Whether on mobile or desktop devices, browsers are one of the unavoidable apps that everyone need for browsing. Though the appearance of browser apps like Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox looks simple, there are many symbols used as icons to save the space. You should understand the meaning of these browser symbols to use the app properly. In this article, we will explain the popular 25 Google Chrome browser symbols that every user should understand the meaning. Also learn how to use symbols in Google Search to get quicker results.
Google Chrome Browser Interface
Below is the interface of Google Chrome browser in Mac and Windows. The interface contain some default symbols and can have additional symbols depending upon your customization. Good part is that Chrome offers a similar interface in Mac as well as Windows. Therefore, you can use the browser effectively once you know the meaning of symbols.
Google Chrome Browser Symbols
Chrome app has plenty of symbols and the appearance of them changes when there is an update. Here we will list popular 25 symbols and icons. Though the symbols are from Chrome, you can find similar symbols with little or no variation in Edge as both browsers use same Chromium source code.
1. Home Symbol 
This is a home button that appears left to the address bar. Clicking on this home icon symbol will open the home page set in the settings section. Remember, this home page is different than startup or new tab page. you can setup custom URL as your home page and quickly access that using this home button. In Chrome, you can also enable or disable the home button from the settings page.
2. Refresh Symbol 
This is a redo symbol used in many apps, however, has a different purpose and meaning in browsers. Refresh symbol as the name indicates is used to refresh or reload the currently viewing webpage. You can use “Control + R” in Windows and “Command + R” keys in Mac to reload the page. Alternatively, use F5 key in Windows to refresh the page in Chrome.
Note: You can customize Chrome toolbar to keep frequently used icons for quicker access and remove other unused ones.
3. Bookmark Symbol 
The empty star symbol that appears inside the right end of address bar is a bookmark symbol. You can click on this symbol and add the currently viewing webpage to your bookmarks or reading list. After bookmarked the page, you can see the empty star now changed to filled star symbol indicating the page is already bookmarked.
Note: In Microsoft Edge, the icon appears with an empty star with a + mark. You can click on it to add the page to your favorites.
4. Extensions Symbol 
Chrome uses the puzzle piece symbol to indicate the extensions. It is a symbolic representation of extensions fitting to the browser app. You can find this symbol outside of the address bar in the right. Clicking on it will show all the installed extensions in the browser.
5. Three Vertical Dots 
This three vertical dots symbol appears on top right corner of browser. hovering on it will show you the text as “Customize and control Google Chrome” and you can click on it to open a list of menu items of the app. As Chrome app does not have any top menu bar in Windows, you can press “Alt + F” keys to expand the menu items from this three vertical dots symbol.
6. + Symbol 
The plus symbol is a most common meaning of adding an item. This appears next to the current active and means to open a new tab page. Remember, the new tab page is different than startup and home page and you can customize the new tab page as per your convenient. You can find the plus symbol inside a circle on a new tab page for adding a new shortcut.
7. X Symbol 
X is the common meaning of closing the session. In Chrome, it appears on each tab and clicking on it will close that tab.
8. Left and Right Arrows 
Left and right arrow symbols on the browser are back and forward arrows and useful to navigate back or forward in the browser. These arrow symbols look frozen and not accessible when launching Chrome or opening a new window. They will become active when you start browsing websites so that you can use them for navigate. In addition to navigation, you can also press and hold these arrow symbols to view the back or forward history of the sites you have visited.
9. Speaker Symbols 
The speaker symbol showing on a Chrome tab indicates that the tab is playing a video and audio related content. You can click on the speaker icon to mute the tab and speaker icon will be changed with a crossline.
Note: Mic symbol in the search box is a voice input symbol that generally appears where voice input is supported.
10. Profile Icon 
User or profile symbol shows beside the three dots symbol on top right corner of Chrome. You can change the appearance of the avatar under chrome://settings/manageProfile settings page.
11. Lens with + or – 
Sometimes you will see a lens symbol with + or – inside the address bar. It indicates the browser window is zoomed in or out. You can click on the symbol and increase or decrease the zooming or reset the view the 100%.
12. Lens or Search Icon
Simple search or lens symbol indicates a search engine in Chrome. By default, Chrome uses Google as a search engine and you can use the address bar to enter your query and directly get the results from Google Search.
13. History Symbol 
This symbol indicates the browsing history in Chrome. You can go to the chrome://history/ page and view all previously browsed webpage details.
14. Accessibility Symbol 
A man spreading both hands in a general accessibility symbol also used in Chrome. You can go to chrome://settings/accessibility page and customize accessibility features in Chrome.
15. Shield Symbol 
The shield symbol in Chrome means “Privacy and Security” related option. Though it commonly indicates security, it means both privacy and security in Google Chrome.
16. Key Symbol 
A key symbol appears inside the address bar when you open a page with a login form. It indicates the page has a password and Chrome suggests saving the password using the key symbol. Similar to bookmark star symbol, the key symbol will show in bold when Chrome has a saved password for that webpage.
17. Palette Symbol
A palette symbol in Chrome indicates the appearance of the browser. You can change the customize the color, theme, font and other settings under Chrome appearance section.
18. Down Arrow with Horizontal Line 
This is a symbol used to show “Downloads” in Google Chrome. It generally does not appear in the interface other than Chrome settings page. When you download a file, Chrome will show a circle progress bar in the status bar indicating the status of the file download.
19. Site Settings Symbol 
Old version of Chrome shows a padlock symbol, just before the website’s address. It indicates the website uses a secured HTTPS connection and safe to carry out financial transactions. You can click on the padlock symbol to view the cookies, permissions used by the site and go to settings to change the options. However, the latest version shows a “Site Settings” icon, you can click on it to use similar functions.
20. Translate Symbol 
Chrome will show a translate symbol in the address bar when the page you are viewing is the default language of the browser. You can set the default browser language under chrome://settings/languages page.
21. Square Box with Arrow
This symbol is shown in Chrome next to hyperlinks. It indicates, clicking on the link will open the page in a new tab.
22. List Symbol 
A small rectangle with a list of items is a Reading List symbol in Google Chrome. You can find this on bookmarks bar showing at the right end. If there is a red dot on this symbol, it indicates there are unread items in your Reading List.
23. Power Symbol
The power symbol is the one you see on CPU, monitor and other devices to switch it on. However, the same power symbol in Chrome indicates the startup settings page.
24. Gear Symbol 
Gear is a standard symbol to indicate “Settings”. Chrome will show the gear icon on the tab when you open any settings page.
25. Install Symbol
The install symbol appear on Chrome address bar when you open a site with Progressive Web App (PWA) compatibility features. For example, you can open YouTube site and install it as an app from Chrome.
Complete List of Chrome Symbols
Below is the complete list of icons and symbols used in Chrome menus and settings pages.
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
 | About Google Chrome |
 | Accessibility |
 | Ad Measurement |
 | Ad Privacy |
 | Ad Topics |
 | Add New Profile |
 | Address or Location |
 | Appearance |
 | Bookmark This Page |
 | Bookmarks Manager |
 | Camera |
 | Cast |
 | Cast, Save, and Share |
 | Chrome Logo |
 | Chrome Task Manager |
 | Close |
 | Cookies |
 | Copy |
 | Copy Link or Hyperlink |
 | Create QR Code |
 | Create Shortcut |
 | Create Tab Group |
 | Customize and Control Google Chrome (Menu) |
 | Customize Chrome (Sidebar) |
 | Cut |
 | Dark Mode |
 | Data Limitation for Sharing |
 | Delete (an Item or Browsing History) |
 | Developer Tools or JavaScript |
 | Do Not Track |
 | Downloads |
 | Embedded Content |
 | Experimental AI |
 | Extensions |
 | Find and Edit |
 | Folder |
 | Gemini AI |
 | Go Back |
 | Go Front |
 | Google Apps |
 | Google Lens |
 | Guest Mode |
 | Help or Help Center |
 | History |
 | Home |
 | Images |
 | Incognito Mode |
 | Install Page as App |
 | Light Mode |
 | Manage Profiles |
 | Microphone |
 | More Tools |
 | Muted Tab |
 | Name Window |
 | New Tab (from Menu) |
 | New Tab (from Title Bar) |
 | New Window |
 | Notifications |
 | Open in New Tab |
 | Password or Passwords Manager |
 | Paste |
 | Payments and Cards |
 | Performance |
 | |
 | Privacy and Security |
 | Privacy Guide |
 | Private History Data |
 | Profile Icon |
 | Reading List |
 | Reading Mode or Import Bookmarks |
 | Refresh |
 | Reset Chrome Settings |
 | Save Page As |
 | Search Labs |
 | Search or Search Engine |
 | Search Tabs |
 | Security |
 | Send Feedback or Report an Issue |
 | Send to Your Device |
 | Settings |
 | Site Settings |
 | Site Suggested Ads |
 | Startup |
 | Stop or Feature Not Available |
 | Sync |
 | System Settings |
 | Tab Group |
 | Tab Playing Media |
 | Tips |
 | Translate or Languages |
 | View Bookmarks or Bookmark All Pages |
 | Visit Chrome Web Store |
 | Web or Website |
 | What’s New |
 | Zoom In |
 | Zoom Out |
You can download the complete list of Chrome symbols as a PDF file and use as an offline reference.
Hey,
It would be much more helpful if you would draw a picture of any symbol you are describing.
The instructions you provide are kind of vague. You need to describe the topics in simpler terms.
Each heading includes an icon of the explained symbol from Chrome. In addition, we have also updated the article with a complete list including a PDF download. Hope that helps.
2 straight lines and 2 circles left,of chrome browser.
That is a site information icon in latest Chrome version (instead of the padlock icon in older versions). You can click on that icon to check whether site is using secured connection, cookies used and open site settings to change permissions.
I would like to know about the circles and the lines on the left side of the address bar
What is this symbol to the left of the address bar in Google? It recently just showed up.
2 small circles and a line, pointing in the opposite diredction.
I would like to know this also
I also have the same question concerning the two circles and lines at the beginning of the address bar.
I came on here looking to ask this same exact question, no one seems to know
I would like to know what symbol is the one that has a circle then a line like this o-
-o
Sorry they are actually much closer but they are in the search bar like where you would see the lock or red triangle warning symbols?
I’m wondering the same thing about this new symbol. The google chrome site doesn’t give any info about it. It’s showing up on my credit union site so I need to know too why it’s not the usual lock sign.
It’s called Tune icon replacing the padlock with similar functionalities for accessing site information/settings, a confusing UI change.
What is the small square box on bottom of search page that has :) inside. It looks like a smile face ?
What is the small horizontal lightning sign inside a circle next to an email account?
I keep trying to find out what the symbols at the bottom of the page are called that allow you to close a page or see what pages are open or go back. I have not been able to locate that information and it disappears sometimes and I need to know what to call it to be able to find what happened to it.
What is the rectangular box with arrows and other symbols called? And how can I delete it. Thank you.