Make Google Chrome Show HTTP and WWW again in address bar

[David Baxter PhD]

Make Google Chrome Show HTTP and WWW parts of URL
by Sergey Tkachenko, WinAero.com
September 11, 2018

Starting in Chrome 69, the browser features significant changes to the user interface. These include a 'Material Design Refresh' theme with rounded tabs, the removal of the 'Secure' text badge for HTTPS web sites replaced by a Lock icon, and a reworked new tab page. Also, the browser hides the protocol name (HTTP/HTTPS) and the WWW prefix from the URL when the address bar is not focused. If you are unhappy about this behavior, here's how to disable it.

Google Chrome comes with a number of useful options which are experimental. They are not supposed to be used by regular users but enthusiasts and testers can easily turn them on. These experimental features can significantly improve the user experience of the Chrome browser by enabling additional functionality. To enable or disable an experimental feature, you can use hidden options called 'flags'. Often, flags can be used to revert new features and restore the classic look and feel of the browser for some period of time. For example, there is a special flag which allows restoring the classic New Tab page.

Using a hidden flag, you can restore the classic address bar, so it won't hide WWW and HTTP portions of the URL. Let's see how it can be done.

To change New Tab button position in Google Chrome, do the following.

• Open the Google Chrome browser and type the following text into the address bar:chrome://flags/#omnibox-ui-hide-steady-state-url-scheme-and-subdomainsThis will open the flags page directly with the relevant setting.

• Set the option named Omnibox UI Hide Steady-State URL Scheme and Trivial Subdomains. Set it to Disabled.

• Restart Google Chrome by closing it manually or you can also use the Relaunch button which will appear at the very bottom of the page.

• The classic look of the address bar is now restored.

See the following screenshots.


Before:

After:

That's it.

 

[azajali43]

Thank you David for bringing this chrome flags setting into my knowledge. I will surely update the same on chrome flags settings post on my blog. Also do you know about any strict settings or extension for not allowing news sites to auto play sponsored videos. I am getting lot of requests to write for the same topic on my blog.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

I know that Edge and Firefox have no auto play extensions. I would imagine there’s one for Chrome as well.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

@azajali43

Firefox: no extension needed in the latest versions - mute autoplay is a built in option. Just go to Options >> Settings and search for autoplay.

If you are running an older version and don't have that option, try https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/auto-mute/

Chrome: try https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/autoplaystopper/

Edge:

To disable video autoplay in Microsoft Edge for all websites:

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1. Open Microsoft Edge
2. Click on the three dots (Ellipses) on the top-right corner of Microsoft Edge or press ALT + X to open the Edge menu
3. Select the Settings option from the menu that appears
4. In the Settings menu, tap/select Advanced
5. You will see options related to Media autoplay
6. Click or tap on the combo-box to see all three options: Allow, Limit, and Block
7. To disable video autoplay in Microsoft Edge for all websites, select Block

 

[GaryQ]

I’m Edge it’s a default setting. Can turn it on or off same with Flash videos you can disable it completely.

im stuck using google search, maps and gmail as a secondary verification address but I draw the line there and nothing facebook related whatsoever.

Tried Chrome a couple times but it’s just not for me.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

I’m Edge it’s a default setting.

Just to clarify, that's true but unless you change it I believe it's set to allow autoplay.

I agree about Chrome. I need it for testing sites but I don't like it. I find it slow to load when I do use it.