How To Set A Default Homepage In Google Chrome | Set It Once

What “Homepage” Means In Chrome

The term can be confusing because Chrome treats a homepage, startup page, and new tab as separate things. If you came for “how to set a default homepage in google chrome,” the steps below match each case so you pick the behavior you want.

You control a homepage with the Home icon, the startup page at launch, and the new tab whenever you open a fresh tab. On desktop, the option lives under Appearance; on phones, it sits under Homepage in Chrome’s settings. You can change what the Home icon loads, and you can tell Chrome which page opens at launch. The new tab has its own layout; you can tune tiles and theme with Customize Chrome, but the URL itself stays Chrome’s New Tab unless an extension overrides it.

Term	When It Shows	Where To Change
Homepage	When you press the Home icon	Desktop: Settings > Appearance > Show Home button; Android/iPhone: Settings > Homepage
Startup Page(s)	When Chrome launches	Settings > On startup > Open a specific page or set of pages
New Tab Page	When you open a new tab	Customize tiles and theme with Customize Chrome; changing the URL requires an extension

How To Set A Default Homepage In Google Chrome On Desktop

These steps apply to Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chromebooks using the desktop UI. You can go straight to chrome://settings/appearance if you like.

1. Open Settings — Select the three dots in the top right, then choose Settings.
2. Go To Appearance — Pick Appearance in the left sidebar.
3. Show Home Button — Toggle Show Home button on so the house icon appears on the toolbar.
4. Enter A Custom Address — Under “Show Home button,” choose “Enter custom web address” and paste your preferred URL.
5. Test The Button — Click the house icon; your homepage should open in the current tab.

Set a clean, fast page here. A light page loads faster and avoids delays after you press the Home icon. If your site redirects, copy the final address after it loads and use that as your entry so the jump stays quick. If you want Chrome to open that same page each time it starts, add it under On startup as well. The new tab remains Chrome’s built-in page; changing that URL needs an extension, which is separate from a homepage or startup page.

Set Your Default Homepage In Chrome On Android And iPhone

Phones place the control in a single spot named Homepage. The toggle shows a Home icon in the top bar and lets you set a page for that button. The wording can vary a bit by version, but the flow stays the same.

Android

1. Open Chrome Settings — Tap the three dots, then tap Settings.
2. Tap Homepage — Under Advanced, open Homepage and turn it on.
3. Choose A Page — Pick “Open this page,” enter your URL, and save.
4. Use The Home Icon — Tap the house icon to jump to your new homepage.

Android also lets you add the site to the phone’s launcher. Open the page, tap the three dots, and pick Add to Home screen. That creates an app-like icon that opens your page in its own window.

iPhone & iPad

1. Open Chrome Settings — Tap the three dots, then Settings.
2. Find Homepage — Open Homepage and enable it.
3. Enter Your Address — Choose to open a specific page and paste your URL.
4. Try It — Use the Home icon; Chrome loads your page.

On iOS, you can also keep a site one tap away from the Home Screen. Open the page in Chrome, tap Share, then tap Add to Home Screen.

Make Chrome Open Your Homepage At Launch

If you want your favorite site the moment Chrome opens, set a startup page. This works on desktop builds and supports multiple pages if you want a simple dashboard.

1. Open Settings — Select the three dots, then Settings.
2. Open On Startup — In the sidebar, choose On startup.
3. Pick A Mode — Select “Open a specific page or set of pages.”
4. Add Your Homepage — Click Add a new page, paste the URL, then Add. Repeat for any others.
5. Use Current Pages — If the pages are already open, choose Use current pages to capture them.

Startup pages are stored per Chrome profile and per device. A work profile can open work tools while a personal profile opens a reading list. If you sign into Chrome on another computer, you may still need to set startup pages again there. Some people prefer Continue where you left off; keep the Home button set to your fixed page so you always have a quick jump even when session restore brings back many tabs.

Troubleshooting: Homepage Keeps Changing Or Is Locked

If the homepage flips to a different website or the controls look grayed out, a policy, extension, or unwanted software may be in play. The steps below fix most cases without wiping your data.

Quick Checks

• Look For A Lock Banner — If you see “Managed by your organization,” a policy is enforcing settings; sign into a personal profile or ask your admin.
• Check Extensions — Go to More tools > Extensions and remove anything you don’t recognize, then test again.
• Scan For Unwanted Software — Remove suspicious apps on Windows or macOS; adware can change settings and keep them changed.

Reset Only The Browser Settings

1. Open Settings — Three dots, then Settings.
2. Reset Settings — Open Reset settings and pick “Restore settings to their original defaults,” then confirm.
3. Re-apply Your Homepage — Set the Home button and startup page again.

Reset leaves your bookmarks, history, and saved passwords intact. It turns off extensions and clears temporary data, then resets the startup pages and the Home button to the defaults. After the reset, add only the extensions you trust and set the homepage again.

When Policies Control The Page

On work or school devices, administrators can set a fixed homepage or startup pages. In that case the controls are read-only and a small lock appears. Switching to your own profile helps only if policies are not applied to that profile. On personally owned Windows PCs with a stray policy, remove the policy keys and restart Chrome. On macOS, remove the profile or configuration that set the policy. On an enrolled Chromebook, the organization controls these settings.

Symptom	Likely Cause	Quick Fix
Homepage option is disabled	Enterprise policy or profile	Use a non-managed profile; ask the admin; remove policy files on personal devices
Homepage resets after each restart	Extension or unwanted program	Remove suspicious extensions; reset Chrome settings; uninstall adware
New tab opens the wrong site	New Tab override by an extension	Disable the extension; the built-in New Tab URL can’t be changed without one

Speed Up Your Start With Small Tweaks

Once the homepage is set, a few small tweaks make daily browsing smoother. Use a bookmark bar folder for a “morning read,” pin tabs you keep open, and add a desktop shortcut that launches straight to your homepage. If you want a dashboard when you open a new tab, try a theme or card layout from Customize Chrome; the Home button still jumps to your set page.

• Pin Key Tabs — Right-click a tab and choose Pin so it stays compact and loads with your session restore.
• Add A Keyboard Shortcut — Press Alt+Home on some keyboards or map a macro to click the Home icon.
• Create A Direct Shortcut — Make a desktop shortcut that targets your URL so one click lands on your homepage.
• Use Profiles — Keep work and personal pages separate; each profile can have its own homepage and startup pages.

As a last tip, if you ever write internal help, a plain phrase like “how to set a default homepage in google chrome” matches the screen labels and the menu names, so people land on the right steps fast.