Make the Most of Chrome's Toolbar by Customizing It to Your Liking

David Nield Gear Mar 1, 2026 6:00 AM Make the Most of Chrome's Toolbar by Customizing It to Your Liking There are plenty of ways to customize Chrome to make it easier to navigate the web, manage your tasks, and make your workflow more efficient. Photograph: NurPhoto/Getty Images Save this story Save this story The main job of Google Chrome is to give you a window to the web. With so much engaging content out there on the internet, you may not have given much thought to the browser framework that serves as the container for the sites you visit. You'd be forgiven for still using the default toolbar configuration that was in place when you first installed Chrome. But if you take a few minutes to customize it, it can make a significant difference to your browsing. You can get quicker access to the key features you need, and you may even discover features you didn't know about. If you're reading this in Chrome on the desktop, you can experiment with a few customizations right now—all it takes is a few clicks. Here's how the toolbar in Chrome is put together, and all the different changes you can make. The Default Layout Take a look up at the top right corner of your Chrome browser tab and you'll see two key buttons: One reveals your browser extensions (the jigsaw piece), and the other opens up your bookmarks (the double-star icon). There should also be a button showing a downward arrow, which gives you access to recently downloaded files. Right away, you can start customizing. If you click the jigsaw piece icon to show your browser extensions, you can also click the pin button next to any one of these extensions to make it permanently visible on the toolbar. While you don't want your toolbar to become too cluttered, it means you can put your most-used add-ons within easy reach. For the extension icons you choose to have on the toolbar, you can choose the way they're arranged, too: Click and drag on any of the icons to change its position (though the extensions panel itse...