Chrome has a built-in reset for the common messes: hijacked homepage, unwanted search engine, strange new tab page, disabled settings, extension clutter, and general sluggish behavior. A reset restores core settings without deleting bookmarks or saved passwords.
Does this affect you?
Use this for Google Chrome on Windows or Mac when Chrome is slow, glitchy, cluttered, or changed by extensions or unwanted software. Start with reset before uninstalling.
Reset Chrome settings to default
This is the main fix for changed homepage, search, startup pages, pinned tabs, and extensions.
- Open Chrome.
- Click the three-dot menu and choose Settings.
- Choose Reset settings in the sidebar.
- Click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Read the confirmation carefully.
- Click Reset settings.
- Restart Chrome.
Chrome reset disables extensions and restores browser defaults, but it does not delete bookmarks, browsing history, or saved passwords. Disabled extensions can be turned back on later from Extensions.
Clear browsing data alongside the reset
Do this if reset alone does not fix slow loading or broken pages.
- Open Settings > Privacy and security > Delete browsing data.
- Choose Advanced.
- Set the time range to All time.
- Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, and Cached images and files.
- Leave Passwords and Autofill unchecked if you want to keep them.
- Click Delete data.
- Restart Chrome and test again.
Fully reinstall Chrome as a last resort
Reinstall only if reset and cleanup do not fix Chrome or the installation seems damaged.
- Before uninstalling, confirm Chrome sync is on if you rely on Google Account backup.
- On Windows, open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find Google Chrome, and uninstall it.
- On Mac, quit Chrome, open Applications, drag Google Chrome to the Trash, and empty the Trash.
- Restart the computer.
- Download Chrome again from google.com/chrome and install it.
- Sign back in so synced bookmarks, passwords, and extensions return.
More control
Back up if sync is not enabled
Without sync, uninstalling can remove local bookmarks and passwords that are not backed up. Export bookmarks from Bookmark manager and export passwords from Password Manager before uninstalling.
Remove the thing that re-hijacks Chrome
If homepage or search settings change back after reset, remove suspicious extensions and scan for unwanted software. Then reset again.
Reset experimental flags separately
Chrome settings reset does not always clear chrome://flags changes. Open chrome://flags and choose Reset all if experimental features may be causing instability.
Sources
- Google Chrome Help – Reset Chrome settings to default (2025)
- Google Chrome Help – Uninstall Chrome (2025)
- Google Chrome Help – Fix a webpage that will not load (2025)