Chrome Not Opening: Why It Happens and How to Fix It (Windows, Mac, Android)

When Chrome is not opening, the cause is usually a Chrome process stuck in the background, a corrupted user profile, an extension, a graphics acceleration incompatibility, or security software blocking Chrome. In this guide we first show where to start based on the symptom, then list the steps you can take on Windows, Mac and Android when Chrome will not open, from the easiest to the most thorough.

Quick Diagnosis by Symptom

What happens?	Likely cause	Try first
I click the icon and nothing happens	Chrome process stuck in the background	End all Chrome processes in Task Manager
The window opens and closes immediately	Corrupted profile or extension	Start without extensions, then a new profile
The window is black, white or flickering	Graphics acceleration / graphics driver	Start with --disable-gpu
Chrome opens but no site loads	Internet, DNS or proxy	Try another browser, check DNS and proxy settings
It will not open after an update	Unfinished update or security software	Restart the computer, check the antivirus quarantine
It opens and closes on Android	Cache, Chrome or Android System WebView version	Clear the cache, update from the Play Store

If Chrome Will Not Open on Windows

1. End Stuck Chrome Processes

This is the most common reason for “I click Chrome but it does not open”: Chrome has not fully closed, Windows thinks it is still running, and no new window appears. Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc, select the Google Chrome rows on the Processes tab and click End task. As a faster option, run this command in Command Prompt:

taskkill /F /IM chrome.exe /T

Then open Chrome again. If the problem keeps coming back, turn off System → Continue running background apps when Google Chrome is closed in Chrome settings.

2. Restart the Computer

A restart completes unfinished Chrome or Windows updates and clears stuck services. Choose Restart rather than Shut down; if Windows Fast Startup is on, Shut down does not fully reset running processes.

3. Start Chrome Without Extensions

A faulty extension can make Chrome close as soon as it opens. Open the Run window with Win + R and type:

chrome --disable-extensions

If Chrome opens this way, type chrome://extensions in the address bar, turn off all extensions and restart Chrome normally. Then turn the extensions back on one by one to find and remove the one causing the problem.

4. Turn Off Graphics Acceleration (Black or White Screen)

If the window opens but is black, white or flickering, the problem is usually an incompatibility between the graphics driver and hardware acceleration. Try this in the Run window:

chrome --disable-gpu

If Chrome opens correctly, turn off Settings → System → Use graphics acceleration when available and restart Chrome. For a permanent fix, update your graphics driver from the manufacturer’s site or Windows Update.

5. Try a New User Profile

A corrupted file in the profile folder can stop Chrome from starting at all. Test it by backing up the profile instead of deleting it:

1. End all Chrome processes (step 1).
2. Open this folder with Win + R: %LOCALAPPDATA%GoogleChromeUser Data
3. Rename the Default folder to Default.bak.
4. Open Chrome; a new, empty profile is created.

If Chrome opens, the problem is in the old profile. You can get your bookmarks and passwords back by signing in with your Google account and turning on sync. If you do not use sync, your bookmarks are in the Bookmarks file inside Default.bak; you can copy that file into the new Default folder.

6. Check Antivirus and Security Software

After an update, security software can mistakenly quarantine chrome.exe. Check your antivirus program’s quarantine or blocked list; if Chrome is there, restore it and mark it as trusted. Also check Virus & threat protection → Protection history in Windows Security.

7. Scan for Malware

Browser hijackers can change the Chrome shortcut or stop it from opening. In Windows Security, run Scan options → Full scan or a Microsoft Defender Offline scan. Also right-click the Chrome shortcut on the desktop and check in Properties → Target whether there is an unknown address or parameter after chrome.exe.

8. Run Chrome Directly

The shortcut may be broken. Try opening Chrome directly from the program folder:

"C:Program FilesGoogleChromeApplicationchrome.exe"

If it opens this way, delete the old shortcut and pin Chrome to the taskbar and desktop again.

9. Uninstall and Reinstall Chrome

1. Uninstall Google Chrome from Settings → Apps → Installed apps.
2. For a clean install, delete the %LOCALAPPDATA%GoogleChrome folder. This also deletes bookmarks and passwords that are not synced; back up the User Data folder first.
3. Using Microsoft Edge, download and install Chrome only from the official download page (google.com/chrome).

If Chrome Will Not Open on a Mac

• Force quit: Press Command + Option + Esc, select Chrome and click Force Quit, or end all Google Chrome processes in Activity Monitor.
• Test the profile: In Finder, use Go → Go to Folder to open ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome and rename the Default folder to Default.bak.
• macOS and Chrome version: Current Chrome versions may not support older macOS versions; update macOS or download Chrome again and install it in the Applications folder.

If Chrome Will Not Open on an Android Phone

1. In Settings → Apps → Chrome, tap Force stop and open Chrome again.
2. On the same screen, tap Storage → Clear cache. If the problem continues, you can also try Clear data; this deletes sign-ins and data that is not synced.
3. Update the Chrome and Android System WebView apps in the Play Store. If their versions do not match, Chrome can close as soon as it opens.
4. Restart the phone and check that storage is not full.

If Chrome Opens but Sites Do Not Load

In this case the problem is not Chrome itself but the connection. Try opening the same site in another browser or on your phone. If it does not open anywhere, restart the router; if only some sites do not open, clear the DNS cache (ipconfig /flushdns) or use a different DNS. We explain the steps in our guide on DNS settings and how to change DNS. If you see a “connection was reset” error, see our ERR_CONNECTION_RESET guide.

If only one site such as YouTube, WhatsApp Web or Instagram does not open, click the site icon in the address bar, choose Site settings → Delete data, then try the same site in an Incognito window (Ctrl + Shift + N). If it opens in Incognito, the problem is that site’s cookies or an extension.

Resetting Chrome Settings

If Chrome opens but often freezes, its home page changes or it opens unexpected tabs, type chrome://settings/reset in the address bar and choose Restore settings to their original defaults. This turns off extensions, resets the startup page and search engine and clears cookies; bookmarks, history and saved passwords are not deleted.

If None of These Worked

• Update Windows: Missing system updates can cause incompatibilities with new Chrome versions.
• Repair system files: Run sfc /scannow in Command Prompt opened as administrator.
• Create another Windows user account: If Chrome opens in the new account, the problem is in the old account’s settings.
• If you are on a work computer: Chrome may be restricted by administrator policies (visible on the chrome://policy page); contact your IT team.

Conclusion

If Chrome is not opening, first end stuck Chrome processes in Task Manager and restart the computer; these two steps fix most cases. If it opens and closes, try starting without extensions and a new profile; if it shows a black screen, turn off graphics acceleration with --disable-gpu. On Android, clear the cache and update Chrome and Android System WebView. If nothing works, back up your data and reinstall Chrome from the official site.