Chrome makes it easier to customize your browser’s look

If you can't stand your web browser's default gray look, Google may have just what you're looking for. The company recently updated Chrome on desktop with a side panel that makes it easier to change the app's theme and color. Click “Customize Chrome” in a new tab and you can browse theme packs or set colors in real time. You can upload custom images, or set a daily rotating background if you crave variety.

There's no mention of a similar change coming to mobile. The confines of a phone screen wouldn't make this customization as practical as it is on a computer, though, so we wouldn't count on a direct equivalent.

Browser customization isn't new, of course. However, you've typically had to dive deeper into the settings to access the feature, even in other Chromium-based browsers. Microsoft's Edge, for instance, requires visiting an appearance section in settings to make similar changes. The Chrome update theoretically encourages more people to give themes and colors a try. That, in turn, may keep them using Chrome instead of switching to rivals.