Browser 'Reach mode' feature like lineage Jelly

Hi /e/ ,
I suggest to implement the ‘Reach mode’ (address bar at the bottom) option in /e/ browser, like lineage jelly browser, because after some time using this feature on a phone with lineage, I found it to be very comfortable, and when I went back to using Browser, i missed it a lot!

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Hello, for your information this feature is available on Firefox.

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Ah okay, I didn’t known this, because I use Firefox only on desktop;

I tried more and more times on android client but unfortunately I don’t like it, anyway good to know, thanks :slightly_smiling_face:

P.S.: I hope that /e/ will consider this proposal, because it is a very convenient feature

Browser is Chromium-based. If upstream Chromium doesn’t have / hasn’t had such a feature then Browser never will.

You could enable Duet under chrome://flags which will add a few buttons to the bottom. One of them is the search button. Every time you tap on it the address bar is focused and ready for typing. At least that keeps you from changing your grip when you want to type in a URL.

Type chrome://flags in the address bar. Type in ‘duet’ and enable it.

Sadly, upstream Chromium is getting rid of or has gotten rid of Duet. I stuck to Chromium/Bromite/Browser v79 for the longest just because of that.
Five buttons at the bottom. Home, Share, Search, Tabs, Menu. It was great. After v80 Duet was crippled. Tabs and Menu are now always at top. Bummer.

Browser, on Pi/e/, is v83 I think. Even though Duet has choices all I get is Home, Search, Share no matter what I select. But still, in this case the Search button is what helps out for the address bar.

Duet on Browser v79.

Duet on v80+.

Anyhind, Fennec (Firefox) Browser has gone from v68 to v81 and as @Anonyme mentioned it now has a bottom address bar. That’s cool but lack of extensions keeps me from adopting it just yet.

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Hi Marc,
I didn’t even know this function, Duet, which is exactly what I was looking for!

Of course, sadly that it’s more limited now than it used to be, but “better than nothing”, right? :slightly_smiling_face:
Thanks

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Y’know, I was just thinking about something. The Duet flag has been removed from Chromium v84 and as a result, also Bromite. IOW, no bottom toolbar.
Trying to use either on large phones/phablets is a PITA, constantly having to shift your grip/thumb all the way to the top to do anything. Folks on the Bromite github have brought up the subject but the dev has stated that privacy is his concern, not features. Fair enough but on my OnePlus 8T I just may remove the browser.

Other Chromium-based browsers (like Brave) manage to continue to include a bottom toolbar. Brave has a bit too much going on though and feels too flashy. Gotta configure it to remove all the noise.

Anyhind, it made me wonder about future /e/ Browser versions. Since it is based on Bromite will it also lose the bottom toolbar. On some of my ROMs I did a freeze at v79 just so I can have a fully functional bottom toolbar. Security and privacy be darned. With v83 the bar is there but not as functional.

Strange that as Chromium removes the feature, Firefox and co. now offer it where they didn’t before. I’m not a fan of either camp but lately I’ve been using Fennec/Mull/Iceraven more than Chromium-based.

Maybe the /e/ devs can start looking at whatever code the other browsers use to retain a bottom toolbar despite what upstream is doing. That would be cool.

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please remember the /e/ apps are just supposed to be basics, default apps delivered with the OS, so adding features to the apps doesn’t really make sense unless it is really needed

Yesss, I’m well aware of that. Just throwing things out there. I make a habit of replacing default apps actually.
I do forget that most folks weren’t aware of the flags, thus never having a bottom toolbar anyway. Have not, want not I guess. :smirk:

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Well, it’s pretty much a personal opinion if a feature is “needed”. I switched from a Galaxy A3 to a T2e and honestly, the browser is unusable for me with the adress bar at the top.

For sure the default apps are meant to be “basics” - but where’s the point in having basics apps (that can’t be uninstalled nor deactivated) if a reasonable amount of users need to replace them anyway.
In this case I’d prefer to have less preinstalled apps and choose the ones that suite my needs best.

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