Chrome’s Side Panel customization will soon let you search for new wallpapers to use (Canary)

According to @cajl_jbmm, who posted a screenshot on X of a new and upcoming feature in Chrome, a side panel wallpaper search tool could be on its way for you to get the most out of personalizing your browser. Currently, it’s being showcased on Chrome Canary 118.0.2986.

For those unfamiliar, opening Chrome’s new tab page shows you a wallpaper, shortcuts for recently visited websites, cards for files, recipes, and more, as well as gain quick access to a Google Search bar without visiting Google.com. This can be customized, and in this past year, the tech giant moved these customization options to its new Side Panel where it’s stuffing practically everything.

In this new “Wallpaper Search”, you can input a query, and presumably see Google Image Search results. My guess is that Google will somehow tag results specifically meant to be wallpapers, and on the back end, it’s likely just modifying your search term by appending “wallpaper” to the end of the query.

Upon selecting on, your NTP will likely transform to showcase the new artwork. Interestingly, most users will be okay with the standard wallpaper options available here, but for anyone looking to spice things up a bit, the possibilities seem virtually limitless.

If you weren’t already aware, the Chrome Web Store just got a full redesign and is in public preview right now. There, you’ll find a tab for Chrome Themes, all pre-packaged for you. This is similar to how you can find them in said customize menu, but applying your own wallpapers will certainly be a welcome addition for those who use the browser nonstop and want something new to look at frequently.