A revamped user switching menu is on its way to Google Chrome for Mac OS X.
The redesign, which is now available for testing in the latest Google Chrome Canary and Chromium builds, trades the incumbent cutesy avatar button for a discreet menu displaying the user account name.
Unlike the old implementation it seems that you no longer need to have additional user accounts enabled to see the menu, which changes width based on the length of the user name it contains.
As well as providing a slicker, faster way to switch between multiple user accounts the new drop-down also adds new options. With a quick click it’s now possible to launch a ‘guest’ session, add new users, or manage existing accounts using a new-look account management window.
As Google’s François Beaufort notes, the redesigned menu forms part of a wider effort to overhaul Chrome’s user management features.
Other changes arriving alongside the visual revamp include:
- Support for multiple accounts under one profile (i.e., add work and personal e-mail)
- New user management window (similar in style to the Chrome OS login screen)
- Inline account login (sign in from the user menu)
- Ability to “lock” and “unlock” user accounts
Enable The New User Menu Switcher
Want to take it for a whirl? You’ll need to enable the flag below, which is currently only available to Mac OS X users running the latest Google Chrome Canary or Chromium builds.
chrome://flags/#enable-new-profile-management
The main bug report tracking the changes has not yet been made public, so it’s unclear whether Google are also targeting these changes on other platforms. But my instinct says ‘yes, they are’, so we’ll keep you posted.