Keep Chrome Refresh 2023 avoidable

[highbaser]

This is a feature request about handling Chrome Refresh 2023 in the future.

Google started to introduce a UI refresh, starting from M115. The change is called "Chrome Refresh 2023". There are many bug reports, UX issues and negative feedback about this change and Google seems to be stubborn enough not to pay attention and force it upon all of its users. With M125 release, Google is expiring (and later removing) the flags that can disable the changes of Chrome Refresh 2023.

Chrome Refresh 2023 is already in latest Cromite (now: 124.0.6367.60) as it's based on M124 and the feature is turned on by default via "Cromite" flags. From a desktop user point of view it's an anti-feature that ruins the classic desktop experience (with mouse and keyboard), wastes vertical real estate, replaces icons to colorless unrecognizable ones. These changes are visually incompatible with a conventional desktop controlled by keyboard and mouse.

So my feature request would be to keep flags related to Chrome Refresh 2023 so Cromite users can turn them off. Also, a more sophisticated solution would be to provide a configuration option under Settings > Appearance to turn on/off the whole (or parts of this) UI change. It would also be a good idea to have these flags turned off by default, so an occasional user who first tries Cromite, could notice that Cromite has this ability and didn't blindly follow Google's path of anti-features. Also, this could indicate, that Cromite is a great alternative for Chrome users who are fed up with Google's arrogance to shove anti-features down on user's throats.

Chrome Refresh 2023 flags

• #chrome-refresh-2023 Chrome Refresh 2023
  This flag is already among Cromite flags.
• #chrome-refresh-2023-ntb Chrome Refresh 2023 New Tab Button
  This flag is only among Chromium flags and shouldn't let be expired.
• #chrome-refresh-2023-top-chrome-font Chrome Refresh 2023 Top Chrome Font Style
  This flag is only among Chromium flags and shouldn't let be expired.
• #chrome-webui-refresh-2023 Chrome WebUI Refresh 2023
  This flag is only among Chromium flags and shouldn't let be expired.
• #customize-chrome-side-panel Customize Chrome Side Panel
  This may not be necessary. It's about a bug that if you don't turn this flag to Disabled, Chrome Refresh 2023 flags are all ignored. See: https://issues.chromium.org/issues/330756862

Issues

Issues related to Chrome Refresh 2023, from the Chromium Bug Tracker.

• https://issues.chromium.org/issues/335553327
• https://issues.chromium.org/issues/332574933
• https://issues.chromium.org/issues/332081796
  Cromite 124.0.6367.60 is affected by this issue but it has just been fixed and is expected to go upstream with the next release.
• https://issues.chromium.org/issues/330842283
• https://issues.chromium.org/issues/330743875
• https://issues.chromium.org/issues/330753883
• https://issues.chromium.org/issues/330589210
• https://issues.chromium.org/issues/330443177
• https://issues.chromium.org/issues/330373923
• https://issues.chromium.org/issues/329953462
• https://issues.chromium.org/issues/327022941
• https://issues.chromium.org/issues/41490387
• https://issues.chromium.org/issues/40947720

Negative user feedback

Negative feedback from mostly advanced users who suffered a UX degradation because of Chrome Refresh 2023.

• https://support.google.com/chrome/thread/269780757
• https://support.google.com/chrome/thread/269812926
• https://support.google.com/chrome/thread/269774466
• https://support.google.com/chrome/thread/269868881
• https://support.google.com/chrome/thread/269982965
• https://support.google.com/chrome/thread/269956094
• https://support.google.com/chrome/thread/269946774
• https://support.google.com/chrome/thread/269800018
• https://www.reddit.com/r/chrome/comments/1c5jgmu/icons_in_chrome_tabs_are_misplaced/
• https://www.reddit.com/r/chrome/comments/1c695ef/how_to_get_tab_favicons_back_to_normal/
• https://www.reddit.com/r/chrome/comments/1c5zvnx/disabled_chrome_refresh_2023_and_customize_chrome/
• https://www.reddit.com/r/chrome/comments/1c5xeja/broken_icon_placements_after_update_how_to_fix/
• https://www.reddit.com/r/chrome/comments/1c6ette/why_are_my_tab_icons_higher_up_than_normal/

[uazo]

I wish there was so much commitment to privacy-related bugs!

So my feature request would be to keep flags related to Chrome Refresh 2023 so Cromite users can turn them off.

as long as it is maintained by google, it will be present in cromite.
Try to understand me: I do not have the time or the inclination to deal with these things myself.
If someone else takes the trouble to check and modify the code, welcome.

It would also be a good idea to have these flags turned off by default,

and then who is behind the various reports, "why is this button moved", "why is the text too small", etc.?
no thanks, I prefer to invest my time in something more interesting.

[highbaser]

"why is this button moved", "why is the text too small", etc.?

This is called usability. It's no problem if something looks different on the UI from a particular version of a software, as long as there is a feature to customize it. This is called user freedom.

Flags are not maintained by Google. They're temporary and Chrome Refresh 2023 flags are now being expired, then they'll be removed. However, other projects like Supermium, Thorium, Brave are all planning to keep these flags in the long term. Check them out. You are free to merge their solution in the future.

[markg85]

However, other projects like Supermium, Thorium, Brave are all planning to keep these flags in the long term. Check them out. You are free to merge their solution in the future.

Please do post your links to where those projects actually say that they will keep those flags.

It's a shitload of work to maintain out-of-tree patches, specially if it's something as invasive as the GUI itself. You can throw this on the usability claim and say "user freedom" but then you should back it up by offering your help to preserve that freedom.

[highbaser]

Please do post your links to where those projects actually say that they will keep those flags.

Brave: brave/brave-browser#37770 (comment)
Supermium: win32ss/supermium#506 (comment)
Thorium: Alex313031/thorium#644 (comment)

It's a shitload of work to maintain out-of-tree patches, specially if it's something as invasive as the GUI itself.

Maintaining a browser fork is always a shitload of work. What's the point of it then? To make difference. Maintainers of Chromium forks make difference by keeping it somehow different from the original Chromium and Google Chrome. The value of the fork lies in these differences. If Google ruins the UX, a fork can keep the good old UX, so it will have more value than Chrome and be an alternative for users whom the changes disappoint. That's it. We're talking about the core motivatoin of maintaining forks.

[uazo]

However, other projects like Supermium, Thorium, Brave are all planning to keep these flags in the long term. Check them out. You are free to merge their solution in the future.

you can do it too. follow each commit and tell me which ones are related to that flag, I will gladly include them.

What's the point of it then? To make difference.
The value of the fork lies in these differences.

is your goal, it is legitimate.
mine is to learn and look for privacy issues, I think that is also legitimate.