Chrome doesn’t have a Safe mode. There is no switch or setting called that. What people usually want from a “safe mode” is Chrome without extensions and without their own settings, so they can tell whether something they added is causing a problem. Chrome gives you three ways to get that:
- An Incognito window (quickest). Press Ctrl + Shift + N on Windows, Linux or a Chromebook, or ⌘ + Shift + N on a Mac. Your extensions stay off in it unless you have turned on “Allow in incognito” for them.
- Guest mode (cleanest). A fresh, empty Chrome window with none of your extensions, bookmarks or settings.
- A new Chrome profile (for longer tests). A separate Chrome with its own settings, so you can use it for a day and see if the problem comes back.
If the problem goes away in one of these, the cause is something in your normal Chrome: an extension, a setting or your profile. For the full step-by-step sequence that finds and fixes it, see how to troubleshoot Chrome without a Safe mode.
Open an Incognito window
- Open Chrome.
- At the top right, select More (the three dots) > New Incognito window. Or use the keyboard shortcut above.
- Go to the page that was giving you trouble.
Google’s Incognito help page has the same steps. Why your extensions are off in Incognito: each extension has an Allow in incognito switch on its Details page, and it only runs in Incognito when that switch is on. Google describes this in Install and manage extensions. If you turned that switch on for any extension, turn it off before you test, or use Guest mode instead.
On an Android phone or an iPhone, tap More and choose the New Incognito option. On a phone, Incognito is mainly a quick way to open a page without your sign-ins, cookies and saved site data.
Open Guest mode
- Open Chrome.
- At the top right, select your Profile picture.
- Select Open Guest profile.
Guest mode can’t see or change your own profile, and you can’t add extensions in it. When you close it, the browsing history, cookies and site data from the Guest session are deleted. Guest mode isn’t available on Chromebooks. Source: Google’s Browse Chrome as a guest.
Add a new profile
- Open Chrome.
- At the top right, select Profile > Add Chrome profile.
- Choose a name, photo and color. You don’t have to sign in.
The new profile has its own bookmarks, history, passwords and settings, and your old profile is untouched. Source: Google’s Manage Chrome with multiple profiles. If Chrome works in the new profile but not in your usual one, read how to fix a corrupted Chrome profile.
Did you mean something else?
- Safe Browsing: this is Chrome’s protection against dangerous sites, downloads and extensions, and it’s on by default. To check or change it, select More > Settings > Privacy and security > Security, then choose Enhanced protection or Standard protection. Google explains the levels in Choose your Safe Browsing protection level.
- Putting settings back to normal: Chrome can restore its default settings without deleting your bookmarks or passwords. See reset Chrome settings.
- Chrome is out of date: many problems are fixed by an update. See how to update Chrome.