Google Chrome for Beginners: Install, Browse, Stay Safe

Illustration of a laptop showing a simple browser window with tabs, a search bar and a bookmark star, beside a green shield with a tick, a magnifying glass, and the title Google Chrome for Beginners.

Last checked: 14 October 2026. Steps follow Google's own Chrome Help pages and google.com/chrome on that date. Google does tweak its menus from time to time, so don't worry if yours looks slightly different.

Ever been told to "just open your browser" and wondered which one? A web browser is simply the program you use to visit websites, and there's a fair chance Google Chrome is already on your computer or phone.

This guide covers what Chrome is, how to install it safely, the everyday basics, and the safety settings worth five minutes of your time, including what Incognito really does.

What is Google Chrome?

Chrome is a web browser made by Google, and Google says you can download and install it at no charge. It runs on Windows computers, Macs, Android phones and tablets, and iPhones and iPads.

Think of it as the window you look at the internet through. Websites are the view; Chrome is the frame, with an address bar at the top, tabs for keeping several pages open, and a menu for settings.

Why use it?

It works across your devices. Sign in with your Google Account and your bookmarks, saved passwords and more follow you, even to a new laptop or replacement phone.
Passwords are built in. Chrome includes Google Password Manager, which I covered in Google Password Manager for Beginners.
Safety features as standard, including Safe Browsing warnings and Safety Check.
Regular updates. Google says there's a new Chrome update every four weeks, and Chrome can update itself automatically.

Before you start

Check your device is supported. At the time of writing Google lists Windows 10 or later, macOS 13 Ventura or later, Android 10 or later, and iOS 18 or later.
Only download Chrome from Google. On a computer, that means typing google.com/chrome into your current browser. On a phone, use the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Avoid "download Chrome" adverts and pop-ups on other websites.

Step by step: install Chrome

On a Windows PC

Open the browser you already have (on Windows that's usually Microsoft Edge) and go to google.com/chrome.
Download the installation file.
Open the file and follow the on-screen instructions. If Windows asks "Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?", select Yes.
When installation finishes, a Chrome window opens. You can make Chrome your default browser if you wish.

On a Mac

Go to google.com/chrome and download the installation file.
Open the file called googlechrome.dmg.
In the window that opens, drag Chrome into the Applications folder. You may be asked for your Mac's admin password.

On an Android phone or tablet

Most Android phones that come with Google's apps already have Chrome installed (some makers add their own browser alongside it). If you can't find it:

Open the Play Store app.
Search for Chrome, tap Install, then Open.

On an iPhone or iPad

Open the App Store and search for Chrome.
Tap Get and follow the on-screen instructions (you may be asked for your Apple ID password).
Tap Open to start browsing.

Finding your way around

Most settings live behind the three-dot More button (top right on a computer; phones have one too).

Search from the address bar

The long bar at the top does two jobs: type a web address to go straight there, or type a few words and press Enter to search. In some countries Google Search is the default; in others Chrome asks you to choose a search engine.

Tabs: several pages in one window

New tab: select the + (New tab) button at the top, or press Ctrl + T (Windows) or ⌘ + T (Mac).
Close a tab: Ctrl + W or ⌘ + W.
Keep a favourite tab handy: right-click it and choose Pin.

Bookmarks: save sites you'll visit again

Go to the website you want to keep.
Select the star (Bookmark) to the right of the address bar.

To see your bookmarks as a row of buttons under the address bar, select More → Bookmarks and lists → Show bookmarks bar. To browse or tidy them, choose Bookmark manager from the same menu.

Choose what opens when Chrome starts

Select More → Settings.
On the left, select On startup.
Pick Open the new tab page, Continue where you left off, or Open a specific page or set of pages (then Add a new page and enter the address).

Want a Home button too? In Settings, under Appearance, turn on Show Home button.

Make text bigger and easier to read

One site: select More, then the + or − next to Zoom. Or press Ctrl and + (Mac: ⌘ and +). Chrome remembers the size for that site.
Every site on a computer: More → Settings → Appearance, then change Page zoom or Font size.
Android: More → Settings → Accessibility, then move the Default zoom slider until the preview text is comfortable.

Sign in, so your bookmarks follow you

On a computer, select the Profile icon at the top right → Sign in to Chrome.
Enter your Google Account details and select Next.

To choose what's saved to your account, go to More → Settings → You and Google and select your account name. On a shared or borrowed computer, think twice before signing in, and sign out when you've finished.

Profiles: one computer, several people

Profiles keep bookmarks, history, passwords and settings separate, handy if you share a computer. Select the Profile icon → Add Chrome profile, choose a name and colour, and switch from the same button. One caution from Google: profiles aren't locked, so anyone using the computer can open yours.

Keeping Chrome up to date

Chrome normally updates in the background when you close and reopen it. To check on a computer:

Select More → Help → About Google Chrome.
Chrome checks for updates. If you see Relaunch, select it. If there's no Relaunch button, you're up to date.

Your tabs reopen after a relaunch (Incognito windows don't). On phones and tablets, Chrome updates through the Play Store or App Store like any other app.

Staying safe in Chrome

Run Safety Check

Safety Check looks for compromised, reused or weak saved passwords, your Safe Browsing status, available Chrome updates and, on a computer, potentially harmful extensions. Chrome runs it automatically, but you can check yourself, then select anything flagged and follow the instructions:

Computer: More → Settings → Privacy and security, then under Safety Check select Go to Safety Check.
Android: More → Settings → Safety check.
iPhone/iPad: More → Settings → Safety check → Check now.

Standard or Enhanced Safe Browsing?

Standard protection is on by default and warns about sites, downloads and extensions known to be dangerous. Enhanced protection also warns about new dangers, but sends the address of each site you visit, plus a small sample of page content and system information, to Google to check. Google says that's only used for security.

To choose on a computer: More → Settings → Privacy and security → Security. On Android: More → Settings → Privacy and security → Safe Browsing. Whatever you pick, avoid No protection.

Clear your browsing data

Select More → Delete browsing data (the same wording appears on computer, Android and iPhone).
Choose a time range, such as Last hour or All time.
Tick what you want to remove, such as browsing history, cookies or cached images, then confirm with Delete data (on iPhone, Delete browsing data).

Worth knowing: if you're signed in, deleted items go from your other signed-in devices too. And cookies keep you logged in to websites, so after deleting them you may need to sign back in to some sites.

Incognito: what it does and doesn't do

Open it on a computer with More → New Incognito window (or Ctrl + Shift + N, Mac ⌘ + Shift + N). On an iPhone or iPad, tap More → New Incognito tab; on Android, look for the Incognito option under More.

What it does: once you close all your Incognito windows, Chrome doesn't keep a record of the sites you visited or their cookies, and it doesn't sign you in automatically. Handy on a shared computer, or when shopping for a surprise present.

What it doesn't do: make you invisible. Google says the websites you visit, and whoever runs your network (your internet provider, for example), may still see your activity. Files you download and bookmarks you save are kept afterwards.

Extensions: add with care

Extensions are small add-ons from the Chrome Web Store. Some are useful, but an extension can ask to "read and change" data on the websites you visit, so treat each one like a stranger asking for a key.

Only install ones you really need, and only approve permissions you're comfortable with.
If Chrome asks about an extension you didn't expect (some programs add one when installed), select Remove.
To review yours: More → Extensions → Manage extensions, and remove anything you don't recognise.

Handy tips

Search your bookmarks by typing @bookmarks in the address bar, pressing Space, then a word from the bookmark's name.
Look for "Not secure" in the address bar. Chrome shows it for sites without a secure (HTTPS) connection, so don't type passwords or card details there.
Bring back a closed tab with Ctrl + Shift + T (Mac ⌘ + Shift + T).

Common problems (and what to do)

"My home page or search engine changed by itself." Google warns this can be a sign of unwanted software. Try More → Settings → Reset settings → Restore settings to their original defaults → Reset settings. Bookmarks and saved passwords aren't deleted, but start-up pages, pinned tabs, extensions and some other settings go back to their defaults on every device where you're signed in.
"My bookmarks aren't on my new laptop." Sign in to Chrome with the same Google Account on both. Items saved while signed out stay only on that device.
"Chrome says my computer won't get updates." Your operating system is probably too old for current Chrome, and an out-of-date browser isn't wise online. Update the system if you can; some people give an older PC a new lease of life with Linux instead (see my Linux for Beginners guide).

Frequently asked questions

Is Google Chrome free?

Yes. Google says you can download and install it at no charge, so be wary of any site asking you to pay.

Do I need a Google Account to use Chrome?

No. You can browse without signing in. Signing in simply lets you save bookmarks, passwords and settings to your Google Account so they're available on your other devices.

Does Incognito stop my internet provider seeing what I do?

No. Incognito limits what Chrome saves on your device. Websites, and whoever manages your network (such as your internet provider or employer), may still see your activity.

Will deleting browsing data remove my saved passwords?

On a computer and on iPhone or iPad, saved passwords are managed separately in Google Password Manager, so a normal clear-out leaves them alone. On Android, Saved passwords is one of the boxes you can tick under More options, so leave it unticked unless you really mean it.

Final thoughts

You don't need to know what's under the bonnet to use a browser well. Install Chrome from Google's own page or your app store, learn tabs, bookmarks and zoom, and let it update itself. Then spend five minutes on Safety Check and Safe Browsing, and be choosy about extensions. That's most of the battle won, and you'll be the one explaining Incognito to the family at Christmas.

If you get stuck, leave a comment below and I'll do my best to help, but never post passwords, recovery codes or personal details in a comment.

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