Chrome users on Mac unable to drag and drop URLs to open new tabs

Mac users are encountering an irritating bug after the latest Google Chrome v128 update, specifically affecting the drag-and-drop URL functionality. If you’re someone who loves using Chrome’s full-screen mode and enjoys the ease of dragging URLs to the “+” sign to open new tabs, brace yourself — because that no longer works. It’s a head-scratcher, and users are not too happy about it.

Normally, you’d grab the URL from the current open tab, drag it to the “+” symbol, and voilà — a new tab with your dragged URL pops up. However, after the latest update, it seems Chrome on Mac forgot how to handle this simple action in full-screen mode. Interestingly, the problem doesn’t appear when not in full-screen mode. It’s also worth mentioning that I tested this feature on both Windows and Mac using the latest versions of Chrome, and the bug is indeed exclusive to Mac.

Here’s a screen recording of my test video on Mac:

You can still drag URLs to open tabs when Chrome isn’t in full-screen mode, which has led some people to wonder if this is tied to the new update’s fancy menu animation for full-screen. Maybe those smooth menu transitions have sacrificed practical functionality? But it’s not just URLs — rearranging tabs, dragging bookmarks, or even dragging text for a quick Google search in full-screen mode are also kaput. One user aptly summed it up: “I use full-screen 99% of the time… Please fix!”

Despite the grumbles, a temporary workaround exists for those who can’t live without the drag-and-drop feature. Head to Chrome’s experimental features by typing chrome://flags in the address bar, search for “Immersive Fullscreen Toolbar,” disable it and relaunch Chrome. This brings back the drag-and-drop magic — though be aware, these “flags” options may disappear in future updates.

While it’s unclear if Google is working on a permanent fix, this workaround should help Chrome users on Mac for now. Here’s hoping that the Chrome team recognizes the issue and rolls out a patch soon. After all, productivity features like this should never be left behind, especially for those who live in full-screen mode.