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How many times a day do you navigate to Google.com to look up something on the internet? Modern browsers allow you to search directly from the address bar, so there are few reasons to load up Google Search's homepage, but some people can't shake the habit. If that's you, at least customize it to your needs. Here's how to set things up and make it look good.
Turn on Google Search Dark Mode
(Credit: PCMag / Google)The barebones aesthetic of Google.com keeps things simple...and bright. Turn down the lights with dark mode. Click the Settings button in the lower-right corner of the screen, where you can toggle Dark theme on and off to change the theme you see on Google Search results pages.
How to Customize Chrome's Homepage
Are you a Google Chrome user? If so, chances are your homepage is set to Google already, which adds a few shortcuts to Google's usually minimalist screen. To customize Chrome's homepage, click the Customize Chrome link in the bottom-right of the screen to open options related to appearance, shortcuts, and what Google calls Cards. You'll be able to set Dark Mode for the browser from here.
(Credit: PCMag / Google)Change the color of Chrome's homepage and menus by choosing one of the preset colors or selecting the color picker option. For more options, click Change theme to upload an image, create AI-generated themes, or select among collections of landscapes, space, art, and various artists.
From the Customize Chrome menu, you can also tell Google whether or not you want to show shortcuts on the homepage. Enable My shortcuts to manually set what websites should be included or Most visited sites to have Google suggest websites based on how often you visit them. Lastly, Google has a Cards section that allows you to see recent Google Drive files, Google Calendar, and recent tabs. You can turn this section off or disable certain components.
(Credit: PCMag / Google)Install Themes From the Chrome Web Store
You can also customize your Google homepage on Chrome with the help of themes from the Chrome Web Store. Open the Customize Chrome menu and click Change Theme, then choose the Chrome Web Store listing at the bottom. (Or open Settings > Appearance > Theme.)
(Credit: PCMag/Google)Choose the Themes tab on the web store sidebar to search through various categories. Click into a category, then select a theme you like and choose Add to Chrome to download the theme and apply it to your Google page.
(Credit: PCMag/Google)