The Evolution of Chrome’s “Most Visited” Thumbnails: From 8 to 9 (and Beyond)
If you’ve used Google Chrome over the past decade, you’ve seen the New Tab page evolve. At its heart has always been a set of shortcuts to your favorite sites. But the journey from simple text links to the current 9-site grid (often called “Most Visited” or “Shortcuts”) is a story of design shifts, privacy changes, and behavioral research.
Troubleshooting: Why Don’t I See 9 Tiles?
Despite the chrome newtab mostvisited9 updated announcement, some users remain on 8. Here are the common culprits:
6. Performance & Privacy Implications
- Memory: Storing 9 vs 8 tiles increases NTP memory usage by ~3-5% (negligible).
- Privacy: No new data sent to Google unless “Suggest similar sites” is enabled in NTP settings. All ranking is local.
- Tracking: The update introduced a “view duration” signal — how long a user hovers over a tile — which may be used in future ranking but is not yet active.
How to Access the Updated Most Visited 9 Grid
If you are not yet seeing nine tiles, do not panic. The rollout is gradual. Here is how to check and force the update:
3. The “8 vs. 9” Debate: Why 8 lasted so long
For years, users and designers debated why Chrome used 8 instead of 9. Theories included:
- Aesthetic balance: 8 tiles fit neatly into 2 rows without requiring vertical scroll on most laptop screens.
- Google Doodle space: The Google logo and search bar sat above, leaving room for 8 squares below.
- Microsoft precedent: Internet Explorer used 8 (later 10). Chrome stuck to 8 for consistency.
But as monitors grew wider and high-DPI screens became common, the extra horizontal space begged for a third column.
How to Customize Your New Tab Page Now
While this update rolls out via Chrome’s automatic updates (ensuring you are always on the latest stable build), here are a few tips to make the most of your shortcuts:
- Pin What Matters: Hover over a thumbnail and click the "Pin" icon. This locks the site in place so the algorithm can't remove it.
- Remove the Clutter: If you visited a site once and don't want it taking up a slot, click the three dots (or "X") on the thumbnail to remove it. Chrome learns your preferences over time.
- Check Your Sync Settings: Ensure "Sync" is turned on in your Google Account settings. This ensures your "Most Visited" list travels with you across devices.
5. How to Manually Edit and Pin Sites (Post-Update)
The new update makes manual editing easier than ever. You no longer need third-party extensions.
To pin a site permanently (preventing the algorithm from removing it):
- Open a new tab.
- Hover over the Most Visited tile you want to keep.
- Click the three vertical dots (or right-click the tile).
- Select "Pin" .
- Note: Pinned tiles are now stored in a separate
pinned_most_visited table, immune to the mostvisited9 ranking algorithm.
To add a completely custom site not in your history:
- Hover over an empty slot (or a tile you want to replace).
- Click the pencil icon (Edit shortcut).
- Enter the custom URL and Name.
- Click Done.
- Important: In the updated version, manually added shortcuts are scored with maximum priority for 30 days unless you unpin them.
7. Why Did Chrome Increase to 9?
User research data (internal Google studies) indicated:
- Above 8 tiles, user cognitive load did not increase significantly, but engagement with long-tail sites rose by 12%.
- 9 tiles allows a perfect 3x3 grid, which is visually balanced and matches Android’s home screen grid standard.
- Competitive pressure from Edge (which showed up to 10 quick links) and Firefox (Pocket + top sites) drove the change.