Chrome browser: Shortcut F6 behavior change after update to ver. 72

Question

today I update to Chrome browser ver. 72.

Before update behavior of keyboard shortcut F6 was same as CTRL+L or ALT+D - it focused to address bar (selected all text in address bar).

After update it changes - now it focus to first tab.

Please how to change the behavior of F6 back?

Thanks, Jiri

Answer 1

There's no option to change F6 back to the previous behaviour. The good news is that it looks like they are likely to change the behaviour back: https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=927004

Update: they have reverted the behaviour change in the source code, so in a new version, F6 will again focus the address bar (omnibox) first. https://chromium-review.googlesource.com/c/chromium/src/+/1460996

Update 2: it will be fixed in Chrome 73 74, which is estimated to be released March 12 April 23.

Until then, your options are:

• Use a different keyboard shortcut (F6 F6, Ctrl+L, Alt+D, or Shift+F6 if you have no bookmarks bar)
• Downgrade to Chrome 71 or older for the time being.
• Use something like AutoHotKey to remap F6 to Ctrl+L or another shortcut.
• Use any other browser, because currently all the major other browsers have F6 select the address bar.

Answer 2

Press F6 twice. It will focus first tab on first press, and it will focus address bar on second press.