What to do when Chrome doesn’t open on your Mac

Google Chrome suddenly won’t start? If you’ve faced this problem, you're not alone: many macOS users have reported the same frustrating issue. Luckily, we know how to troubleshoot it.

1. Restart your Mac 

Although it may seem too obvious to work, sometimes your Mac just needs a restart. A reboot will close all active apps, free up your Mac’s memory, and possibly fix what’s wrong with Google Chrome. 

2. Stop Chrome from running in the background

The reason why Chrome won’t start may be that it’s already running, hidden in the background. Some extensions and apps make the browser run in the background, so they can continue to function. Let's check to see if Chrome is open:

1. Press the Command-Option-Esc keys.

2. Force Quit Applications window will appear. Search for Google Chrome in the list, and select Force Quit.

3. Run a malware check

Malware can slow down your Mac and interfere with other apps on your computer, including Google Chrome. If you see a lot of ads, pop-ups on your Mac and the whole system gets slow, chances are you caught malware. Scan your Mac for malware using antivirus software of your choice. If you don’t have one installed, we recommend CleanMyMac X’s Malware Removal tool.

4. Run maintenance scripts

If you still can't open Google Chrome, it's time to give your Mac a helping hand. Your Mac might be struggling to perform basic tasks, like launching Chrome, if there are too many other heavy processes running. CleanMyMac X's Maintenance module will run maintenance scripts and repair disk permissions to keep your Mac fully optimized so it can cope with launching Chrome. 

1. Download CleanMyMac X (free download)

2. Launch the app and select Maintenance in the left sidebar, then press the View Tasks button.

3. Check Maintenance scripts and Repair Disk Permissions from the list, then press Run.

5. Reinstall Chrome 

If all the above doesn't work, you’ll need to take drastic action — reinstall Chrome. Go to Finder and then navigate to Applications. Drag Chrome to Trash and confirm. Then use Safari or another browser to install Chrome on your Mac.

If you don’t want to delete Chrome from your Mac, we recommend doing a reset with CleanMyMac X. It will reset Chrome settings to default and bring it back to its original state. 

Open CleanMyMac X and launch the Uninstaller Module, select Google Chrome from the list, select Reset from the option list next to it, and click Reset at the bottom of the app. When you relaunch Google Chrome, it will feel completely new and even run a little faster.