side panel minimum width

[Jackie Han]

Some users have complained that the side panel is too wide, i.e. the minimum width is too large. A few users even wrote a 3-star review, simply because of this.

This is mainly because the laptop screen is smaller and not as wide as the external display. Many developers have reported this feedback six months ago, but there seems to be no progress.

Today, I upgraded Chrome to 120.0.6099.199 (then upgraded to 120.0.6099.216). Instead of getting smaller, the minimum width has become larger than before.

Above screenshots, they are the same information in the side panel. In the past, it could not display the complete information, but now it displays the complete information, which shows that the minimum width has indeed been increased.

There are some related source code change, I am not very familiar with:

• Add side panel min width study to field trial testing config (Dec 07)
• Remove side panel min width study from field trial config after launch. (Jan 05)
  
• Flip side panel minimum width to enabled on tip of tree (Jan 03)
  
• [120] Add feature flag to control side panel minimum width (Dec 09) But I don't find this flag in chrome://flags
  

Can anyone(Oliver or Patrick) talk to the Chrome UI engineers about the current status and plans about side panel minimum width?

Jackie Han

[Jackie Han]

It looks like the minimum (inner) width of the side panel has changed from 320 to 360. This change is the exact opposite of what developers were expecting.

https://chromium-review.googlesource.com/c/chromium/src/+/5152539/2/chrome/browser/ui/ui_features.cc#b170

[Oliver Dunk]

Hi Jackie,

Let us sync with the team to make sure we have the latest update here and then happy to pass it on.

Definitely still aware of the feedback as well, and continuing to chat to the team about if we can give extensions more control.

Oliver Dunk | DevRel, Chrome Extensions | https://developer.chrome.com/ | London, GB

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[Oliver Dunk]

Hi again,

I spoke to the team today and confirmed that we cherry-picked this change back to Chrome 120 and it is rolled out for 100% of users.

I definitely apologise for the lack of a heads up on this one - we didn't catch that it had been released.

In general, we have to work closely with other teams on this feature (since it is used by many Chrome features too) but we're continuing to discuss if we can give extension developers any more flexibility. I know it may not look like anything has happened but I promise we are discussing internally - just trying to prioritise alongside everything else, for example some of the feedback on the chrome.userScripts API.

Oliver Dunk | DevRel, Chrome Extensions | https://developer.chrome.com/ | London, GB

[Jackie Han]

Thanks for confirmation.

Side panel is a major new functional feature released in 2023. There are probably thousands of extensions using the side panel now. Chrome UI team and extension teams should communicate closely. It affects a lot of developers and users.

For example, "Chrome Refresh 2023" (chrome://flags/#chrome-refresh-2023) changed the border corners of the side panel. Therefore, it affects the design of the side panel inner part.

For the minimum width, many desktop version web pages are designed for width of >=1000px. Therefore, on narrow-width screens (laptop), if the side panel is too wide, it will affect the normal display of the web page. If you use a wide-width screen, there is no such problem.

There are more unresolved issues regarding the side panel. For example:

• Focus issue: Unlike the popup page, when activating the side panel, the focus doesn't move to the side panel, it still stays on the web page. So it is impossible to implement a feature that focuses input when the side panel opens.
• There is no shortcut to quick switch focus between web page and side panel.
• There are more losing focus issues when switching tabs.
• custom minimum width by extensions if the side panel is not open.
  
• keep the already opened global side panel when opening a new window.

Best

[Jackie Han]

Any updates? Using a fixed width is a crude solution that won't satisfy all users.

[Leah Prince]

We're not talking rocket science here. I've seen so many threads about removing the sidePanel min-width constraint that I too, had to join the conversation. The sidebar takes up 1/4 of my screen realestate!

> but we're continuing to discuss 

See you in 2029, I guess 🤷‍♀️

[Patrick Kettner]

Hi Leah!

I totally sympathize with the frustration. But we aren't discussing how to implement, thats the simple bit. Extensions are one of many teams that use the side panel, and not everyone agrees with having a width lower than whats currently possible. We have to work with other teams to come to a consensus on what is acceptable to all parties. I really do apologize that it hasn't been able to go faster, and hope it is able to get determined sooner rather than later. 

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/d/msgid/chromium-extensions/2a9217fa-29b5-49b0-b59d-6c921d6b84a3n%40chromium.org.

[Vardhman Singh]

Hi all, just curious if there's any update on the focus behaviour or if it's under consideration?

[Oliver Dunk]

Hi Vardhman,

There aren't any specific updates unfortunately, but it is on our list of feature requests we're keeping in mind.

Speaking of, there is currently some ongoing work to give users more control over the sizing of the side panel. I can't promise that will lead to providing some of the sizing features requested in this thread, but it at least lays some of the groundwork :)

Thanks,

Oliver Dunk | DevRel, Chrome Extensions | https://developer.chrome.com/ | London, GB

[Vardhman Singh]

Gotcha, thanks for the update!

[callanyonefrompc]

I am using a Google Chrome extension called Bookmark Sidebar. I have the Bookmark Sidebar on the left side of my screen, and the right edge of it can be clicked and dragged to change the width of the sidebar. However, the Bookmark Sidebar is way too wide even on its narrowest setting. This is because Google Chrome is enforcing too large of a min-width for the Sidebar Panel. The min-width needs to be 60%-70% of what it currently is (preferably 60% because I can always increase the size when needed).

I have just never been able to make the switch from Firefox to Chrome because for 10-15 years, I keep checking the state of the default Chrome bookmarks sidebar and it's just terrible and never improves. It still does not have sort by user defined order. No ability to drag and drop bookmarks or folders around. No vertical folder expansion. And none of the bookmark sidebar extensions were any good either.

But this one Bookmark Sidebar extension that I am trying to use went to the extremes to try and make a decent bookmarks sidebar that is almost as good as the Firefox built-in native one. But the problem is that it is too clunky and takes up too much space. And this is due to the Chrome min-width for the sidebar panel. Because of my desired browser window size (1100x870 on a 1600x900 resolution or 1760x1392 with 160% display scaling on a 2560x1440 resolution), the sidebar panel is taking up 35-40% of the window. On Firefox, I can make it take only 1/6 to 1/7 of the window and then make it wider when needed. Just click and drag to make it whatever size I need at any given moment. The Bookmark Sidebar extension does have an alternative method to display the sidebar as a popup, and it actually looks much nicer because it doesn't have all that extra padding around the actual bookmarks. However there are problems with the popup method. One, it won't stay open if I click outside the popup. Two, the styling is a bit inconsistent where the bookmark and folder names are larger or smaller on some pages than others. And three, I can't open up the sidebar popup on certain pages like my file:/// offline website page

[callanyonefrompc]

I measured it just now. It would be nice if I could make the sidebar (I am using an extension called Bookmark Sidebar) 150px narrower. That way I can see more webpage. And if I need to see more bookmark, then I can click and drag the edge of the sidebar to make it wider again. But the way it is now, the sidebar is too wide 24/7, 365 days a year. If it's because Chrome wants the default Chrome bookmarks sidebar (which I will never use because it is trash) to remain looking the way, keeping all the UI elements where they are and all the spacing and padding between elements the same, then I guess that is fine - but only for Chrome stuff. But for extensions that developers create, it would be nice if you could loosen up the restrictions. That way the Bookmark Sidebar developer can be notified that the restriction has been loosened and that the sidebar can be made 150px narrower than what it currently is. And then us users of the Bookmark Sidebar can decide what width we want the sidebar to be and then be happy with it. I don't see how anyone would be negatively impacted by allowing developers to make extensions where the sidebar is narrower than what it currently is, but I can imagine that a lot of people will be pleased and benefit from having a narrower sidebar (their choice, that you currenlty won't allow them make).

[callanyonefrompc]

Can you please make it so that the sidebar width can be adjusted by the Chrome user to be 150 px narrower (or even more) than it is now? I want to keep my sidebar open at all times, but it takes up too much real estate. I'm tired of toggling window sizes and positions. I just want all my windows stationary with the sidebar always open but the sidebar takes up all the space on the website and I can't see all the website. I tried using custom zooms on the website but it doesn't look good. I like the default 100% zoom. On Firefox, the sidebar can be adjusted to any width. If I need it narrow, I just click and drag. If I need it wide, I just click and drag. There are no limits on Firefox on sidebar width. It's easy and user friendly. It lets me do what I want.

[callanyonefrompc]

I just checked and making the sidebar 50-55 px narrower than it currently is would make a world of difference. Surely, you can make the sidebar 55px narrower than it's current width? Why does it have to be so freaking wide? You could easily shave 5px (even more) on each side of the sidebar's contents. That would save a minimum of 10px. 20px if you shave 10px on each side. Then the inside of the sidebar contents should be allowed to be narrower if the user clicks and drags. Let the user decide to click and drag when they want it small or when they want it wide. Make it so that the absolute minimum is 40px narrower than what it is now. Combined with the 10px shave on the side, that would get the 50px total.

On Wednesday, June 26, 2024 at 5:42:14 AM UTC-5 Oliver Dunk wrote:

[Patrick Kettner]

The extensions team does not own the side panel code. We are trying to get changes in, so feedback like this is really helpfu! But there is more to it than just the extension devs agreeing to make the change (if that was all, it would have shipped in January when Jackie started the thread 🙂)

[callanyonefrompc]

I just checked. The padding on both sides of the sidebar is 30px on each side. Eliminating the padding would free up 60px of space. Do we really need that much padding? I'd like the sidebar to be 100px narrower than it currently is.

[callanyonefrompc]

How about an option in Chrome settings to disable the padding on the sidebar? That would make the sidebar 60px narrower and it would be an option so only users who want to use the option will be affected?

[callanyonefrompc]

Oh, I didn't know this was only for extensions. I don't know how to communicate directly with Chrome to make adjustments to sidebar.

a.) I feel like making the sidebar 60px narrower would make a world of difference.

b.) One way to free up 60px is to give the Chrome user the option in Settings to remove the padding in the sidebar. This would remove 30px padding on each side, and possibly an extra 2 pixels for borders. Freeing up 60-62px.

c.) I honestly feel like the sidebar content (not including the padding) could be tweaked some so the user can make the sidebar even smaller than the current min-width is because the current min-width is set too high.

d.) On Firefox, the sidebar can be made over 150px narrower than what the Chrome sidebar can be set to. And when I need it wide, I can just click to make it wide. When I need it narrow, it is very convenient to be able to make it narrow.

e.) On Brave, the sidebar is clearly narrower than Chrome's and would be even narrower if they didn't put the stupid vertical column with icon shortcuts like for Settings, AI, Bookmarks, etc.

f.) The sidebar takes up too much real estate on my browser so I can't do much and can't leave my sidebar open. I wish I could leave my sidebar open so I can sort bookmarks, but because I want to see other windows on my screen at the same time, I can't.

On Sunday, December 22, 2024 at 10:31:05 AM UTC-6 Patrick Kettner wrote:

[Brad Gashler]

This large minimum width plus the padding and mandatory border of the side panel make it hard to work with from a design perspective. It's also challenging that the side panel can't remain open permanently with the same width (if the user wants it to remain open with say a setting) on subsequent windows.