Google Chrome Stable gets Reset Browser Settings feature
Sometimes it is best to start anew, especially if you face a situation where recovery is unlikely. Mozilla implemented a reset feature to the Firefox web browser in recent time that enables users to reset it whenever they want to start fresh.
Users of the browser can run a manual reset, or run it when Firefox has not been used for some time or when crashes or slow loading times are experienced.
Google announced today that it has added a reset feature to its Chrome Stable browser as well which works similar to Mozilla's implementation.
It can be used to reset the browser to a factory-fresh state so that you can start as if it was the first run after installation of it on the computer system.
We have reviewed the feature back when it was first introduced in the Canary and Dev builds of Chrome, and it appears that it has not changed in the meantime.
It seems that the company is currently making the reset option available only in the settings of the browser, and that you won't get prompts like in Mozilla Firefox at the time of writing.
How to reset Google Chrome
- Load chrome://settings/ in the address bar.
- Click on "Show advanced settings..." at the bottom of the page.
- Scroll all the way down until you find "Reset browser settings".
- Click on the button to reset Google Chrome.
A confirmation prompt is displayed that explains the consequences of resetting the browser. It does the following basically:
- Reset all browser settings to their default states.
- Reset the homepage, new tab page and search engine.
- Disable all extensions.
- Unpin all tabs.
- Temporary data will be cleared, including cookies and site data.
Tip: If you configure Google Sync prior to resetting Chrome, you may sync data back once the browser has been reset.
When to reset Google Chrome?
When should you make use of the reset functionality of the browser? You may want to use it if the browser is damaged beyond repair. Maybe it is crashing at all times, slow, or unreliable in other ways.
I think it is usually better to troubleshoot the issue before you do anything drastic. A good starting point is to disable all extensions and plugins, make sure Google Chrome is up to date, and that you have not enabled or disabled any experimental flags on the chrome://flags/ page that may interfere with the stability or performance of the browser.
It can be a viable option for Chrome users who do not know how to troubleshoot the issues or don't have the time to do so.
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It’s always good to have this kind of 1-click reset button just in case you need them..
Wondering if anyone knows of a new command line parameter to perform the reset? could be quite useful…
I’ve been searching for a way to script or run Chrome’s “Reset browser settings” feature from the command line too and so far have come up empty handed. If anyone has found a way, please share in the comments.