Deleting a Chrome profile removes that profile's bookmarks, history, passwords, and extensions from your computer
When you delete a Chrome profile, Google Chrome removes the folder that holds everything specific to that profile — your bookmarks, saved passwords, browsing history, extensions, and settings. The browser itself stays on your computer. Other profiles on the same computer are not affected.
What happens to your data depends on one choice you make during deletion: whether to also delete the files associated with that profile. If you check the box to delete files, Chrome removes the profile folder entirely. If you leave it unchecked, the folder stays on your hard drive but Chrome no longer recognizes it as a profile you can open.
This matters because deleting a profile is not the same as signing out. Signing out of your Google account keeps the profile intact; deleting the profile removes it from Chrome entirely.
Key Takeaways
- Deleting a Chrome profile removes all bookmarks, history, passwords, and extensions tied to that profile, but does not uninstall Chrome itself.
- You can choose whether to also delete the profile's files from your hard drive, or keep them in a folder Chrome no longer recognizes.
- The steps differ slightly depending on whether you are using Windows, Mac, or Linux, but the process takes less than a minute.
- If you are signed into a Google account in that profile, deleting the profile does not delete your Google account — only the local Chrome profile.
How to delete a profile on Windows
Open Chrome and look at the top right corner of the window. Click the profile icon — it looks like a circle with your initial or a generic head shape. A menu drops down showing all profiles on this computer. At the bottom of that menu, click Manage profiles.
A new window opens showing all your profiles as cards. Find the profile you want to delete and hover your mouse over it. A three-dot menu appears in the top right corner of that card. Click it, then click Delete. Chrome asks you to confirm: "Delete [profile name]?" with a checkbox that says "Also delete browsing data". Check that box if you want Chrome to remove the profile's files from your hard drive. If you leave it unchecked, the files stay but Chrome stops recognizing the profile. Click Delete profile to finish.
How to delete a profile on Mac
The steps are identical to Windows. Click the profile icon in the top right corner of Chrome, select Manage profiles, hover over the profile you want to delete, click the three-dot menu, and click Delete. Choose whether to also delete browsing data, then confirm.
On Mac, if you choose to delete the browsing data as well, Chrome removes the profile folder from ~/Library/process Support/Google/Chrome. If you do not check that box, the folder remains but Chrome will not show it as an available profile.
How to delete a profile on Linux
The Chrome interface is the same: profile icon in the top right, Manage profiles, hover and click the three-dot menu, then Delete. The checkbox for deleting browsing data works the same way.
On Linux, the profile folder is stored in ~/.config/google-chrome. If you do not delete the files through Chrome's interface, you can manually remove the folder from the command line, but using Chrome's delete function is simpler and safer.
What to do before you delete a profile
Before you delete, think about what you might need later. If the profile contains bookmarks you want to keep, export them first. In Chrome, click the three-dot menu in the top right corner, go to Bookmarks, then Bookmark manager. In the Bookmark manager, click the three-dot menu again and select Export bookmarks. Save the file as an HTML file to your desktop or documents folder. You can import those bookmarks into another profile later.
If you are signed into a Google account in that profile and you want to keep your Google data — email, calendar, Drive files — do not worry. Deleting the Chrome profile does not delete your Google account. Your Google account and all its data stay on Google's servers. You can sign into that same Google account in a different Chrome profile and see all your data again.
If the profile contains saved passwords you need, write them down or use a password manager to store them before you delete. Chrome does not give you a way to export passwords, so if you delete the profile without recording them elsewhere, you will need to reset those passwords on the websites themselves.
When to delete a profile instead of just signing out
Signing out of your Google account in Chrome keeps the profile intact — you just remove the account connection. Deleting the profile removes everything. You should delete a profile when you no longer need it and want to clean up your browser, or when you are giving the computer to someone else and want to remove your personal data from Chrome.
If you just want to stop seeing notifications from a particular account, or you want to use a different Google account, signing out is faster and safer. You can always sign back in later. If you delete the profile, you have to recreate it from scratch.
Deleting a profile is also useful if a profile has become slow or buggy. Sometimes a profile accumulates corrupted data over time. Deleting it and creating a fresh one can solve performance problems.
What happens to your Google account after you delete the profile
Your Google account itself is not affected. Google keeps your email, calendar, Drive files, and other Google services on its servers. Deleting a Chrome profile only removes the local copy of your data that Chrome stored on your computer.
The next time you sign into that Google account — whether in Chrome on this computer or on any other device — you will see all your Google data again. Chrome syncs your bookmarks, history, passwords, and settings to Google's servers if you are signed in, so deleting the profile means losing the local copy, but your Google account data remains intact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I undo deleting a profile?
If you checked the box to delete browsing data, the profile is permanently gone and cannot be recovered. If you did not check that box, the profile folder still exists on your hard drive, but Chrome will not recognize it as a profile. You would need to manually restore it using file recovery software or by copying the folder back to the correct location, which is complicated. It is safer to assume deletion is permanent.
Will deleting a profile sign me out of websites?
Yes. Deleting a profile removes all saved cookies and login information for that profile. Websites you were logged into will no longer recognize you on that computer. You will need to log in again if you create a new profile and visit those sites.
Does deleting a Chrome profile delete my Google account?
No. Deleting a Chrome profile only removes the profile from Chrome on that computer. Your Google account, email, calendar, and all Google services remain active and accessible from any device. You can sign into your Google account in a new Chrome profile and see all your data.
What if I delete a profile by mistake?
If you did not check the box to delete browsing data, the profile folder is still on your hard drive in a hidden location. You can try using file recovery software, but success is not may provide. If you did check that box, the data is gone. Going forward, you can prevent accidental deletion by being careful when you click the delete button, or by exporting important bookmarks before deleting.
Can I delete a profile while I am using it?
No. Chrome will not let you delete the profile you are currently logged into. You must switch to a different profile first, then delete the one you want to remove. If you only have one profile, create a new one before deleting the old one.