Google Chrome is the most popular web browser, used by over 60% of internet users. One of the great things about Chrome is how customizable it is – you can install new themes to completely change the look and feel of your browser. In this article, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to customize Chrome and make it your own.
Table of Contents
Finding and Installing New Chrome Themes
Finding new themes for Chrome is easy thanks to the Chrome Web Store. Here’s how to browse and install new themes:
- Open the Chrome browser and click the 3-dot menu button in the top right
- Select Settings
- Click on Appearance
- Select Themes to open the Chrome Web Store theme gallery
You can also access the theme gallery by visiting chrome.google.com/webstore/category/themes.
The theme gallery features different categories like Nature, Holidays, Artists, and more. You can preview a theme before installing it. When you find one you like:
- Click Add to Chrome
- A pop-up will ask you to confirm, click Add theme
- The new theme will instantly apply to Chrome
To remove or change your theme later:
- Return to the Themes page in your Chrome settings
- Click Reset to default to restore the standard Chrome theme
Customizing Your Theme’s Colors
The default themes from the Web Store come with pre-configured colors, but you can customize them to your liking:
- From the Chrome settings, go to Appearance > Colors
- Select a Color and theme option, like Custom or one of the defaults like System
- Click individual color boxes to open a color picker and choose new colors
- Colors will update instantly so you can preview your changes
Use the color dropper to select a color from your current theme or any web page open in Chrome.
Uploading Your Own Background Images
Along with pre-made themes, you can also upload your own images to use as Chrome’s background:
- Go to the Appearance section of Chrome settings
- Click Background > Upload an image
- Select an image file from your computer
- Chrome will automatically pick an accent color, but you can customize it
The image you upload will be used on the new tab page, new window page, and other parts of the browser UI.
Daily Refreshing Backgrounds
Some of the Web Store theme collections have a Refresh daily toggle. Turning this on will make Chrome pick a new background image from that collection every day.
It’s a great way to see new artwork every time you open a new tab.
Customizing Your New Tab Page
Chrome’s new tab page can also be customized with shortcuts, background images, and more:
- Right click on the new tab page and select Customize
- Or open a new tab and click the button at the bottom right reading Customize Chrome
From here, you can:
- Upload a background image
- Add website shortcuts
- Change the layout
- Adjust text size
- Enable fun Doodles from Google
So if you want to overhaul the look of Chrome and see something new every day, install a theme collection with Refresh daily turned on and customize your new tab page layout.
Using Multiple Profiles to Separate Themes
If you use Chrome for both work and personal browsing, you can create separate profiles with different themes:
- Open the main Chrome menu and hover over your profile picture
- Click Manage people > Add person to create a new profile
- Switch between profiles by clicking your profile pic at the top right
Now you can make your work profile clean and professional with neutral themes while your personal profile can be fun and colorful.
Expert Tips for Finding Great Themes
As a Chrome expert, I recommend browsing both the curated and all themes sections of the Web Store to find great options:
- Check out the various collections like Artists and Abstract
- Sort by most popular this week or all time
- Read user reviews before installing unknown themes
- Search for keywords like “dark mode” or “nature”
I also suggest using an ad blocker extension so no ads clutter your new themes. My favorite is uBlock Origin.
And if you want to get more creative, you can build custom Chrome themes on sites like ThemeBeta and Chrome Theme Creator. But the Web Store offers plenty of excellent free and paid themes to choose from.
So try out some new themes today and customize Chrome to be uniquely yours! Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions.
