Set a new home page in three steps

Chrome's home page is the page that loads when you click the home button or open a new window. By default, it shows your browsing history and shortcuts. You can change it to any website you want — Google, your email, a news site, or a blank page.

Open Chrome and select the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Go to Settings, then click Home in the left sidebar. Choose one of three options: show the home button with a custom URL, show the home button with the default homepage, or hide the home button entirely. If you pick the custom URL option, paste the web address you want to load when you click home.

The change takes effect immediately. The next time you click the home button or open a new window, Chrome will load your chosen page instead of the default one.

Key Takeaways

  • The home button loads a specific page when you click it — you control which page through Chrome Settings under the Home section.
  • You can set any website as your home page by pasting its URL into the custom URL field.
  • Chrome's default home page shows your browsing history and shortcuts, but you can replace it with a blank page or any other site.
  • The home button is hidden by default in newer Chrome versions, so you may need to enable it first before your custom home page will appear.
  • Changing your home page does not affect what loads when you open a new tab — that is controlled separately under the Appearance section.

Enable the home button if it is not visible

Newer versions of Chrome hide the home button by default. If you do not see a home icon in the top left corner of your browser, you need to turn it on first. Open Settings, click Appearance in the left sidebar, and toggle the Show home button switch to the on position.

Once the home button is visible, you can then go to the Home section in Settings and choose what page it loads. Without the button enabled, your custom home page setting will not do anything — the button simply will not exist to click.

Understand the difference between home page and new tab page

Chrome has two separate starting pages that confuse many users. The home page is what loads when you click the home button (if you have enabled it). The new tab page is what loads when you press Ctrl+T or Cmd+T, or when you open a new window depending on your settings.

If you want to change what appears when you open a new tab, that is a different setting. Go to Settings, click Appearance, and look for the New Tab section. You can choose to show shortcuts, show your browsing history, show a blank page, or set a custom URL. Many people want to change the new tab page instead of the home page, so check which one you actually need to modify.

Set a blank page as your home page

If you want Chrome to load nothing when you click the home button, you can set it to a blank page. Open Settings, go to Home, and select the custom URL option. In the text field, type about:blank and save.

Now when you click the home button, Chrome will open a blank white page with no content. This is useful if you want a clean slate each time, or if you prefer to type a new address rather than landing on a preset page.

Use a local file as your home page

You can set a file saved on your computer as your home page. This works with HTML files you create yourself or download from the internet. To do this, open Settings, go to Home, and select the custom URL option. In the text field, type the full file path starting with file:/// followed by the location of your file.

For example, on Windows you might type file:///C:/Users/YourName/Documents/homepage.html. On Mac, it would look like file:///Users/YourName/Documents/homepage.html. Make sure the file path is exact, or Chrome will not be able to load it. This approach lets you create a custom home page with your own design, links, and layout without needing to host it online.

Troubleshoot if your home page is not loading

If you set a custom home page but it does not load when you click the home button, first check that the home button is actually enabled. Go to Settings, click Appearance, and verify that Show home button is toggled on. If it is off, turn it on and try again.

If the button is enabled but your custom page still does not load, check the URL you entered. Make sure there are no typos and that it includes the full web address starting with http:// or https://. If you are using a local file, verify the file path is correct and that the file still exists in that location. You can also try clearing your browser cache and restarting Chrome to rule out temporary glitches.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does changing my home page affect what loads when I open a new tab?

No. The home page and new tab page are separate settings in Chrome. Changing your home page only affects what loads when you click the home button. If you want to change what appears when you open a new tab, go to Settings, click Appearance, and adjust the New Tab section instead.

Can I set different home pages for different profiles in Chrome?

Yes. Chrome allows you to create multiple user profiles, and each profile has its own Settings. If you switch to a different profile, you can set a different home page for that profile without affecting your other profiles. Each profile's settings are stored separately.

What happens if I delete the website I set as my home page?

If the website goes offline or is removed, Chrome will show an error page when you click the home button. You can change your home page to a different URL at any time through Settings. There is no penalty for changing it — you can update it as often as you want.

Can I set my home page to a password-protected site?

Yes, but you will need to log in each time. When you click the home button, Chrome will load the login page for that site. You can then enter your credentials. If you want to avoid logging in repeatedly, consider setting your home page to a public site instead, or use a blank page and navigate to your password-protected site manually.