How to remove Google Chrome completely

Deleting Google Chrome means uninstalling the browser program itself, which removes it from your computer but does not automatically erase your browsing history, saved passwords, or other data stored in your Chrome account. You can choose to delete that data during uninstall, or keep it for later use if you reinstall Chrome. The steps differ slightly between Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Before you uninstall, consider whether you want to save your Chrome data — bookmarks, passwords, and browsing history sync to your Google account if you are signed in, so you can recover them later. If you are not signed in, that data will be lost unless you export it first.

Key Takeaways

  • On Windows, go to Settings > Apps > Apps & Features, find Google Chrome, and click Uninstall; on Mac, drag Chrome to the Trash from the Applications folder.
  • During uninstall on Windows, you can check a box to delete browsing data, or leave it unchecked to preserve your history and saved passwords.
  • Uninstalling Chrome does not remove data synced to your Google account — that data remains accessible if you sign into Chrome again later.
  • After uninstalling, you may need to manually delete leftover Chrome folders in your user profile if you want to remove all traces of the program.

Uninstalling Chrome on Windows

Open the Start menu and type "Add or remove programs" into the search box, then click the result. Scroll down the list until you find Google Chrome, click it once to select it, then click the Uninstall button that appears.

A dialog box will open asking whether you want to delete browsing data. If you check the box labeled "Also delete your browsing data," Chrome will remove your history, cookies, cached images, and saved passwords from your computer. If you leave it unchecked, that data stays on your hard drive. Click Uninstall to finish.

Windows will remove the Chrome program files. After uninstall completes, you can close the window. Chrome will no longer appear in your Start menu or on your desktop.

Uninstalling Chrome on Mac

Open Finder and click Applications in the sidebar. Scroll down the list until you see Google Chrome, click it once, then drag it to the Trash in your dock. You can also right-click Chrome and select Move to Trash.

Mac does not show a dialog asking about browsing data during uninstall. If you want to remove your Chrome data, you need to do that separately. Open Finder, click Go in the menu bar, hold down the Option key, and click Library. Navigate to the folder path ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome and drag the Chrome folder to Trash.

Empty your Trash to complete the removal. Chrome will no longer open from your Applications folder.

Removing Chrome data on Windows after uninstall

If you uninstalled Chrome without deleting your browsing data, you can remove it manually. Open File Explorer and type %LOCALAPPDATA% into the address bar at the top, then press Enter. Look for a folder named Google and open it.

Inside the Google folder, you will see a Chrome folder. Right-click it and select Delete, then empty your Recycle Bin. This removes your browsing history, saved passwords, bookmarks stored locally, and cached files. Note that data synced to your Google account remains in your account and will not be deleted.

What happens to your Chrome data after uninstall

If you were signed into Chrome with a Google account, your bookmarks, history, passwords, and other synced data remain stored in your Google account. You can view and manage this data by going to myaccount.google.com and clicking Security in the left menu, then scrolling to "Your devices" to see what data is saved.

If you reinstall Chrome and sign in with the same Google account, all your synced data will reappear automatically. If you want to delete this data permanently, you must do so through your Google account settings, not through Chrome itself.

Data that was not synced — such as files you downloaded, or data from websites that do not use Chrome sync — may remain on your computer even after uninstall. Downloaded files stay in your Downloads folder unless you delete them separately.

Uninstalling Chrome on Linux

The steps depend on which Linux distribution you use. On Ubuntu and Debian-based systems, open a terminal and type sudo apt-get remove google-chrome-stable, then press Enter and type your password when prompted.

On Fedora and Red Hat-based systems, type sudo dnf remove google-chrome-stable instead. On Arch Linux, type sudo pacman -R google-chrome. The system will remove Chrome and its associated files.

To also remove your Chrome profile folder on Linux, open a terminal and type rm -rf ~/.config/google-chrome. This deletes all your browsing data, bookmarks, and saved passwords stored locally on your computer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will uninstalling Chrome delete my Gmail account?

No. Chrome is just a web browser. Your Gmail account exists on Google's servers independently of whether Chrome is installed on your computer. You can access Gmail through any other browser, and your emails will still be there.

Can I reinstall Chrome after I delete it?

Yes. You can download Chrome again from google.com/chrome at any time. If you sign in with the same Google account you used before, your bookmarks and synced data will return automatically.

What if Chrome won't uninstall?

Close Chrome completely before uninstalling — make sure no Chrome windows or background processes are running. On Windows, you can also try restarting your computer, then opening Add or remove programs and trying again. If it still fails, restart in Safe Mode and attempt uninstall from there.

Does uninstalling Chrome remove extensions I installed?

Yes. Extensions exist only within Chrome, so uninstalling the browser removes all extensions. If you reinstall Chrome and sign in, extensions you had installed may reappear if they are tied to your Google account, depending on your sync settings.

Will my passwords be deleted if I uninstall Chrome?

Passwords synced to your Google account will remain in your account and can be viewed at passwords.google.com. Passwords stored only locally on your computer will be deleted if you check the "delete browsing data" box during uninstall, or if you manually delete the Chrome profile folder afterward.