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This morning, Google is rolling out a new top bar navigation style worldwide. They have not yet announced it, but they have been testing various experiments with it. It seems very likely that Google will roll out this new navigation to all Google users over the next few days.
The picture above shows Google has dropped the black bar navigation and replaced it with a minimalistic white top, with fewer links but a box like button, which expands to show you additional Google services.
Here is a picture of the black bar top navigation:
Google has not yet confirmed this is legit, they did comment in a Google Web Search Help. Jessica Schwartz (no relation) from Google saying:
We are constantly running experiments on the look and functionality of search, which is why you're seeing the current layout.
I am extremely confident that this is indeed not an experiment but rather this is being rolled out over the next few days to more and more users.
So what do you think of the new top bar? I like it.
Google has changed their top bar many many times, here are some stories covering the history of those top bars:
- Google Tests Boxy Navigation Bar
- Goodbye Black Google Bar, Welcome Google Drop Down Menu
- Google's Top Down Navigation Design Going Global
- Google Changes Navigation Bar Again
- Google Tests Black Bar
- Google Testing Another Top Bar Navigation Look
- Google Testing New Alternative Search Navigation Links
Added, here is a full size screen shot, with the navigation boxed open (click it to enlarge):
Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help and Google+.
Screenshot credit to +Max Minzer
Comments:
MickeyJayDee
09/13/2013 12:08 pm
This has been the default on new tab pages for Chrome Canary for a good few weeks now.
Sunny Ujjawal
09/13/2013 12:19 pm
Barry - Jennifer name is wrong here this statement is from Jessica Schwartz
Barry Schwartz
09/13/2013 12:21 pm
oops. thanks
ethalon
09/13/2013 12:41 pm
I wonder who has the bigger Schwartz.
ethalon
09/13/2013 01:01 pm
Now that I think about it, I am pretty sure it goes: Yogurt Lonestar Barry Jessica
Adam Heaton
09/13/2013 01:20 pm
Hi Barry, I did have that design myself a few weeks ago however it vanished after a number of days, so definitely a legit design amend, whether it actually happens or not is a different story!
very unhappy
09/13/2013 02:51 pm
Oh man, I really like the black bar, especially with chrome extension you can customize it nicely so you have exactly what you use at hand. Now they hide everything so you have to click more to get to what you use... computer monitors are not getting smaller, there is plenty of space on the screen, I myself am minimalist but not when I have to forfeit it to the ergonomics and common sense, what is the point of burrying all options under one single button??? is there any logical explanation for this?
Gab
09/13/2013 02:54 pm
I really like this new white version, i never liked the black at the top personally and always voted against it! It's just not pleasant. Problem is that they never leave things that people like!!! See Gmail's new compose, another thing that is rather ugly, people dont like it, yet they dont listen.
Sita Gabriel
09/13/2013 03:21 pm
Wow, That's looking great. But this way you will have to click more, I don't like the clicking part.
guy
09/13/2013 04:14 pm
they copy iphone interface
MehMeh
09/13/2013 06:17 pm
Fuck Google!
Morgan Akchehirlian
09/13/2013 07:50 pm
Sorry guys I still see the old bar on top.I like the snapshop though but waiting to see it on my side how this new thing works.
Crown Focus
09/14/2013 03:42 am
Google seems to be so focused on things that users don't really care about. Black or clear bar...who cares. Bing is kicking your ass right now!
Ankit Singh
09/14/2013 09:50 am
this will surely improve user interface
Ch Farrukh Sohail
09/14/2013 12:18 pm
but google really going to fucking us :P
Ch Farrukh Sohail
09/14/2013 12:18 pm
i am with you lol
james
09/14/2013 02:01 pm
How bland. google is loosing the plot..... even the search results are becoming visibly rubbish to non seo's..... search for graphic design today.... first two results Wikipedia...... TIME TO BING IT!
Muhammad Umair
09/14/2013 02:18 pm
they are promoting big authority sites now thats why there is no result on search only big sites appear which have not good content according to our need
Muhammad Umair
09/14/2013 02:21 pm
google dont know what they are doing now... they are looking only monwy now and due because people are not getting search results so they are going to BING
Jason Hughes
09/14/2013 06:48 pm
I've seen this new menu appear and disappear over the past two weeks or so.
Graciousstore
09/15/2013 04:32 am
Will this change improve search results in anyway? Or what is the reason for the change
Amit Verma
09/15/2013 05:58 am
Thanks for the information..Is it going to make any differences in the search results???
Annoyed
09/15/2013 08:52 am
I really wish they'd stop with the minimalist crap. I hope they at least give us a choice.
Soni Sharma
09/16/2013 05:00 am
It was tested some days back....
StevenLockey
09/16/2013 10:36 am
Its megamaid! Shes gone from blow to suck! ;)
Mofuse
09/16/2013 11:20 am
It will be helpful.
ethalon
09/16/2013 12:00 pm
Just happy someone appreciated my horrible humor. I have been looking for a 'who has the bigger Schwartz' joke opportunity since I started following this site. :)
StevenLockey
09/16/2013 12:13 pm
We appear to have got our Swartz twisted! Spaceballs, one of my fav spoof films of all times.
Jitendra Vaswani
09/16/2013 03:38 pm
I think it will be helpful for all, I saw it some days back in my profile, I really liked that feature
guy
09/16/2013 03:39 pm
they care about how looks their screen, but not serp, haha
Jitendra Vaswani
09/16/2013 03:39 pm
Hi James , Google is trying to working on rubbish(spam) results, Google will be on track, just keep on doing genuine link building.
guy
09/16/2013 03:42 pm
google is web spam itself. they scrape web, display snippets, content and images from our sites, defined what is spam and what is not spam (according to their wishes & commercial interests), they defined what content rich white hat websites is spam because trying to sell something. also for white hat no such thing as "genuine link building", idea here what only readers place links and share your content. But it not work by the way.
guy
09/16/2013 03:45 pm
because soon they will put their photos in this box. like best web spam fighters of the world.
Fedor
09/16/2013 05:57 pm
Wow this is so amazing, this shit's gonna change my life forever!
Cole Watts
09/16/2013 06:02 pm
And Google changes again. Gotta love the job security. ;)
Yogita Aggarwal
09/17/2013 02:37 am
Now Google search would be more user friendly :) loving it :)
Danny
09/17/2013 09:57 am
We have seen many new Google features frequently day by day added by Google, Now Google starts to justify its First Position in search engine war.
William
09/19/2013 05:49 am
I hated the black bar from first, this one is outstanding and the logo became so much better.
Claudia King
09/19/2013 06:51 pm
Urgh, I can't stand these changes. But I guess clicking 2-3 times is more convenient than clicking once to get where you want, right? UI needs to be customisable. You can't make a one-size-fits-all for millions of users.
Reece
09/24/2013 06:44 pm
Yesterday my lovely, simple, not ugly non-black bar google arrived. Today, it's back. Yuck. Ugh. Not fair. Go away nasty black bar.
Wyatt
10/01/2013 01:16 am
Customization. That's all I ask. The only thing they can't get right. Seriously. It's not that hard!
Jeannie
10/02/2013 12:30 am
Bullshit, give me back the black bar
Jeannie
10/02/2013 12:31 am
5 clicks instead of having all available at my fingertips is NOT helpful
Sasori
10/03/2013 03:16 am
great, now google looks like a goddam iphone, what a piece of junk. Odd how they're forcing the PC to be like a Mac product more and more; 'click, click, click'
Sasori
10/03/2013 03:20 am
Oh, and forget trying to make an igoogle page with your needed haunts; it's killed too. Odd, who is the tyrant in charge at google, now? Extremely shallow minded.
debO'
10/04/2013 09:26 pm
the change sucks!
fred
10/05/2013 08:56 am
it is still on the translate page
Lessmiller Jeffrey
10/07/2013 01:27 pm
I don't like the change.. give us an option to opt out of the change and get the black bar navigation back.
a
10/14/2013 04:17 pm
Absolutely shit change. Fuck google and their BAD UI designers. YouTube, Gmail and Google are constantly having their UI fucked up.
bobby
10/16/2013 10:22 am
This new design of google homepage is definetely a waste of money on designers! If something is working properly and easy to acces why to complicate it and make it harder and frankly said ugly! The best thing google can do now is to add an option of choosing your own convenient look of google homepage!