How to Enable or Disable Chrome’s Bookmark Bar

This article explains how to show or hide the bookmark bar in the Google Chrome browser. Why do this? You might want more space on your screen or quick access to your favorite sites. What happens when done? You will have a cleaner browser look or a faster way to open your saved links.

Google Chrome is a popular web browser from Google. It is very similar to Microsoft Edge since they share the same base technology.

Enable/Disable the bookmark bar in Chrome

The fastest way to toggle your bookmark bar is by using a keyboard shortcut. Press Ctrl + Shift + B on your keyboard to instantly turn the bar on or off.

If you prefer to use the menu, you can also manage this in the settings. Note that Google updates the Chrome interface often. If you cannot find the setting, use the “Search settings” bar at the top of the Settings page to find it quickly.

You can also hide the bookmark bar to save vertical screen space. If you do this, you can still manage your sites by using the Chrome Side Panel.

Here is how to change the setting manually:

1. Open the Google Chrome browser.
2. Click the three vertical dots in the top right corner.
3. Select Settings.
4. Click Appearance on the left menu.

Find the “Show bookmark bar” option and toggle it to your preference.

Close the settings tab when you are finished.

Advanced/Enterprise: Enable/Disable the bookmark bar using the Registry

Disclaimer: This section is intended for IT administrators only. General users should not modify the Registry, as mistakes can cause system issues.

Administrators can control this setting using the Windows Registry Editor.

Open the Windows Registry and go to this path:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome

Remember to back up your registry before making any changes, or create a System Restore point as a precaution.

If you do not see the Google or Chrome folders, right-click the Policies folder to create them. Right-click in the Chrome folder and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it BookmarkBarEnabled.

Double-click the value and set it to 0 to hide the bar or 1 to show it.

You may need to restart your computer for these changes to take effect.

Reference: Chrome Enterprise Policy

Customizing your bookmark bar helps you browse faster. Whether you use the keyboard shortcut or the settings menu, you can easily adjust your view to fit your needs.