Make Google Chrome Show Full Web Address in Address Bar

As of Google Chrome 76, perhaps even in earlier releases, the browser began hiding the full web address of visited web page when not actively in the address bar. In particular they were hiding the URL protocol (HTTP/HTTPS) and the WWW prefix. We agree, those elements are understood. However, it makes editing the URL difficult since those elements reappear when attempting to do so. If it would simply keep it hidden that would be fine but try adding a sub-domain prefix and you’ll see what we mean.

When you give in to style over function you get Apple. Nothing wrong with that if that is your preference.

See my update on this article.

 

Always Show Full Web Address

Open a new tab within Chrome and insert the following line of text below to search for the option we need:

chrome://flags/#omnibox-ui-hide-steady-state-url-scheme

Once entered you should be taken to the needed option, which is the “Omnibox UI Hide Steady-State URL Scheme“.

Simply set this option to “Disabled” and relaunch Google Chrome using the button which will appear at the very bottom right of the page.

 

 

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I hope this article on making Google Chrome always show the full web site address within the address bar has helped you. I welcome your thoughts, questions or suggestions regarding this article.

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Update 2/10/2020 #

With the release of Chrome 79, the #omnibox-ui-hide-steady-state-url-scheme flag has been permanently removed from the browser. The only way to show the full URL, including www, in the address bar is to double click on the address bar to edit the URL or install the Google Chrome Suspicious Site Reporter extension. The ID of this extension is whitelisted in chrome’s code so that the complete URL is shown.

This is something that I personally will not want to do. Thus I am forced, as the vast majority of users are, to double click on the URL to reveal the entire web address.