Google Chrome is the most popular web browser, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best. Browsers like Opera and Vivaldi incorporate better customization settings than Google’s. However, there are many extensions for Chrome you can use to customize the browser.
Custom Scrollbars is one extension worth noting that lets you customize Chrome’s scrollbar. It lets users change the scrollbar’s color scheme, roundness, and width. Here's how you can customize Chrome’s scrollbar with Custom Scrollbars.
How to Install the Custom Scrollbars Extension for Chrome
To get Custom Scrollbars, open the extension on the Chrome Web Store within Google Chrome. Click the + Add to Chrome button on that webpage. Select the Add extensions option to confirm.
If you don’t see a Custom Scrollbars button on the URL toolbar after installing it, click the Extensions option. Then select the Pin option for Custom Scrollbars. Thereafter, click the extension’s button to bring up the settings.
It’s better to customize the scrollbar via the extension’s tab. So, press the Options button to bring up that tab. Here, you can explore all the customization settings Custom Scrollbars has from there.
Download: Custom Scrollbars for Google Chrome (Free)
How to Change Chrome's Scrollbar Color With Custom Scrollbars
The best thing about Custom Scrollbars is its color customization options. With this extension, you can change both the scrollbar’s thumb and track colors with thumb and track palettes.
You can customize the scrollbar’s color scheme with those palettes as follows.
- Select the Yes radio button for the Use custom colors option.
- Left-click and drag the small circle on the Scrollbar thumb color palette to select a color there.
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You can also choose different shades for your selected color by dragging the HSV bar sliders up and down.
- Drag the circle within the Scrollbar track color palette to choose a color for the track bar.
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Click Save to apply the new color scheme to the scrollbar.
- To check out your new scrollbar’s color scheme, open the Google search engine and enter a keyword there. Then you can scroll up and down the Google search results page with your colorful scrollbar.
How to Adjust the Scrollbar’s Width, Roundness, and Buttons
Would you prefer a wider or thinner Google Chrome scrollbar? The extension includes a Scrollbar width setting you can configure. Select the Wide or Thin radio buttons to change it.
Alternatively, click the Other radio button. Then you can enter a value within the text box to change the scrollbar’s width to whatever you fancy. The default measurement unit is pixels, but you can select different ones on the drop-down menu.
If you’re tired of the rectangular scrollbar in Chrome, change the roundness setting for it. You can do that by dragging the Scrollbar roundness bar slider. Dragging that bar further to the right will increase the roundness of the scrollbar’s slider, as in the screenshot directly below.
This extension also includes a Scrollbar buttons option. You can select None to remove the arrow buttons at the top and bottom of the bar. Alternatively, select the Light or Dark options to have a white or black button arrow.
When you’re done customizing the scrollbar, remember to click the Save button. The customization changes won’t be applied for page tabs if you don’t select that option.
How to Set Up Custom Rules for Chrome's Scrollbar
Custom Scrollbars enables users to set up and save alternative scrollbar customizations. Then you can select to apply different scrollbars to specific sites via Website Rules.
This is how you can set up alternative scrollbars and apply them to different websites:
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To set up a different customized scrollbar, click the + New button.
- Press the + Rename button to enter a name for the new scrollbar.
- Customize the scrollbar with the extensions’ settings as outlined above, and press the Save button.
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Then click Website Rules in the extension's tab.
- Press the + Add button to open the text box in the snapshot directly below.
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Enter a website URL for the scrollbar in the Domain text box.
- Choose a bar on the Scrollbar drop-down menu.
- Then select the Save option.
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Click the checkbox for the website domain you added to select it.
- Press the Save button to apply.
Custom Scrollbars Is a Great Customization Extension
Scrollbar customization settings are something Google should have added to Chrome. In fact, most browsers could do with more scrollbar options. Without such options available, you’ll have to make do with the Custom Scrollbars extension instead.
So, you don’t have to stick with the same old bland scrollbar. Spruce up Google Chrome’s scrollbar with Custom Scrollbars. That extension includes some decent customization settings to change the look and style of Chrome’s page-scrolling bar.