How to Uninstall Chrome (Every Device)

Google Chrome has more than 2 billion users around the world across different platforms like Windows, Mac, Android, iOS.

This makes it the most popular web browser with a market share of nearly 70%.

But if you decide to switch to another browser for any reason, you can easily uninstall or deactivate Google Chrome from your devices.

In this detailed guide, I’ll tell you exactly how to uninstall Google Chrome from any device without compromising your data or online security.

Keep reading.

Uninstall Chrome on Mac

Safari is the default web browser for Mac but millions of users prefer using Google Chrome instead of the default option.

If you’re one of them but now want to uninstall Google Chrome for any reason, here’s the simple process you need to follow.

Step#1: First of all make sure that Google Chrome is not currently running on your computer because you can’t start the uninstall process till it’s closed. If Chrome is running, right-click on its icon and select “Quit” to close it.

Step#2: Open Finder→ Applications

Step#3: Right Click on the Chrome icon and select “Move to Trash”. This moves Chrome to the Trash folder.

Step#4: To finish the uninstall process, right-click on Trash and click “Empty Trash”.

You’ve successfully uninstalled Google Chrome from your computer.

There’s also an alternative method you can follow.

Step#1: Close Google Chrome the same way I described above.

Step#2: Now simply click on the Chrome icon and drag it to Trash.

Step#3: Right-click on Trash and select Empty Trash to complete the uninstall process.

How To Remove Your Profile Information

Although you’ve successfully uninstalled Google Chrome from your Mac, there are still some files like your Chrome bookmarks and browsing history stored on your system.

To remove them completely from your computer, follow these steps.

Step#1: Go to Finder
Step#2: In the menu at the top of your screen, click on Go→ Go To Folder
Step#3: In the “Go To The Folder” field, enter this address: ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome, then select Go.
Step#4: Select all the files and folders in this directory
Step#5: Right-click on the selected folder/files and click “Move To Trash”. Alternatively, drag the selected folders/files to the Trash icon in your Dock.
Step#6: Empty the Trash folder using Right-Click→ Empty Trash.

A word of caution though.

Doing this will permanently delete all your usage stats, history, and any other data associated with Google Chrome. Only delete them if you’re sure you won’t need them in the future if you reinstall Google Chrome.

Uninstall Chrome on Windows PC

The default web browser for Windows computers is Microsoft Edge. But an overwhelming majority of Windows users prefer using Google Chrome for browsing the internet.

If you want to uninstall Google Chrome on a Windows PC, just follow these steps.

Step#1: First of all make sure Google Chrome is not currently running on your computer. If it is, close all the tabs and quit the browser.
Step#2: Now click on Start→ Settings

Step#3: Here, click on Apps

Step#4: This open the Apps & Features section where all your apps are listed. Scroll through the list of apps, find Google Chrome, and click on it.

Step#5: Click on the Uninstall button.

Step#6: Windows will ask you for confirmation. Click on Uninstall again.
Step#7: If you want to remove all your bookmarks, usage stats, browsing history, etc with Google Chrome, select “Also delete your browsing data.”
Step#8: Now click Uninstall for one last time to completely remove Google Chrome from your computer.

That’s it, you’ve successfully uninstalled Google Chrome from your Windows PC.

Uninstall Chrome on iOS

If you’re an iPhone or iPad user, uninstalling Google Chrome from your device will take just a few taps.

But before you uninstall Google Chrome, remove all your usage data.

Here’s how to do it.

Step#1: Open Google Chrome with a new tab.
Step#2: Go to the menu on the top left of your screen and click on Settings.
Step#3: Under the Privacy and Security label, click on Clear Browsing Data
Step#4: Click on the “Advanced” tab and select all the data sources from the list.
Step#5: Click on Clear Data

Now let’s uninstall Chrome from your device.

Step#1: Close the Google Chrome app and go to your main iOS screen.
Step#2: Long-tap on the Chrome icon until a small cross appears on it.
Step#3: Tap on the cross to delete the app.
Step#4: Tap on Delete to finish uninstalling Google Chrome from your iOS device.

Congrats, you’ve successfully removed Google Chrome from your device and can now switch to the default browser or any other browser app you want to use.

Uninstall Chrome on Android

You cannot completely uninstall Google Chrome from your Android device.

Why?

Because it’s one of the default apps that comes with your Android device.

But if you want to remove it from your phone, you can Disable it from App Settings.

Here’s how to do it.

Step#1: Open the app drawer on your phone and go to Settings. Alternatively, you can swipe down the menu from the top and click on the settings icon.
Step#2: Go to Apps & Notifications (Apps or App Management is some devices)

Step#3: Depending on your Android version, you’ll see App List or Default Apps on this screen. Either way, go to App List and search for Chrome.

Step#4: Tap on Chrome to open its settings page
Step#5: Tap the “Disable” button to remove Chrome from your phone apps.

That’s it, Google Chrome is no longer an active app on your phone and you won’t see it in the app list.

What Happens If I Disable Chrome

Disabling Chrome from your Android phone does not uninstall or remove it. But the app won’t be visible in your active app list and will also no longer be associated with any file types.

However, it remains on your phone in an inactive state. It won’t take more than a few MBs of your storage and will sit quietly in a corner until you enable it again.

If you enable the app in the future, it will come back with all your usage data, profile info, and other relevant files.

Common Uninstall Problems and How to Fix Them

Uninstalling Google Chrome is a pretty straight forward process.

However, sometimes you can face a few problems with it.

Here are some of the common uninstallation problems (and their solutions).

Problem #1: Can’t Uninstall Google Chrome From A Windows PC

This is a very common problem Windows users face.

And it mostly occurs because of a simple reason: Chrome or its associated apps are still running in the background.

If you’re unable to uninstall Chrome from your PC, make sure it’s not running in the background.

Here’s how to do it.

Step#1: Close any running Chrome tabs and windows.
Step#2: Go to the Task Manager by pressing CTRL+ALT+DELETE.
Step#3: In the Processes tab, find all the Chrome related processes and highlight them

Step#4: Click on the selected processes and click End Task at the bottom of the screen.

Now you can continue uninstalling Google Chrome.

Problem #2: Can’t Uninstall Chrome Despite Closing All Processes

If you still can’t uninstall Chrome, it could be because of the background apps associated with it.

Here’s how to solve this problem.

Step#1: Open Google Chrome and got to Settings from the top menu
Step#2: Scroll to the button and click on Advanced
Step#3: In the Systems tab find Continue running background apps when Google Chrome is closed

Step#4: Toggle-off this option.

You can now continue uninstalling Google Chrome without any issues.

Problem#3: Can’t Uninstall Chrome Despite Closing Background Apps

When nothing else works, here’s how you can uninstall Google Chrome from your PC.

Step#1: Go to Start→ and search for System Configuration

Step#2: In the “General” tab, select “Selective startup” and the two boxes below it

Step#3: In the “Services” tab, check the box at the bottom left next to “Hide all Microsoft services.”

Step#4: Now click on “Disable All” → “Apply” → “OK”
Step#5: Go back to the Start menu→ search for “Add or remove programs” & click on “Add or remove programs.”

Step#6: Select Google Chrome from the list and click “Uninstall” to remove it from your PC.

4 Reasons To Uninstall Google Chrome

Google Chrome is the world’s number one browser because it offers a lot of flexibility and is packed with powerful features.

However, it also comes with a few disadvantages because of which you might consider uninstalling it.

Here are a few common reasons why people switch to other browsers from Chrome.

To Switch To A Faster Browser

Chrome can eat up a lot of your disk space and RAM while running. It’s a sleek browser from the outside but consumes a lot of resources especially if you routinely use multiple tabs in one window.

This will slow down the processing of other software on your computer and hurt your overall productivity.

To Protect Your Data From Google

Privacy concerns are among the top reasons why many people switch to browsers like Edge, Safari, or Firefox from Chrome.

Google has built an enormous ecosystem and it is not possible for internet users to completely avoid it. However, you can considerably limit Google’s access to your computer and data by not using Chrome as your default browser.

To Use A More Customizable Browser

As compared to Firefox and some other browsers, Chrome allows very limited customizations to its user interface.

This might not be a big issue for regular internet users but for advanced users who like to create a certain work environment, customizations are essential.

To Avoid Work Loss

When you close a window in most other browsers, you get a message confirming if you want to close all the tabs at once.

No such feature in Google Chrome, though.

And it can be frustrating if you accidentally close a window and all of your tabs with it.

It has happened with almost every Google Chrome user and it’s a major user experience problem that Chrome needs to fix.

Is It Safe To Uninstall Google Chrome?

Yes, uninstalling Google Chrome from any device is completely safe if you follow the processes I have shared.

Because no matter what device you’re using, when you uninstall Chrome, it will automatically shift to its default browser (Edge for Windows, Safari for Mac, Android Browser for Android).

However, if you don’t want to use the default browsers, you can use them to download any other browser you want.

Will You Uninstall Google Chrome From Your Device?

Google Chrome is a great browser which is why it dominates the market share for web browsers.

But if you do plan to uninstall it for any reason, I’ve shared the whole step by step process with you.

If you face any problems during the uninstallation phase or have any other questions about removing Chrome from any of your devices, just let us know in the comments section.