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Chrome for Android Adds Custom New Tab Backgrounds and Themes

The new Appearance controls let users apply uploaded images, curated wallpaper collections, daily rotation, or Dynamic Color palettes to change Chrome’s look across the app.

Overview

  • Google has begun a server-side rollout that delivers New Tab Page customization to Chrome on Android through recent Chrome 150/151 builds, causing staggered visibility across devices.
  • Users open the three-dot menu on Chrome’s homepage, tap “Customize new tab page,” and select the new Appearance section to choose a background or theme.
  • Appearance lets people upload an image via Android’s system file picker, pick from nine preset Chrome Colors, use Dynamic Color (Chrome Default), or choose Theme Collections of curated wallpapers.
  • Theme Collections include categories such as Landscapes, Architecture, Earth, Patterns, Illustrations, and Gradients with multiple images and a “Refresh daily” option that cycles backgrounds automatically.
  • Selected backgrounds also theme other Chrome UI elements like the tab switcher, and some users can prompt the feature to appear by force-stopping or restarting the Chrome app.