Here is an updated video on how to enable the Chrome side panel.
If you are a Google Chrome user, then you might get frustrated every so often when Google decides to make changes to their popular web browser. Most of us like to see the same tools and icons in the same place and don’t like it when things get changed, moved and especially removed.
By bringing back a sense of structure and familiarity, these extensions can make Chrome feel far less chaotic and much more user‑friendly, especially for people who rely on muscle memory when navigating their browser. Instead of hunting through hidden menus or remembering keyboard shortcuts, you can recreate a more traditional layout with clearly labeled buttons that sit exactly where you expect them to be. This is particularly helpful for productivity, since frequently used features like bookmarks or history become accessible with a single click, reducing interruptions and saving time throughout the day. It also gives users a bit of control back, allowing Chrome to be tailored to individual preferences rather than forcing everyone into the same constantly evolving interface. In a browser that changes as often as Chrome does, having the ability to restore lost functionality or stabilize your workflow can make a noticeable difference in everyday use.
One nice feature of Google Chrome is the Side Panel which will let you view things such as your reading list, bookmarks, history and reading mode. This gives you quick access to these features since Chrome no longer has any menus like they did in the past. You can add menus to Chrome by installing a simple browser extension as shown here.
To access the Chrome Side Panel, you would normally click on the Side Panel icon at the upper right corner of the Chrome browser.
Recently, Google decided to remove this button from the top of the browser making it hard to open the Side Panel. And if this feature is something you used on a regular basis, then its most likely going to be a disappointing change for you.
Fortunately, there is a way to restore the Side Panel button\icon in Chrome so you can once again access the Side Panel features themselves. This will involve going into the Chrome flags settings to make the change.
Google Chrome flags are experimental features and settings that are not yet part of the browser configuration. They can be used to enable, disable, or modify certain functionalities of Chrome. These flags are often used by developers and advanced users to test new features, enhance performance, or customize the browser experience.
To access these flags, you can type chrome://flags/ into the address bar of Chrome and press enter on your keyboard. Then in the search box, type in Side panel navigation and pinning updates and press enter.
You should then be shown the Side panel navigation and pinning updates flag and you will need to change its value from Default to Disabled. You will then see a popup from Chrome telling you that you need to relaunch Chrome for the changes to take effect.
One Chrome restarts, you should then see the Side Panel button back at the top of the browser. Now you can start using the tools in the Side Panel like you could before it went missing.
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