If you have a tablet or a convertible PC, Google Chrome will switch to tablet mode in certain situations. Starting with Chrome 99, this UI is enabled on more devices. We’ll show you how to turn it off completely.
Chrome’s tablet mode is optimized for touch with a more streamlined interface. For some people, this may not be a welcome change. This may seem a bit too simple. Unfortunately, there’s no simple toggle to turn off, but we can use feature flags to fix it.
Warning: These features are hidden for a reason. They may not work properly and negatively impact your browser’s performance. Activate flags at your own risk.
RELATED: How to Enable Google Chrome Flags to Test Beta Features
Thanks to chrome without boxby Robby Payne, we know that there are two indicators associated with Chrome’s tablet mode: “Touch UI layout” and “WebUI tab strip”. This applies to Chrome on Windows 11, Windows 10, and Chromebooks.
First, open the Chromium Browser on your computer or tablet and type chrome://flags
in the address bar and press Enter.
You will now be on a page called “Experiences”. Use the search bar at the top to find “Touch UI layout”.
Open the drop-down menu and select “Disabled”.
Repeat the same process for “WebUI Tab Strip”.
After disabling the flags, you will need to restart the browser to apply the change. Select the blue “Relaunch” button when ready.
That’s it! Chrome will no longer use the tablet mode UI. You won’t feel like you’re using a simplified version of Chrome anymore. If you ever want to turn it back on, just put those two flags back to their original state.
RELATED: How to Use Touchscreen Gestures on a Chromebook Tablet