To install Google Chrome on an iPhone, open the App Store, tap Search, type Google Chrome, and tap Get on the listing from Google LLC. Confirm with Face ID, Touch ID, or your Apple Account password, then tap Open when the download finishes. Every other Google app, including Gmail, Google Maps, Google Drive, and the Google search app, installs the same way.
These steps are written for iPhones running iOS 18 or later, including iOS 26 and iOS 27, and they work the same way on an iPad. The Chrome listing in the App Store requires iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 or later. All of Google’s iPhone apps are free to download, though some offer optional paid upgrades inside the app.
Before You Start
You need three things:
- An Apple Account signed in to the App Store. Google’s apps are free, but the App Store still asks you to confirm the download with your Apple Account.
- A supported iOS version. Chrome currently needs iOS 18 or later. To check what your iPhone runs, open Settings > General > About and look at iOS Version.
- Enough free space. Chrome and the Google app each need several hundred megabytes. The App Store listing shows the current size. You can see how much room you have under Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
You don’t need a Google Account to install or use Chrome. You only need one if you want to sign in to sync bookmarks, passwords, and history from Chrome on your computer, or to use apps like Gmail and Google Drive.
Install Chrome From the App Store
These steps follow Google’s Chrome download instructions for iPhone and iPad and Apple’s guide to downloading apps.
- Tap the App Store icon on your Home Screen. If you can’t find it, swipe down from the middle of the Home Screen, type App Store, and tap it in the results.
- Tap the Search tab in the lower-right corner. It’s shown as a magnifying glass.
- Type Google Chrome in the search field and tap Search on the keyboard. A list of results appears.
- Find the result named Google Chrome with the blue, red, yellow, and green Chrome icon. Tap it to open the listing, and check that the developer under the name is Google. Several look-alike browsers show up in the same search, so this check matters.
- Tap Get. A confirmation sheet slides up from the bottom of the screen.
- Confirm the download. On an iPhone with Face ID, double-click the side button and look at the phone. On an iPhone with a Home button, rest your finger on Touch ID. If the App Store asks for your Apple Account password instead, type it and tap Sign In.
- Wait while the download progress circle fills in. When it’s done, the button changes to Open.
- Tap Open to launch Chrome. From now on, you can open it from the Chrome icon on your Home Screen or in the App Library.
If the listing shows a cloud with a down arrow instead of Get, you’ve downloaded Chrome with this Apple Account before. Tap the cloud to install it again. The article on the cloud icon next to an app in the App Store explains why that icon appears. If the button already says Open, Chrome is installed, and you can skip to the next section.
The first time Chrome opens, it asks whether you want to sign in with a Google Account. Signing in brings over bookmarks, saved passwords, and open tabs from Chrome on your other devices. You can skip this and sign in later from Chrome’s settings.
If you keep your passwords in another app, you can stop Chrome from offering to save passwords from its Password Manager settings.
Install Other Google Apps
Google publishes many separate apps for the iPhone, and each one has its own App Store listing. Use the same steps as above, but search for the app you want and make sure the developer reads Google.
If you don’t know the name of the app you need, browse App Store categories on your iPhone instead of searching.
| App | What it’s for | Search the App Store for |
|---|---|---|
| Google search, Google Lens, AI Mode, and a news feed | ||
| Gmail | Gmail and other email accounts | Gmail |
| Google Maps | Directions, traffic, and local places | Google Maps |
| Google Drive | Files stored in your Google Account | Google Drive |
| Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides | Editing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations | Google Docs (and so on) |
| Google Photos | Photo backup and editing | Google Photos |
| Google Calendar | Your Google calendars | Google Calendar |
| Google Gemini | Google’s AI assistant | Google Gemini |
| YouTube and YouTube Music | Videos and music | YouTube |
Two of these are easy to mix up. Google Chrome is a web browser, like Safari, with an address bar and tabs. Google, sometimes called the Google app, is a search app with a search box, Google Lens, and a news feed. It isn’t a full replacement for a browser. If you want Google search results plus your Chrome bookmarks and tabs, install Chrome. If you mainly want Google Lens and quick searches, install the Google app. Many people use both.
Older versions of Chrome for iPhone had a Google Apps list in Chrome’s settings that linked to these apps. That menu is gone in current versions of Chrome, so the App Store is now the place to find them.
Google Keep, Google’s notes app, installs the same way. Here’s how to get a Google Keep icon on your iPhone Home Screen, including a Safari shortcut if your iPhone can’t run the app.
Install Several Google Apps at Once With the Best of Google Bundle
If you’re setting up a new iPhone and want several Google apps, the App Store has a free bundle from Google called Best of Google. Google’s help page about the bundle confirms that no purchase is needed. It includes Chrome, Gmail, Google Maps, and other core Google apps. The bundle’s App Store listing shows the current app list and iOS requirement, and Google can change both.
- Open the App Store and tap Search.
- Type Best of Google bundle and tap Search.
- Tap the bundle result from Google LLC. It’s labeled as a bundle and lists the apps it contains.
- Tap Get and confirm with Face ID, Touch ID, or your password.
- Wait for the apps to download. Each one appears on your Home Screen or in the App Library as it finishes.
The bundle is a good fit when you want most of those apps. If you only want one or two, installing them individually avoids filling your iPhone with apps you won’t use. You can delete any app from the bundle afterward without affecting the others.
What to Do After Chrome Is Installed
Find the icon. New apps usually land on the last page of your Home Screen. If you don’t see Chrome there, swipe left past your last Home Screen page to open the App Library, or swipe down from the middle of the Home Screen and search for Chrome. If new apps always go only to the App Library, open Settings > Home Screen & App Library and choose Add to Home Screen under Newly Downloaded Apps.
Make Chrome your default browser. Installing Chrome doesn’t change which browser opens when you tap a link in Mail or Messages. To switch, go to Settings > Apps > Default Apps > Browser App and choose Chrome. Apple describes this setting on its default apps support page. There’s more detail, including how to switch back to Safari, in making Chrome the default browser on iPhone.
Some apps, such as Reddit, also need their own setting before links leave the app, so you may need to change the web browser used by the Reddit iPhone app.
Keep it updated. Chrome updates through the App Store like any other app. If you’ve turned off automatic updates, open the App Store, tap your account photo in the upper-right corner, and pull down to refresh the list of pending updates.
A good first step after installing is learning how to open a new tab in Chrome.
Reinstall Chrome or a Google App You Deleted
Uninstalling and reinstalling Chrome is worth trying when it has persistent problems with updates, pop-ups, or your search engine. Reinstalling is also how you get back an app you removed by mistake.
- Open the App Store and tap your account photo in the upper-right corner.
- Tap Apps & Purchase History, then Your Apps.
- Tap Not on this iPhone.
- Find Google Chrome or the Google app you want and tap the cloud download button next to it.
Older versions of iOS label the list in step 2 Purchased. Apple’s redownload instructions describe the same list. You can also just search for the app in the App Store and tap the cloud button on its listing.
Deleting Chrome removes anything stored only on the iPhone, such as open tabs and browsing history that wasn’t synced. If you were signed in to Chrome with sync turned on, your bookmarks and saved passwords come back after you sign in again.
If Chrome or a Google App Won’t Install
- The Get button does nothing or asks for payment information. The App Store sometimes needs a valid payment method on file, even for free apps, if your Apple Account has an unpaid balance or a billing problem. Check Settings > [your name] > Payment & Shipping.
- The listing says the app isn’t compatible. Your iPhone is running an iOS version older than the app needs. Update through Settings > General > Software Update if your iPhone supports a newer version. If it doesn’t, the App Store may offer the last compatible version of the app when you try to download it.
- The download stalls on “Waiting.” Check your Wi-Fi or cellular connection, then touch and hold the app icon and tap Resume Download or Prioritize Download if you see it. Restarting the iPhone clears most stuck downloads.
- There isn’t enough storage. Delete or offload apps you don’t use, or clear old photos and videos. The article on deleting apps on iPhone covers the difference between deleting and offloading.
- The App Store is missing or installs are blocked. Screen Time can turn off app installs. Open Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > iTunes & App Store Purchases and make sure Installing Apps is set to Allow. On a child’s iPhone, the family organizer may need to approve the download through Ask to Buy.
- You see two or three apps called “Chrome.” Only one is from Google. Check the developer name on the listing before you tap Get.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Google Chrome free on iPhone?
Yes. Chrome and the other Google apps are free to download from the App Store. Some Google apps, such as Google Drive and the Google app, offer optional paid storage or subscription upgrades inside the app, but you don’t need them to use the app.
Why does Chrome on iPhone look different from Chrome on my computer?
Chrome on iPhone is built for the phone’s screen, so the menu, tabs, and settings are arranged differently. It also uses Apple’s WebKit engine to display web pages, as all iPhone browsers have traditionally been required to do. Your bookmarks, passwords, and history still sync between devices when you’re signed in to the same Google Account.
Can I install Chrome on an older iPhone that can’t update to iOS 18?
Not the current version. If you try to download Chrome on an iPhone with an older iOS version that you’ve used Chrome on before, the App Store may offer the last compatible version. That older version won’t receive new features or security fixes.
Do I need the Google app if I have Chrome?
No. Chrome already uses Google search by default. The Google app adds features like Google Lens and a personalized news feed, so install it only if you want those.
Will installing Chrome delete Safari?
No. Safari stays on your iPhone. You can use both browsers and pick which one opens links by default.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are checked step by step against the device or app maker’s own documentation and tested on his own devices whenever he has the hardware or software, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
Read more about Matthew and how Solve Your Tech writes and updates its guides, or report a correction.