Chrome extension: page_action behaves like browser_action (not showing in address bar) [duplicate]

Question

I have written a Chrome extension: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/commentanywhereorg/popgjmfoablgkolkhmnicijimhpifega that has a "page_action" (and not a browser action!) in it's manifest.

I had loaded the extension into the Chrome store beginning of February and the icon always appeared in the address bar of Chrome, next to the bookmark/favorite star icon, as planned:

Since two weeks or so (and without having made any changes or update to the extension), the icon now always appears in the icon bar right next to the address bar, and not in the address bar anymore, as if it would be declared as a "browser_action", but it's not!

Maybe it's due to a Chrome update, I'm on the latest version 49.0.2623.87. I already uninstalled and re-installed the extension, without any change.

Did Google change the behaviour of page actions? Does anyone know? How to get the icon back into the address bar?

What I also find confusing is the documentation on https://developer.chrome.com/extensions/pageAction:

Use the chrome.pageAction API to put icons inside the address bar. Page actions represent actions that can be taken on the current page, but that aren't applicable to all pages.

but their screenshots shows the icon outside of the address bar (in their example, the RSS icon):

My extension manifest looks like this:

{
  "manifest_version": 2,
  "name": "CommentAnywhere.org",
  "description": "CommentAnywhere.org allows you to comment anywhere on the web using your Facebook account.",
  "icons": {
     "128": "icon_128x128.png",
     "48": "icon_48x48.png",
     "32": "icon_32x32.png",
     "16": "icon_16x16.png"
  },
  "version": "1.4.1",
  "page_action": {
    "default_icon": "icon_32x32.png",
    "default_title": "CommentAnywhere.org",
    "default_popup": "popup.html"
  },

  "background": {
    "scripts": ["background.js"]
  },
  "permissions": [
    "activeTab"
  ]
}

Answer 1

I just found the answer in another SO topic - with a different headline though - therefore missed it in the first place. Thanks to user Teepeemm.

Popup is not appearing when used page_action

Google recently changed how page actions work, and the documentation hasn't really caught up. Previously, page actions appeared in the address bar, and only appeared on tabs where you had called show.

And a helpful link from Marc Guiselin clarifies it as well: http://thenextweb.com/apps/2016/03/04/google-chrome-bans-extensions-from-the-address-bar-forcing-them-to-the-side/