What happens when you open Chrome, and how to change it
When you open Chrome, it shows you one of three things: a blank page, your home page, or a list of sites you visit often. You control which one appears. The home page is what loads when you click the house icon in your toolbar. The startup page is what loads when you first open Chrome. They can be the same or different — it depends on what you choose.
Most people want their startup page to be Google, their email, a news site, or a blank page. You can set it to any website you visit regularly. The steps take about two minutes and you can change it back anytime.
Key Takeaways
- Your startup page (what opens when you launch Chrome) and your home page (what the house icon takes you to) are separate settings you control independently.
- To change either one, open Chrome Settings, click Appearance on the left, and toggle "Show home button" on if you want a home button in your toolbar.
- Once the home button is visible, click "Change" next to "Home" to pick a website, or leave it blank for a blank page.
- To change your startup page, go to Settings, click Startup on the left, and choose between opening a blank page, your home page, or specific websites you list.
- If a website hijacked your startup page without your permission, check your installed extensions and remove any you do not recognize.
How to turn on the home button and set your home page
The home button does not appear in Chrome by default. You have to turn it on first. Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Select Settings. On the left side, click Appearance.
Look for the section labeled "Home button." Toggle the switch to the right to turn it on. A house icon now appears to the left of your address bar. Below the toggle, you will see two options: "New Tab page" or "Custom URL." If you choose "New Tab page," clicking the home button opens a blank page with your shortcuts. If you choose "Custom URL," a text box appears where you can paste the web address you want to load instead.
Type or paste the full website address — for example, https://www.gmail.com or https://www.bbc.com. Chrome saves this automatically. Now when you click the home button, it takes you to that site.
How to change what opens when you launch Chrome
Your startup page is separate from your home page. It is what Chrome shows you the moment you open the process. Go back to Settings (three dots, top right, then Settings). On the left side, click Startup.
You will see three radio button options. The first is "Continue where you left off" — Chrome reopens all the tabs you had open last time. The second is "Open the New Tab page" — Chrome opens to a blank page with shortcuts. The third is "Open a specific page or set of pages" — you can list one or more websites that load automatically.
If you want Chrome to open to a specific site every time, select the third option. Click "Add a new page" and paste the website address. You can add multiple sites if you want them all to load at startup. Click the X next to any site to remove it. Chrome saves these changes right away.
When a website hijacked your startup page
Sometimes a website or a program you installed changes your startup page without asking. You open Chrome and instead of Google or your home page, you see an unfamiliar search engine or ad page. This usually happens because of an extension you installed, or because you accidentally checked a box during software installation.
First, check your extensions. Click the three dots in the top right, hover over More tools, and click Extensions. Look through the list for anything you do not recognize or do not remember installing. Click the trash icon next to it to remove it. Then go back to Settings and check your Startup page again — it should be back to normal.
If you still see an unfamiliar startup page after removing extensions, go to Settings, click Reset settings at the bottom of the left menu, and select Restore settings to their original defaults. Chrome will reset your home page, startup page, search engine, and extensions to factory settings. You will have to set your home page again, but the hijacked page will be gone.
Using a blank page as your startup page
Some people prefer to open Chrome to a blank page and then choose where to go. This gives you a moment to think instead of automatically loading a site. Go to Settings, click Startup, and select Open the New Tab page. This opens a blank page with your most visited sites as shortcuts — you can click one of those or type a new address in the search bar.
If you want a completely blank page with no shortcuts, select "Open a specific page or set of pages" and leave the list empty. Chrome will open to a blank white page. You can still type in the address bar or use the search box at the top.
Syncing your settings across devices
If you use Chrome on multiple devices and you are signed into your Google account, your home page and startup page settings sync automatically. Change your home page on your laptop, and it changes on your phone and tablet too. If you do not want this to happen, you can turn off sync for settings. Click your profile picture in the top right, then Sync and Google services, and toggle off Sync everything. Then toggle off Sync settings specifically.
If you are signed into Chrome on a work computer, your employer may control some of these settings through a policy. If you try to change your home page or startup page and it keeps reverting, ask your IT department whether they have locked these settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I set different home pages for different tabs?
No. Your home page is the same for every tab — clicking the home button always takes you to the same site. If you want different sites to open automatically, use the startup page setting instead and list multiple websites.
What if Chrome keeps changing my home page back?
An extension is probably doing it. Go to Settings, click More tools, then Extensions. Look for extensions you did not install yourself and remove them. If you still see the problem, reset your settings to defaults as described above.
Does changing my home page affect my search engine?
No. Your home page and your search engine are separate. You can have Google as your home page but use a different search engine, or vice versa. To change your search engine, go to Settings, click Search engine on the left, and pick a different one from the list.
Will my home page setting work if I am not signed into Chrome?
Yes. Your home page and startup page settings are stored on your device, not in your Google account. They work whether you are signed in or not. If you sign into a different Google account, the settings stay the same.
Can I make the home button open multiple websites at once?
The home button itself opens only one page. If you want multiple sites to load at startup, use the startup page setting instead and list them there. Each site will open in its own tab.