The Distracting Glow
Google Chrome occasionally updates its user interface to introduce new visual cues. One common UI experiment involves changing how the currently active tab is displayed. Instead of a simple subtle color difference, Chrome may automatically draw a bright, high-contrast colored border (often blue or a color pulled from your Windows theme) entirely around the active tab to highlight it. For users who prefer a minimalist, flat interface, this glowing neon ring around the active tab is highly distracting and clashes with a clean desktop aesthetic.
Flattening the Tab Design
To restore a classic, subtle look and stop Google Chrome from automatically highlighting the active tab with a bright border, you must delve into the browser’s hidden experimental flags.
Because this is usually a UI experiment, there is no standard settings toggle. Open a new tab in Google Chrome. Click into the address bar, type exactly chrome://flags, and press Enter. In the search box at the top of the screen, type Chrome Refresh 2023 or simply Tab Outline (depending on the exact version of Chrome you are running). Look for flags related to the new UI refresh or specifically “Active Tab Contrast/Outline.” If you see a flag related to active tab styling, click the dropdown menu next to it and change the setting to Disabled. A blue Relaunch button will appear at the bottom right. Click it to restart the browser. The aggressive colored border will vanish, returning your tabs to their standard, flat appearance.