major elements like the horrible most-recent boxes?

k-mcgrady 13y ago
They can get away with it because it's their web browser and there are a lot of other choices. If enough people don't like it and switched they would probably change it back.
josteink 13y ago
Tell me. How much did you pay for Chrome and what sort of service do you feel entitled to for that money? Oh. Nada? Nothing at all. Then I guess they are at liberty to do whatever they damn please. Like they've done numerous times in the past. If you want a browser you can make (and keep) yours, I suggest you move to Firefox. It's free (as in beer), so it suffers the same problems as Chrome, but it's extensible way beyond what the Chromium allows. The biggest difference is probably that the Firefox-developers main concern is the browser, not the 200 other systems the company is trying to promote and shove down your throat, so asshattery like this is much more rare.
- fauigerzigerk 13y ago
  Tell me, how much did Google pay me for the right not to be criticized? Oh. Nada? Nothing at all. Then I guess I am at liberty to say whatever I damn please.
  - josteink 13y ago
    Oh feel free. I'm just telling you that you aren't entitled to anything. And that complaining is pointless. Google is way past not listening to its users, power-users or regular users alike, as far as Chrome goes. They have a bigger strategy and Chrome is just one of many means to that end. Make no mistake about it: Chrome will be bent and reshaped to fit that strategy, not your needs or desires.

moot 13y ago

Updating Chrome just now caused my Cookie Clicker tab to wonk out, leading me to believe the update had broken it. It was almost the worst day of my life.

jamesrom 13y ago

I'm happy that the most recent pages now don't look so ugly and don't have that horrible white gradient when you hover over them now.

cliveowen 13y ago

I hate this thing, now I have to scroll to open the most accessed pages. And what is the point of having a search bar there? I already got one below the tabs. I bet the first draft for this thing was written in crayon.

Negitivefrags 13y ago

Since the update, when I open the browser it goes to google.com now. New tabs after that bring up the new tab interface. I don't understand why this is happening. The "On Startup" setting is set to "Open the New Tab page", yet it doesn't. Anybody know a way to fix this?

numbchuckskills 13y ago
Set one of the pages to open on startup to "chrome://apps/" if you miss the old page.

irickt 13y ago

Here's an extreme solution: a completely empty new tab page. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/empty-new-tab-page/dpjamkmjmigaoobjbekmfgabipmfilij https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/empty-new-tab-page...

jasonkostempski 13y ago

TL;DR Install an extension. No, thanks. For the very same reasons I don't want all that junk on my new tabs, I don't want extensions. Google can make the default whatever they want and I wouldn't complain if they'd just let me change it to what I want and if it would keep those settings across machines. Everytime I start Chrome and evertime I open a new tab in an existing window I want a blank page and an empty, focused omnibar. I'd also like to be able to remove the back, forward, refresh, bookmark star, and the '3 lines' button that no one has a good name for.

cfinke 13y ago
the '3 lines' button that no one has a good name for. It's called a hamburger button: http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/03/18/whats-a-hamburger-button-a-guide-to-app/ http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/03/18/whats-a-hamburger-but...

matthewdavis 13y ago

I actually find myself using a blank page in firefox. But in chrome(ium) I use the extension Currently - https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/currently/ojhmphdkpgbibohbnpbfiefkgieacjmh?hl=en https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/currently/ojhmphdk... Makes a new tab actually useful for me.