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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
