Brighter and simpler. Google updates Chrome’s logo after 8 years

Be it on mobile or desktop, logos are what define applications. Perhaps, this is the reason that icons of major applications have undergone tremendous visual changes over time. Google too seems on its way to transforming its logo for Google Chrome.

After eight years, the Google Chrome browser has updated its logo recently. Over the years, the logo has been changed, however, the visual element has remained constant. While it will be difficult to make out the change in the new logo, a closer look will unravel the refinements.

“Some of you might have noticed a new icon in Chrome’s Canary update today. Yes! we’re refreshing Chrome’s brand icons for the first time in 8 years. The new icons will start to appear across your devices soon,” tweeted Chrome designer Elvin Hu in a tweet.
The Chrome browser's logo has been updated considering Google’s current brand identity. However, the minor adjustments may not be visible at first. The new logo has retained its four-colour design which was introduced in 2009.

The initial design was flattened in 2011 by Google. In 2022, there are subtler changes to the logo. Brighter colours, a larger blue inner circle, and the absence of shadows are the distinguishing features of the new logo.

Changes to icons take time for users to get acclimated. In 2016, Uber dropped ‘U’ from its logo, while Instagram updated its icon from a skeuomorphic to a graphical 2D logo in 2016. Dramatic alterations in icons or logos often make them difficult to locate on smartphone screens. This has been one of the usual apprehensions among users. However, Chrome’s subtle tweaks might not confuse the millions of its users.

Reportedly, Google began making changes to its Canary test version of Chrome. However, it will be deployed on its developer, beta and mainstream versions in the next few weeks. The tech giant is also working with different variations to suit MacOS, iOS, and Windows interface.

At present, Google Chrome accounts for 63% web usage according to StatCounter, an analytics firm.