Chrome Policies and Group Policy Management

Introduction

Managing Google Chrome settings through Group Policy can streamline browser configurations across multiple systems. Whether you’re using Windows, macOS, or Linux, understanding Chrome policies, ADMX templates, and registry settings is essential. This guide walks you through managing Chrome settings on each platform, following Google’s Set Chrome browser policies on managed PCs help.

Windows: Managing Chrome Settings with Group Policy

Using ADMX Templates

To manage Chrome settings via Group Policy on Windows, you need to download and install the ADMX templates.

1. Download the Chrome browser bundle from the Chrome Enterprise download page.
2. Extract the contents and open Configuration > admx.
3. Copy google.admx and chrome.admx to C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions, and the matching .adml files from the language folder (for example en-US) to the same language folder there.
4. Open the Group Policy Management Console (gpmc.msc) on a domain-joined machine with the management tools installed, or the Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) for a single PC.
5. Create or edit an existing Group Policy Object (GPO).
6. Under Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Google > Google Chrome, configure the desired settings.

Registry Settings

If you prefer using the registry to manage Chrome policies, Google’s registry help suggests starting from the sample chrome.reg file in the bundle (Configuration > examples). To edit by hand:

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog, type regedit, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome.
3. Create a value for each policy you wish to configure, using the type the Chrome Enterprise policy list gives for that policy (for example a DWORD for on/off policies or a string for a URL).
4. Set the value data according to the policy’s requirements.

Modifying the registry can damage a computer, so test changes first. If a policy is set in Group Policy too, the Group Policy value takes precedence.

macOS: Configuring Chrome Policies

Configuration Profiles

On macOS, Chrome policies are deployed as configuration profiles. Google’s Mac quick start describes this:

1. Make a copy of the sample com.google.Chrome.plist from the bundle’s Configuration folder.
2. Edit the policies and values you want.
3. Convert the file to a configuration profile with a conversion tool such as mcxToProfile.
4. Deploy the configuration profile to the target Macs with your mobile device management (MDM) tool.

Terminal Commands

For a quick test on one Mac you can write a preference with Terminal, but macOS deletes manually set policy files at every sign-in, so use a configuration profile for real deployments.

1. Open Terminal (found in Applications > Utilities).
2. Use the format defaults write com.google.Chrome PolicyName -type value.
3. For example, to set the home page: defaults write com.google.Chrome HomepageLocation -string "https://www.example.com".
4. Restart Chrome to apply the changes.

Linux: Managing Chrome Policies

On Linux, Chrome policies are set with JSON files, as described in Google’s Linux quick start.

Using Configuration Files

1. Create the folders /etc/opt/chrome/policies/managed (enforced policies) and /etc/opt/chrome/policies/recommended (defaults users can change) if they do not exist.
2. Create JSON files to set policies. For example:

{
  "HomepageLocation": "https://www.example.com",
  "RestoreOnStartup": 4
}

3. Make sure non-admin users cannot write to the files, save, and restart Chrome.

Avoid setting the same policy in more than one file. If you do, which value applies is undefined.

Common Chrome Policies

Some frequently used Chrome policies across platforms include:

• HomepageLocation: Sets the homepage URL.
• IncognitoModeAvailability: Controls whether Incognito mode is available.
• RestoreOnStartup: Configures startup behavior.
• DefaultSearchProviderEnabled: Turns on the default search provider, which you then set with the other DefaultSearchProvider policies.

Check Which Policies Apply

On any managed computer, open chrome://policy and click Reload policies. Each policy you set should show a Status of OK.