Chrome has no Safe mode, but you can get the same result by switching things off in order until the problem goes away. Work down this list on your computer and stop as soon as Chrome behaves. Each step says what it tells you. (If you only wanted to know how to open Chrome without extensions, see Chrome’s alternatives to Safe mode.)
- Restart Chrome and update it. Quit Chrome completely (on Windows, select More > Exit; on a Mac, press ⌘ + Q) and reopen it. Then check for an update: see how to update Chrome.
- Try the page in an Incognito window. Press Ctrl + Shift + N (⌘ + Shift + N on a Mac). If it works there, the cause is an extension or your saved browsing data. Go to steps 3 and 4.
- Turn off all extensions, then turn them back on one at a time. Select More > Extensions > Manage extensions and switch every extension off. If that fixes it, switch them on one by one until the problem returns. That one is the cause: remove it with Remove.
- Delete your browsing data. Type Delete browsing data in the address bar and pick that option, then clear cookies and cached files. See how to clear browsing data.
- Test in Guest mode. Select your Profile picture > Open Guest profile. If Chrome works in Guest mode but not in your own profile, your profile is the problem: see fix a corrupted Chrome profile.
- Reset Chrome’s settings. Select More > Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their original defaults > Reset settings. You can also paste
chrome://settings/resetinto the address bar. - Remove unwanted programs. If you see pop-ups that won’t go away, a search engine that keeps changing, or extensions that come back after you remove them, uninstall programs you don’t recognize from your computer (details below).
- Turn off graphics acceleration. If Chrome or its pages keep crashing, select More > Settings > System, turn off Use graphics acceleration when available and restart Chrome.
- Reinstall Chrome. If nothing else works, uninstall Chrome and install it again. If you sign in to Chrome, your synced bookmarks and passwords come back. See how to reinstall Chrome.
These steps follow Google’s own guides: Fix connection and loading errors in Chrome and Fix Chrome if it crashes or won’t open.
What a settings reset changes
According to Google’s Reset Chrome settings to default, a reset puts these back to their defaults on every device where you’re signed in:
- your default search engine, homepage, new tab page and startup tabs
- pinned tabs
- site permissions, such as letting a site show pop-ups or use your microphone
- cookies and site data (which can sign you out of websites)
- extensions and themes, which are turned off (you can turn the ones you trust back on)
Your bookmarks and saved passwords are not deleted or changed. A reset isn’t a full wipe: some settings, such as fonts and accessibility settings, stay as they are.
Removing unwanted programs
Older guides tell you to run the “Chrome Cleanup Tool” from Chrome’s settings, but Google has retired it. Chrome’s settings no longer have that option, and its policy, ChromeCleanupEnabled, is marked deprecated in Google’s Chrome policy list. Google’s current advice in Remove unwanted ads, pop-ups & malware is to remove the program yourself, then reset Chrome’s settings:
- Windows: Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps, select the app, then Uninstall.
- Mac: in Finder, select Applications, right-click any program you don’t recognize, choose Move to Trash, then empty the Trash.
Chrome also checks its own settings each time it starts and puts important ones, such as your search engine and homepage, back to safe defaults if a program changed them. For more, see removing browser hijackers.
On a phone or tablet
Restart Chrome, update it from the Play Store or the App Store, and try the page in an Incognito tab (tap More and choose the New Incognito option). If the page works in Incognito, delete your browsing data in Chrome’s settings.