Google Chrome Canary is updated regularly with new features, and in the last few months,most of the changeshave focused on the visual design to ensure our favorite browser on Android looks current, even on other operating systems. In the version built for Windows, Google recently introduceddynamic themingandAI-generated wallpapersfor a handful of users. Now, another change in the Canary channel gives us access to an Android 14-style media player.
Google Chrome for desktop has a global media control center which shows up as a button sandwiched between the side panel toggle switch, and your browser extensions. It pulls up a panel to control playback of all the tabs playing media, even if the tabs are in the background. The current global media player in Chrome 121 (stable) gives you options to play/pause, skip to next, skip to previous, and enable Live captions. However, there’s no playback progress bar, and the content thumbnail is used as the background for all the controls.
Current media controls in Chrome 121 stable
Early signs of a redesigned global media player for Chromeshowed up in Maylast year with dynamic theming for UI elements, and slightly repositioned buttons. Now, Chrome feature researcher and Android Police reader@Leopeva64 on Xsays the redesigned UI is ready, matching the Android 14 player controls in the notification shade almost exactly.
Android-style controls in Chrome 123 Canary
This new UI features a right-alignedPlay/pausebutton and dynamic theming color-matched to your current Chrome theme. The new version does away with thePreviousandNextbuttons to give you an Android 14-stylesquiggly playback progress indicatorinstead. This bar stays linear when you’re seeking forward or backward and when playback is paused, only returning to its wavy state when you hitPlayagain.
Like the current stable version, the global media controls still featureLive CaptionandLive Translatecontrols underneath, but you may notice liberal use of rounded corners to keep elements distinct. The feature is still flag-enabled in Chrome for desktop. Moreover, this is a change in the Canary build (version 123), so there is a chance Google defers the stable release. However, we believe chances are slim, because the player controls look ready for prime time.
