How to hide (or show) the bookmarks bar in Chrome

Press Ctrl+Shift+B on Windows or Linux, or Cmd+Shift+B on a Mac, to hide or show the bookmarks bar. Press it again to bring the bar back. Chrome lists both on its keyboard shortcuts page as "Show or hide the Bookmarks bar". No extension is needed. If you want the bookmarks bar, the tabs and the address bar all gone for one task, that's a different problem, covered further down.

Hide or show it with the menu

1. Open Chrome on your computer.
2. Select More (three dots), then Bookmarks and lists, then Show bookmarks bar.

Select the same item again to turn the bar off. These are the steps on Chrome Help, which uses the same menu item to turn the bar on or off. On a Mac, Chrome's View menu also has the toggle, labeled Always Show Bookmarks Bar.

Why did my bookmarks bar disappear? The shortcut is a toggle, so one accidental press turns the bar off. Press it again, or use the menu above.

Hide the bar and still reach your bookmarks

Turning the bar off doesn't delete anything. Chrome Help lists three ways to find a bookmark when the bar is off:

1. From the address bar. Type @bookmarks, press Tab or Space, then enter keywords for the bookmark you want.
2. From the menu. Select More, then Bookmarks and lists, then Bookmark Manager.
3. In the navigation panel. Select More, then Bookmarks and lists, then Show all bookmarks.

There is also a shortcut for the Bookmarks Manager: Ctrl+Shift+O on Windows or Linux, or Cmd+Option+B on a Mac (shortcuts page).

Hide the bookmarks bar, tabs and address bar together

The bookmarks bar toggle only hides the bookmarks bar. Your tabs and address bar stay. To clear all three for the length of a task, you have three real options.

Full screen. Press F11 on Windows or Linux, or Fn + F on a Mac. Press the same key again, or hold Esc, to leave (Chrome Help). It takes over your whole display. On a Mac, Chrome keeps its toolbar visible in full screen by default. Press Cmd+Shift+B first to turn the bookmarks bar off, then uncheck Always Show Toolbar in Full Screen in the View menu. The address bar guide walks through the Mac steps.

An installed app window. On a site, open More, then Cast, save, and share, then Install page as app (Chrome Help). It opens one site in its own window. Google's web.dev says a site can ask for a window "without any browser navigation UI", but the site decides, so install it once and look. It covers that one site only.

Focus Mode. A free Chrome extension. Press Alt+Shift+X (Cmd+Shift+X on Mac) on any page. The tab turns into a clean window: tab bar, address bar and bookmarks hidden, no full screen. Press Esc and everything comes back.

1. Install Focus Mode from the Chrome Web Store.
2. Open the site you're working on.
3. Press the shortcut, and press Esc when you're done.

It works on every site, needs no account, and runs in Chrome, Edge, Brave, Arc and Opera. It does nothing on the New Tab page or on chrome:// pages, and you can change the shortcut at chrome://extensions/shortcuts. The point is fewer things on screen. We know of no study showing that it helps you concentrate, and we don't claim it does. See the tab bar guide if the tabs are your main problem.

Why not just use F11? You can, and it needs nothing installed. The differences: Focus Mode is one shortcut on every system (Alt+Shift+X, or Cmd+Shift+X on Mac), it doesn't take over your display, so your other windows stay within reach, and Esc undoes it. Pick F11 if you'd rather install nothing.

What to use when

You want	Use
Only the bookmarks bar gone, for good	Ctrl+Shift+B (Cmd+Shift+B on Mac)
Bookmarks, tabs and address bar gone for one task, on any site	Focus Mode (Esc undoes it)
All browser chrome gone and the whole display for the page	F11 on Windows and Linux; Fn + F, plus the View setting, on Mac
One site in its own window	Install page as app

On a phone or tablet

Extensions don't run on phones. Chrome Web Store Help says: "You can only use extensions and themes on computers", and you can't install them on a mobile device even in desktop mode.

On an Android phone, you open your bookmarks from More, then Bookmarks. Android tablets have a bar. Chrome Help says to turn on Show bookmarks bar under Appearance in Chrome settings, or press Ctrl+Shift+B on an external keyboard. It adds: "On small windows or low resolutions, the bookmarks bar stays hidden."

Sources checked October 22, 2026.