How to Uninstall Google Chrome

By
Joshua Njiru
uninstall chrome

uninstall chromeWhy Uninstall Google Chrome?

Despite its numerous advantages, Chrome has often received some slack from the PC community due to its high RAM usage. There are many other reasons users might want to uninstall Chrome from their computer. Whether you’re switching to another browser, addressing privacy concerns, or troubleshooting performance issues, this article will walk you through the complete uninstallation process for different operating systems.

Common Reasons for Uninstalling Chrome

  • Privacy concerns
  • Performance issues
  • Switching to alternative browsers
  • Reducing system clutter
  • Resolving browser-related problems

Uninstalling Chrome on Linux

Ubuntu/Debian-based Systems

<span class="token"># Remove Chrome using package manager</span>
<span class="token">sudo</span> <span class="token">apt-get</span> remove google-chrome-stable
 
<span class="token"># Optional: Remove configuration files</span>
<span class="token">sudo</span> <span class="token">apt-get</span> purge google-chrome-stable
<span class="token"># Clean up unused dependencies</span>
<span class="token">sudo</span> <span class="token">apt-get</span> autoremove

Fedora

<span class="token"># Remove Chrome</span>
<span class="token">sudo</span> dnf remove google-chrome-stable
<span class="token"># Remove configuration files</span>
<span class="token">sudo</span> dnf autoremove google-chrome-stable

Arch Linux

<span class="token"># Uninstall Chrome using package manager</span>
<span class="token">sudo</span> pacman -R google-chrome
<span class="token"># Remove configuration files</span>
<span class="token">sudo</span> pacman -Rns google-chrome

Uninstalling Chrome on Windows

There are several methods you can use to uninstall Chrome on your Windows.

Method 1: Using Control Panel

  1. Open Control Panel
  2. Click “Uninstall a Program” or “Programs and Features”
  3. Find Google Chrome in the list
  4. Right-click on Chrome
  5. Select “Uninstall”
  6. Follow the on-screen prompts
  7. Confirm deletion

Method 2: Using Settings

  1. Open Windows Settings
  2. Go to “Apps” > “Apps & Features”
  3. Find Google Chrome
  4. Click on Chrome
  5. Select “Uninstall”
  6. Confirm the action

Method 3: Using Chrome Cleanup Tool

  1. Download Official Chrome Cleanup Tool from Google
  2. Run the tool
  3. Follow on-screen instructions
  4. Restart your computer

Uninstalling Chrome on macOS

Method 1: Drag to Trash

  1. Close all Chrome windows
  2. Open Finder
  3. Go to Applications folder
  4. Find Google Chrome
  5. Drag Chrome to Trash
  6. Right-click Trash
  7. Select “Empty Trash”

Method 2: Using Finder

  1. Open Finder
  2. Go to Applications
  3. Right-click on Google Chrome
  4. Select “Move to Trash”

Additional macOS Steps

  • Delete Chrome user data
<span class="token"># Remove Chrome profile data</span>
<span class="token">rm</span> -rf ~/Library/Application<span class="token">\</span> Support/Google/Chrome
<span class="token">rm</span> -
<span class="token"># Remove Chrome using package manager</span>
<span class="token">sudo</span> <span class="token">apt-get</span> remove google-chrome-stable
 
<span class="token"># Optional: Remove configuration files</span>
<span class="token">sudo</span> <span class="token">apt-get</span> purge google-chrome-stable
<span class="token"># Clean up unused dependencies</span>
<span class="token">sudo</span> <span class="token">apt-get</span> autoremove
 
 

Post-Uninstallation Cleanup

Remove Remaining Files and Folders

  • Windows:
    • Delete
      %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome
    • Clear Chrome entries from Registry
  • macOS:
    • Remove
      ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome
    • Delete
      ~/Library/Caches/Google/Chrome
  • Linux:
    • Remove
      ~/.config/google-chrome
    • Delete
      ~/.cache/google-chrome

Choosing an Alternative Browser

  • Mozilla Firefox
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Opera
  • Brave Browser
  • Safari (for macOS)

Potential Challenges

Common Uninstallation Issues

  1. Persistent Chrome processes
  2. Leftover configuration files
  3. Browser extensions
  4. Sync data

Troubleshooting Tips

  • Close all Chrome windows
  • Use Task Manager to end Chrome processes
  • Restart computer after uninstallation
  • Clear browser sync settings before removal

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