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Chrome on Android can shrink a web page opened from another app into a movable floating window, so you can return to your email or message without closing the page. Google calls the feature Minimized Custom Tabs. It works with supported links opened in Chrome Custom Tabs—not with every ordinary Chrome tab.
What are Chrome’s floating tabs?
A Chrome Custom Tab is an in-app browser surface that an Android app can open when you tap a web link. It lets you view the page without switching fully into the standalone Chrome app. With Minimized Custom Tabs, a control in that surface collapses the page into a compact, movable window; tap the window to bring the page back.
The window looks similar to a picture-in-picture overlay, but this feature is for web pages, not just video playback. It is a quick way to keep a link available while you return to the app that opened it.
How to minimize and restore a Custom Tab
- Open an Android app that opens links in Chrome Custom Tabs, then tap a web link.
- In the Custom Tab toolbar, tap the downward-facing arrow.
- The page minimizes into a floating window. Return to the original app and move the window if it covers something you need.
- Tap the floating window to restore the page to its previous size.
Minimizing is not the same as closing the page. It changes how the Custom Tab is displayed so you can switch back to the original app while keeping the browsing task available. Google describes the toolbar control and restore behavior in its Minimized Custom Tabs announcement.
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Where the feature works—and where it does not
This is an Android feature for links opened in Chrome Custom Tabs. Google said the browser-level change began with Chrome M124, and that apps using Chrome Custom Tabs receive the behavior automatically. That does not mean every app or link flow will show the minimize button: the originating app must use Custom Tabs, and Chrome must handle that surface. Droid Life reported Gmail as a working example in its May 29, 2024 walkthrough; that example does not establish support in every Gmail setup or on every device.
Do not expect the same control on a page opened directly in Chrome, or treat it as a universal floating-window mode for Chrome. The announcement concerns Android Custom Tabs, not Chrome on iPhone, Windows, Mac, or Linux. It is also distinct from ChromeOS window management.
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How it compares with other multitasking options
| Option | What it does | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| Minimized Custom Tabs | Floats a web page opened from another Android app in a Chrome Custom Tab. | Briefly checking a link while keeping the original app handy. |
| Android split screen | Shows two apps or surfaces side by side. | Working in both apps at once when you need more room to interact. |
| Standard app switching | Moves between apps without keeping a floating page over the current screen. | Occasional link checks or situations where an overlay would get in the way. |
| Open in full Chrome | Moves the browsing task into the standalone browser. | Long reading, downloads, logins, or web apps that need the full browser interface. |
| Chrome desktop Split view | Displays two browser tabs together in one desktop pane. | Side-by-side work in desktop Chrome; it is not the Android floating Custom Tab feature. |
Google describes desktop Split view separately in its Chrome productivity improvements announcement. ChromeOS also has a separate floating-window mode for app or browser windows, documented in Google Chromebook Help.
Why the minimize arrow may be missing
The arrow appears in a supported Chrome Custom Tab, not in every Chrome browsing view. If you do not see it, check how the link opened before assuming the feature is unavailable.
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- YOUR CONTENT, SUPER SMOOTH: The ultra-clear 6.7" FHD+ Super AMOLED display of Galaxy A17 5G helps bring your content to life, whether you're scrolling through recipes or video chatting with loved ones.¹
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- MEMORIES MADE PICTURE PERFECT: Capture every angle in stunning clarity, from wide family photos to close-ups of friends, with the triple-lens camera on Galaxy A17 5G.
- NEED MORE STORAGE? WE HAVE YOU COVERED: With an improved 2TB of expandable storage, Galaxy A17 5G makes it easy to keep cherished photos, videos and important files readily accessible whenever you need them.³
- BUILT TO LAST: With an improved IP54 rating, Galaxy A17 5G is even more durable than before.⁴ It’s built to resist splashes and dust and comes with a stronger yet slimmer Gorilla Glass Victus front and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer back.
- Update Chrome from your device’s app store.
- Try a link from another app known to use Custom Tabs, such as Gmail, which Droid Life reported as an example.
- Check whether the link is inside an in-app browser, a Chrome Custom Tab, or the standalone Chrome app. Apps may use a customized viewer or open directly in Chrome.
- If the page opened directly in Chrome, use Android app switching or split screen instead; the Custom Tab minimize control is not a general Chrome-tab control.
If the floating page blocks a button or text, drag it to another part of the screen. If tapping it later does not restore the expected page, the originating app or browser session may have changed, Android may have reclaimed the process, or the page may have navigated. Restoration is not guaranteed across every app, navigation, or memory-management event.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When it is useful
Minimized Custom Tabs are most useful for short, interruptible tasks: checking a news story from an email, glancing at documentation while replying to a message, or opening a sign-up link without abandoning the app you came from. The compact view is a convenience, not a good substitute for a full browser when you need to read at length or use a complex site.
Quick Recap
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