How to delete a Chrome profile
To delete a Chrome profile, open Chrome and select the profile icon in the top right corner of the browser window. Click Manage other people, then hover over the profile you want to remove and click the three dots that appear. Select Delete this person, then confirm by clicking Delete in the popup window. Chrome will remove the profile, its bookmarks, history, passwords, and extensions from your computer.
The process takes less than a minute. If you are signed into the profile with a Google Account, you will be asked whether you want to delete the associated data from Google's servers as well. Choosing Delete data from your Google Account removes your browsing history, saved passwords, and other synced information from Google's cloud storage. Choosing Keep data leaves that information in your Google Account but removes it from this device only.
If you are the only profile on your computer and you delete it, Chrome will create a new default profile the next time you open the browser. You can then set it up from scratch or sign in with a different Google Account.
Key Takeaways
- Deleting a Chrome profile removes all local data — bookmarks, history, passwords, and extensions — from your computer immediately.
- If you are signed into a Google Account, you can choose whether to also delete synced data from Google's servers or keep it.
- Deleting a profile does not delete your Google Account itself, only the Chrome profile linked to it.
- If you delete your only profile, Chrome creates a new blank one the next time you open the browser.
What data gets deleted when you remove a profile
Deleting a Chrome profile removes everything stored locally on your computer: bookmarks, browsing history, saved passwords, autofill information, extensions, and themes. Sites you have visited will no longer appear in your address bar suggestions, and any forms you have filled out will not auto-complete.
If the profile was synced to a Google Account, you have a choice about cloud data. Selecting Delete data from your Google Account also removes your synced history, passwords, bookmarks, and settings from Google's servers. This means those items will not appear on other devices where you are signed into the same Google Account. Selecting Keep data leaves your Google Account untouched — your synced information remains available on your phone, tablet, or other computers.
Downloaded files are not deleted. They remain in your Downloads folder or wherever you saved them. Cached files and cookies are removed, so sites will not remember you the next time you visit.
Deleting a profile versus signing out
Signing out of a Chrome profile and deleting it are two different actions with different results. When you sign out, you remain in the profile but disconnect it from your Google Account. Your bookmarks, history, and passwords stay on your computer but stop syncing to Google's servers. The profile itself remains.
Deleting a profile removes the entire profile folder from your computer. You cannot recover it unless you have a backup. If you think you might want to use the profile again later, signing out is safer than deleting. You can always sign back in later and restore your synced data.
If you want to keep your Google Account but start fresh with a new profile, sign out instead of deleting. Then create a new profile and sign in with the same account. Your synced bookmarks and passwords will appear in the new profile.
How to delete a profile on Windows, Mac, and Linux
The steps are the same across Windows, Mac, and Linux. Open Chrome, click the profile icon in the top right corner, select Manage other people, hover over the profile name, click the three dots, and select Delete this person. Confirm the deletion in the popup.
On Windows, Chrome stores profile data in C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data. On Mac, it is in ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome. On Linux, it is in ~/.config/google-chrome. Deleting the profile through the Chrome menu removes these folders automatically, so you do not need to access them manually.
If Chrome is not responding or you cannot access the profile menu, you can delete the profile folder directly using your file manager. Close Chrome completely first, then navigate to the folder above and delete the folder named after your profile (usually Default or Profile 1). This method is less common but works if the Chrome interface is broken.
Recovering a deleted profile
Once you delete a Chrome profile, the local data cannot be recovered from Chrome itself. However, if the profile was synced to a Google Account, you can restore your bookmarks and passwords by signing back into that account in a new profile. Chrome will download your synced data from Google's servers.
To restore synced data, create a new profile, sign in with the same Google Account, and wait for Chrome to sync. Your bookmarks, passwords, autofill information, and extensions will reappear. This process usually takes a few minutes. Browsing history syncs as well if you have history sync turned on in your Google Account settings.
If you chose Delete data from your Google Account when removing the profile, synced data was erased from Google's servers and cannot be restored. Local files like downloads remain on your computer in your Downloads folder or wherever you saved them.
Why you might want to delete a Chrome profile
You might delete a Chrome profile to remove a user account from a shared computer, to start fresh with a clean browser, or to stop syncing data to a particular Google Account. Parents sometimes delete profiles to remove a child's account from a family computer. People switching jobs might delete a work profile to separate work and personal browsing.
Deleting a profile also frees up storage space on your computer, though the amount is usually small unless you have years of browsing history. If you are concerned about privacy, deleting a profile removes all local traces of your browsing on that device.
If you are selling or giving away your computer, deleting all profiles before handing it over ensures that the new owner does not have access to your passwords, bookmarks, or browsing history. You should also sign out of your Google Account in Chrome's settings to prevent the new owner from accessing your account.
Managing multiple profiles in Chrome
Chrome allows you to create multiple profiles on the same computer, each with its own bookmarks, history, passwords, and extensions. You can switch between profiles by clicking the profile icon in the top right corner and selecting the profile you want to use. This is useful for separating work and personal browsing, or for multiple people using the same computer.
Each profile can be signed into a different Google Account or remain unsigned. Profiles do not share data — your work profile's bookmarks will not appear in your personal profile. You can run multiple profiles at the same time by opening separate Chrome windows, one for each profile.
To create a new profile, click the profile icon, select Manage other people, and click Add person. Choose a name and avatar, then decide whether to sign in with a Google Account. If you sign in, your bookmarks and passwords will sync to that profile across devices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does deleting a Chrome profile delete my Google Account?
No. Deleting a Chrome profile only removes the profile from your computer. Your Google Account remains active and can be used to sign into Chrome on other devices or to access Gmail, Google Drive, and other Google services. If you want to delete your entire Google Account, you must do that through your Google Account settings, not through Chrome.
Can I recover my passwords after deleting a Chrome profile?
If you chose Keep data when deleting the profile, your passwords remain in your Google Account and will appear in a new profile when you sign in. If you chose Delete data from your Google Account, the passwords are permanently removed from Google's servers. Passwords stored only locally on your computer cannot be recovered once the profile is deleted.
What happens to my bookmarks when I delete a profile?
Bookmarks stored locally on your computer are deleted immediately. If the profile was synced to a Google Account and you chose Keep data, your bookmarks remain in your Google Account and can be restored by signing into a new profile. If you chose Delete data from your Google Account, bookmarks are removed from Google's servers and cannot be recovered.
Can I delete a profile without signing out of my Google Account first?
Yes. You can delete a profile directly without signing out. Chrome will ask whether you want to delete the associated data from your Google Account as well. Choose Keep data to preserve your synced information, or Delete data from your Google Account to remove it from Google's servers.
Will deleting a Chrome profile affect other browsers on my computer?
No. Deleting a Chrome profile only affects Chrome. Firefox, Safari, Edge, and other browsers have their own separate data and profiles. Your bookmarks, history, and passwords in other browsers remain unchanged.