Life

How To Fix Upside Down Text In Google Chrome

For some reason, the Google Chrome search engine is turning my text upside down for a lot of people lately. It's a very specific issue, and I've seen on social media that I am far from alone in dealing with it, because a ton of other people are wondering how to fix upside down text in Google Chrome. If you happen to be one of the ~chosen few~ this month, you might be experiencing the same hella annoying thing that I am. Basically, what's been happening is when you start to type into your search engine, the text flips itself upside down. Even if you tap your cursor onto a link in the box, it will revert itself upside down for as long as your cursor is there, before flipping itself the right way the second you leave it alone.

It's frustrating, to say the least, but the good news is that if I'm ever hung upside down by my toes by a Batman villain with the instructions to escape somewhere in the distance, I'll be able to upside down read them like a champ. (It's been such a long week dealing with this bug that I frankly wouldn't be surprised if The Joker were behind this.)

Here's what the bug looks like, just in case you need to relive the PTSD:

So how do we nip this bug in the bud? I reached out to Google Chrome last week, but I have yet to hear a reply. In the meantime, there are several things you can try. Some of the solutions have been more permanent than others, so I can't endorse them wholly—I've just seen other people on the internet that it has worked for, so try it for yourself and see what happens. We've been reading our whole lives upside down for over a week now, we got nothing left to lose.

1. Uncheck "hardware acceleration"

If you go into Chrome Settings, you'll get a page with a search engine available. Search for "hardware acceleration," and it will lead you to this page:

The box should be checked by default when you get there. Uncheck the box, and you should have at the very least a temporary fix. For some people this worked permanently, so hey, maybe you'll be #blessed.

2. Reset your browser

Again, this wasn't guaranteed success, but it was one of the suggestions offered on a Google support page. To reset your browser, go back to Preferences, which will lead you to a Settings page. Scroll all the way down until you find "Show advanced settings".

Once you click it, more options will pop up below. Scroll down again until you find the option to reset.

You'll get a warning that looks like this:

It's a hassle for sure, and not even guaranteed as a fix-it. But if you're at the end of your rope, you might as well go for it.

3. Just keep restarting your computer

I mean, we're technically supposed to shut it down every night anyway, according to the humans at Apple who saved my computer from eating itself a few months ago. And for some reason, when I restart it the issue will go away for a few hours. Again, not a fully permanent solution, but it's better than squinting at your computer screen trying to reading an upside down alien language.

4. Check in with the Google Help Thread

Someone on the Reddit thread dealing with this has filed with Google Support about the text issue. They haven't figured out a permanent solution yet either, but any input from people experiencing the issue helps. People have some wackier, more technical ideas for fixing it there as well.

Of course, there is one FOOLPROOF solution I can think of that will guarantee you never see upside down text again:

No judgment. (Only despair.)

Images: Getty Images; Emma Lord(5); Giphy(2)