What the default home page is and why you might change it
When you open Chrome, the page that loads first is your default home page. By default, Chrome shows a blank page with a search box. You can change this to any website you want — your email, a news site, your bank, or anything else you visit regularly. This saves you a click or two each time you open the browser.
The default home page is different from your search engine. Your search engine is what handles the searches you type into the address bar. Your home page is what appears when you click the home button or open a new window. You can set them independently.
Key Takeaways
- Chrome's home page setting is in Settings under Appearance, where you turn on the home button and choose which page to show.
- You can set your home page to any website by typing its full address, including the https:// part.
- The home button appears in the top left corner of Chrome once you enable it in settings.
- If you want multiple pages to open at once, you can add them as startup pages instead, which load when you launch Chrome rather than when you click the home button.
Turning on the home button in Chrome
Chrome does not show a home button by default. You have to enable it first. Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Select Settings from the menu.
On the left side of the Settings page, click Appearance. Look for the section labeled "Home button". Toggle the switch to turn it on. The home button will now appear in the top left corner of your browser, next to the back and forward arrows.
Setting which page appears when you click home
Once the home button is on, you will see two options below it: "Open the New Tab page" and "Open a specific page or set of pages". Click the radio button next to "Open a specific page or set of pages".
A text field will appear. Type the full web address of the page you want to see — for example, https://www.gmail.com or https://www.bbc.com. Include the https:// at the beginning. If you type just "gmail.com" without the https://, Chrome may not recognize it.
If you want multiple pages to open when you click home, click the Add a new page button and type another address. Each address goes on its own line. When you click the home button, all of these pages will open in separate tabs.
The difference between home page and startup pages
Your home page loads when you click the home button. Your startup pages load automatically when you launch Chrome itself — before you click anything. These are two separate settings.
If you want certain pages to open every time you start Chrome, go to Settings, click On startup on the left side, and select "Open a specific page or set of pages". Add your pages the same way you would for the home button. This is useful if you always want your email and calendar open when you start work, for example.
Troubleshooting: the page does not load when you click home
If you click the home button and nothing happens, or you see an error message, the most common cause is a typo in the web address. Check that you typed the full address exactly as it appears in your browser's address bar when you visit the site normally. Copy and paste the address directly from your address bar into the home page field if you are unsure.
If the page loads but looks wrong or is missing images, try clearing your browser cache. Go to Settings, click Privacy and security on the left, select Clear browsing data, make sure "Cached images and files" is checked, and click Clear data. Then click the home button again.
Changing your home page back to the default
If you want to return to Chrome's blank home page, go back to Settings, click Appearance, and toggle the home button off. The button will disappear from your browser and Chrome will no longer have a home page setting.
Alternatively, you can leave the home button on but change it back to "Open the New Tab page" instead of a specific page. This gives you the blank search page without having to turn the button off entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I set a different home page on different devices?
Yes. Chrome syncs your settings across devices if you are signed into the same Google account, so your home page will be the same everywhere by default. To use different home pages on different devices, turn off sync for settings on the devices where you want them different. Go to Settings, click Sync and Google services, and toggle off Sync everything.
What if the website I want as my home page requires a login?
You can set any page as your home page, including a login page. When you click the home button, you will see the login page. You will need to sign in each time unless the website remembers you. Some sites let you stay logged in across browser sessions; others log you out when you close Chrome.
Does changing my home page affect my search engine?
No. Your home page and search engine are separate. You can change your home page without touching your search engine, or vice versa. Your search engine is set in Settings under Search engine on the left side.
Can I use a local file as my home page?
Yes. If you have an HTML file saved on your computer, you can use it as your home page. In the home page field, type the full file path starting with file:/// — for example, file:///C:/Users/YourName/Documents/mypage.html on Windows or file:///Users/YourName/Documents/mypage.html on Mac.