How to Change Default Settings in Chrome
Google Chrome is not only the most popular web browser today, it’s also one of the most versatile. Chrome offers numerous settings you can configure to meet your personal web browsing needs.
Reasons to Change Chrome’s Default Settings
The Chrome web browser works just fine as initially installed. That said, there are times where you may want to change Chrome’s default settings. Perhaps you want more security and privacy. Perhaps you want to change the way Chrome looks or works. Maybe you just want to “clean up” Chrome after you’ve been using it for an extended time.
For whatever your reasons, it’s easy to change Chrome’s default settings. Read on to learn how.
How to Change Chrome’s Default Settings
All of Chrome’s configuration settings reside on a master Settings page. Open this page to change any specific setting.
1. Open the Settings Page
To open the settings page, click the Customize and control Google Chrome (three-line) button at the top right of the browser window to open the drop-down menu. Then click Settings to open the Settings page.
2. Change People Settings
When you sign into your Google Account while using Chrome, Google can sync your browsing data between multiple computers. This is all managed at the top of the Chrome Settings page, in the People section. You can configure Chrome to enable or disable syncing and personalization, change your Chrome name and picture, import bookmarks and other settings from other browsers, and manage your Google Account.
3. Change Autofill Settings
Chrome makes it easy for you to automatically fill out various forms you find on websites. This feature stores the data you supply on your computer for future use. Go to the Autofill section of the Chrome Settings page to enable or disable saved passwords, payment methods, and addresses.
4. Change Chrome’s Appearance
Don’t like the default look of Chrome? Then change it! The Appearance section of the Settings page lets you change various aspects of the browser’s appearance. You can choose to change the browser’s theme, show a Home button or bookmarks bar, change the font type or size, or zoom into or out of your web pages.
5. Change the Default Search Engine
By default, Chrome uses the Google search engine when you type a search query into the Omnibox. You can change this default search to Bing, Yahoo!, or another search engine, in the Search engine section of the Settings page. Click the Search engine list to select another major search engine or click Manage search engine to select other types of search.
6. Make Chrome Your Default Browser
Chances are Chrome is already your default web browser. If it isn’t, go to the Default browser section of the Settings page and click Make default.
7. Change Startup Behavior
Go to the On startup section of the Settings page to determine what happens when you launch the Chrome browser. You can choose to have Chrome open the New Tab page, display the last page you were viewing, or open a page or set of pages you specify.
8. Change Privacy and Security Settings
When you scroll down the Settings page and click Advanced, Chrome displays even more configuration settings. The Privacy and security section contains several settings that can make your browsing experience more or less private and secure. These include allowing Chrome sign-in, sending “Do Not Track” requests, allow sites to check for saved payment methods, preloading pages for faster browsing, and managing certificates. You can also clear your cache, cookies, and other browsing data from this section.
9. Change Language Settings
By default, Chrome’s menus and tools display in the same language selected on your computer. You can change that language, however, as well as turn on and customize Chrome’s spell check feature. These settings are all in the Languages section.
10. Change Download Behavior
By default, Chrome saves any files you download from the Internet in your computer’s Downloads folder. Go to the Downloads section of the Settings page to change this default to another folder or have Chrome prompt you every time you download a file.
11. Configure Print Settings
Google Chrome uses Google Cloud Print to print web content to any compatible printer. Go to the Printing section of the Settings page to add and configure Cloud Print devices.
12. Add Accessibility Features
If you want to make Chrome more accessible to users with vision or physical challenges, go to the Accessibility section of the Settings page to find and download various accessibility features.
13. Change System Settings
The System section of the Settings page lets you configure a handful of technical settings that affect how Chrome runs on your system, including running apps in the background and using hardware acceleration.
14. Restore and Clean Up Chrome
Finally, the Reset and cleanup section includes two tools for putting Chrome back into pristine condition. You can choose to restore Chrome’s settings to their original default or clean up your computer by letting Chrome find and remove harmful software from your system.
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