To start Google Chrome automatically when your computer starts, add it to your startup apps. On Windows, right-click Start, select Run, type shell:startup, press Enter, and put a Chrome shortcut in the folder that opens. On a Mac, go to System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions and add Google Chrome. Chrome then opens every time you sign in.
This guide follows Microsoft’s Configure Startup applications in Windows, Apple’s Open items automatically when you log in on Mac and Google’s Set your homepage and startup page help articles. It covers the Windows Startup folder, the Mac login items list, choosing which pages Chrome opens, and how to stop Chrome from starting automatically.
How to Start Chrome Automatically on Windows
If Chrome isn’t listed in Settings > Apps > Startup, Microsoft says you can add it to startup with File Explorer. Microsoft’s steps:
- Right-click Start and select Run.
- Type shell:appsfolder and press Enter. A window with all your installed apps opens. Keep it open.
- Right-click Start, select Run again, type shell:startup, and press Enter. A second window opens with the apps that start when you sign in.
- Drag Google Chrome from the first window into the second.
Result: A Chrome shortcut is now in your Startup folder, and Chrome opens automatically the next time you sign in to Windows.
Another Way: Copy the Shortcut From the Start Menu
You can use a copy-and-paste method instead:
- Find Google Chrome in the Start menu, right-click it, and select Open file location.
- Copy the Chrome shortcut in the folder that opens.
- Open the Startup folder with shell:startup in the Run box.
- Right-click in the Startup folder and select Paste.
Microsoft notes that shell:startup only affects your own account. To start Chrome for everyone who uses the PC, use shell:common startup instead.
How to Start Chrome Automatically on a Mac
- Choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click General in the sidebar.
- Click Login Items & Extensions. You may need to scroll down.
- Click the Add (+) button below the list.
- Select Google Chrome and click Add.
Result: Chrome opens each time you log in to your Mac. You may also see an Open at Login choice when you Control-click Chrome’s Dock icon and choose Options.
Apple adds a tip: to skip login items once, hold the Shift key while you click Log In, then let go when the Dock appears.
Choose Which Pages Chrome Opens
Starting Chrome automatically and choosing its startup page are separate settings. Google says you control the pages Chrome shows when it launches in Settings > On startup:
- Open the New Tab page for a blank start with your shortcuts.
- Continue where you left off to reopen the pages you had open when you quit.
- Open a specific page or set of pages to load sites like your email or calendar every time.
Google notes that with Continue where you left off, your cookies and data are saved, so sites you were signed in to open signed in. For more, see how to change your Chrome startup page.
How to Stop Chrome From Starting Automatically
- Windows: delete the Chrome shortcut from the Startup folder. If Chrome appears in Settings > Apps > Startup, you can also turn its toggle Off. Microsoft says the Startup apps tab in Task Manager shows the same list.
- Mac: in Login Items & Extensions, select Google Chrome and click the Remove (–) button below the list.
Result: Chrome stays closed until you open it yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will starting Chrome automatically slow down my computer?
It can add a little to your sign-in time. Microsoft says Task Manager’s Startup apps tab shows each app’s startup impact, from low to high, which helps you decide what to keep.
Why didn’t Chrome open after I restarted?
Make sure the shortcut is in the right folder. Type shell:startup in the Run box and check that Chrome is listed there. If you used shell:common startup instead, check that folder.
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Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.