How to Reset Chrome Settings to Default

If Chrome has started misbehaving — search results redirecting, pop-ups appearing, your home page changed, or the browser just feels slow and cluttered — resetting it to its default settings can fix many of these problems. This guide walks you through the built-in reset feature that restores your startup page, new tab page, search engine, and pinned tabs, while keeping your bookmarks, history, and saved passwords intact. You only need a few minutes and a stable internet connection (recommended, but not required) to complete the process.

What You’ll Need

A computer running Chrome (Windows, macOS, Linux, or Chromebook).
Your Chrome login details if you want to re-sync after the reset (optional).
Any open work saved in other tabs — the reset will close all tabs.

Step-by-Step

Close any important tabs. The reset process will shut down Chrome and reopen it with a single blank tab. Save any work in progress before continuing.
Open Chrome Settings. Click the three-dot menu icon in the top-right corner of the browser window (next to your profile avatar). From the dropdown, select Settings. Alternatively, you can type chrome://settings into the address bar and press Enter.
Navigate to the Reset section. In the left sidebar, click Reset settings. If you don’t see the sidebar, look for a hamburger menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top-left corner of the Settings page.
Choose “Restore settings to their original defaults.” Click the blue button with that exact label. It is usually the first option on the Reset settings page.
Review what will be reset. A confirmation dialog will appear. It lists the items that will be changed: your startup page, new tab page, search engine, pinned tabs, and any extensions or themes you’ve added. It also notes that your bookmarks, history, and passwords will not be deleted. Read this list carefully.
Confirm the reset. Click the Reset settings button in the dialog box. Chrome will immediately apply the changes.
Wait for Chrome to restart. Chrome will close and reopen automatically. It may take a few seconds longer than usual on the first launch.
Check your settings. Once Chrome reopens, verify that your home page, search engine, and new tab page are back to Google (or the default for your region). Your extensions will be disabled — you’ll see a puzzle-piece icon in the toolbar where they used to be.
Re-enable extensions if you want them. Go to chrome://extensions (type it in the address bar) and toggle back on any extensions you actually use. Be selective — if the reset was needed because of unwanted behavior, an extension might have caused it.
Re-sync your data (optional). If you were signed into Chrome before the reset, sign in again with your Google account. This will restore your bookmarks, passwords, and open tabs from the cloud. If you weren’t signed in, your local data remains untouched.

Common Mistakes

Confusing reset with uninstall. Resetting does not remove Chrome from your computer. It only restores settings. Uninstalling is a separate, more drastic step.
Expecting bookmarks to be deleted. The reset keeps your bookmarks, history, and passwords. If you want to delete those, you need to clear browsing data separately via Settings → Privacy and security → Clear browsing data.
Forgetting about synced settings. If you’re signed into Chrome with sync enabled, some settings may come back from the cloud after the reset. To fully reset, you may need to turn off sync first or sign out temporarily.
Clicking “Reset” on the wrong page. The Settings page has multiple reset-like options. Make sure you’re on Reset settings in the sidebar, not Privacy and security or Appearance.
Ignoring the extension list. The confirmation dialog shows which extensions will be disabled. If you don’t read it, you might later wonder where your ad blocker or password manager went.

Tips

Use the reset as a first-line fix. Before trying advanced troubleshooting like reinstalling Chrome or editing registry files, a reset solves a surprising number of common issues, including unwanted pop-ups and homepage hijacking.
Export your bookmarks first. Even though the reset keeps them, exporting is a good habit. Go to chrome://bookmarks, click the three-dot menu, and choose Export bookmarks to save an HTML backup.
Check your search engine afterward. Some third-party toolbars change your default search engine. After the reset, verify it’s set to Google (or your preferred choice) under Settings → Search engine.
Re-add extensions one at a time. If you had many extensions, re-enable them slowly. If the problem that prompted the reset returns after adding a specific extension, that extension is likely the culprit.
Consider a fresh profile for stubborn issues. If the reset doesn’t fix the problem, create a new Chrome profile (click your avatar → Add) and see if the issue persists there. This isolates profile corruption from system-wide problems.

Troubleshooting

Chrome doesn’t restart after the reset. If Chrome closes and doesn’t reopen, simply launch it manually from your desktop, taskbar, or Start menu. If it won’t open at all, restart your computer and try again. In rare cases, a corrupted profile may require you to create a new user profile in Chrome.

The reset button is greyed out. This happens on managed devices (school or work computers) where an administrator has locked settings. Contact your IT department — you cannot bypass this restriction. On a personal computer, ensure you’re using a standard user account with permission to modify settings.

Settings come back after reset. If your homepage or search engine reverts to something unwanted shortly after resetting, a malicious extension or a piece of software on your computer is changing it. Run a malware scan with your antivirus or Windows Defender. Also, check installed programs for suspicious toolbars and uninstall them.

Chrome is still slow after reset. A reset clears settings but not cached files. Go to Settings → Privacy and security → Clear browsing data, choose “All time” in the time range, and clear cached images and files. Also check your extensions — even trusted ones can slow down the browser.

Bookmarks disappeared after reset. This is unusual, but if it happens, check if you were signed into Chrome. If so, sign in again and sync. If not, look for a file called Bookmarks.bak in your Chrome profile folder (search online for the exact path for your operating system) and rename it to Bookmarks to restore the previous version.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will resetting Chrome delete my passwords? No. The reset keeps your saved passwords, bookmarks, and browsing history. Only settings like your homepage, search engine, and extensions are restored to default.

Do I need to be signed into Google to reset Chrome? No, you can reset without being signed in. However, if you are signed in, your synced settings may override the reset after you reconnect. Signing out temporarily can prevent that.

How often should I reset Chrome? Only when you have a problem. There’s no need to reset regularly. If you find yourself resetting frequently, investigate the cause — often a specific extension or a piece of software is the root issue.

Will the reset remove my extensions? It disables them, but doesn’t uninstall them. You can re-enable them from chrome://extensions. If you want to remove them entirely, you’ll need to delete them from that same page.

Does resetting Chrome on one device affect my other devices? If you have sync enabled, the reset on one device may push those default settings to your other devices. To avoid this, turn off sync before resetting, then turn it back on afterward.

Can I undo a Chrome reset? No, there’s no built-in undo button. However, you can manually change your settings back to what you prefer — home page, search engine, and re-enable extensions. Your bookmarks and passwords remain untouched, so the main loss is the time spent reconfiguring.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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