How To Fix Google Chrome Not Opening On Your Mac

Is Google Chrome not opening on your Mac, or otherwise unresponsive? This problem can be caused by a multitude of reasons and below we've compiled a list of methods to remedy the situation.

What is Google Chrome?

Google Chrome is an application developed by Google. It is a browser and a search engine, and acts as an alternative to your default Safari browser. Many people consider this to be the best browser on any platform. As a bonus, it integrates nicely with your Google/Gmail account too.

The Problem

Software issues mostly cause Chrome not to function correctly. Fortunately, these issues are easy to resolve. All the possible solutions that we have provided can be done at home for free, and don't require any computer expertise.

Restart your Mac

This might seem like a no brainer, and you might've already tried this. Sometimes the problem is relatively straightforward, and a simple reboot can fix it! The steps to reboot your Mac are given below:

1. Click on the Apple logo on the top left-hand corner of the screen.
2. Select "Restart".
3. Wait for your Mac to restart and check if the problem is fixed.

Force Quit

It might be possible that Google Chrome is already running in the background and just frozen, or crashed. You will have to manually close Chrome and open it back again. This method can be used for any application that is being unresponsive, not just Google Chrome. There are two methods used to force quit the app. Here is how to do it.

Method 1

1. Hold the Command, Option and Escape keys.
2. Alternatively, you can click on the Apple logo on the left-hand corner of the screen and select the "Force Quit..." option.
3. A force quit window will have just appeared.



4. Choose Google Chrome. If Google Chrome is not available here, then move onto the next method.

Method 2

1. Right click on the Chrome icon in your task bar.
2. Click on "Force Quit".
3. Google Chrome has now been closed.



4. Open up Google Chrome again to see if it is working.

Force Quit Not Available

In the previous method, we explained how to force quit Google Chrome. But, it may be possible that Chrome does not appear in the force quit window, or the option is otherwise not available. In this case, we will have to manually search for Google Chrome. This method is slightly longer than the previous two, but it is still fairly simple. Here's how to do it.

1. Open up the Finder.
2. Click on "Go".
3. A drop-down menu will appear.
4. Choose "Go to folder".
5. A window with a search bar will have opened.
6. Enter "~/Library/Application Support" in the search bar.



7. Click on "Go".
8. A folder will have opened up.
9. Find the folder titled "Google".
10. Right-click on the folder.
11. Select "Get Info".



12. Click on "Sharing & Permissions".
13. This will open up a section.
14. Click on the padlock icon on the bottom right corner of the screen.
15. Find the user who has the issue with Chrome, under the category of "name".
16. Select that users’ privilege.
17. Change privilege from "Read only" to "Read & Write".



18. Click on the setting icon, located on the bottom left-hand corner of the screen next to the minus sign.
19. A drop-down menu will open.
20. Select "Apply to enclosed items".



21. Click OK.
22. Try and open up Chrome to see if the problem has been resolved.

Deleting and Reinstalling Google Chrome

If all the previous methods didn't work, then this last method should fix your problem. This involves deleting, downloading and installing Google Chrome again. However, this process isn't that simple. It consists of removing the Chrome application completely, including all the files associated with it. Then you will also have to install the application again. Don't panic. We have created a step-by-step guide of the entire process for you to follow.

Step 1

1. Open up Finder.
2. Click on "Applications".
3. Locate the Google Chrome application.
4. Drag the Application to the Trash.

Step 2

1. Open up Finder once more.
2. From the menu bar, click on "Go".
3. A dropdown list will open.
4. Select "Go to folder".
5. A window with a search bar will open up.
6. Search for "~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome".
7. Click on Go.
8. A new window will open up.
9. Select all folders.
10. Drag these folders to the trash.
11. This will altogether remove Google Chrome.
12. As an optional step, we recommend also clearing the trash can.

Step 3

1. Click here to go to the official Chrome webpage.
2. Click on the "download now" option.
3. Choose "Accept and install" on the terms and condition window.
4. Wait a few minutes for Google Chrome to install.
5. Hover your cursor over the download icon located on the bottom of the screen.
6. Click on the downloaded Chrome file.
7. The GoogleChrome.DMG file will be verified and start opening up.
8. You will then have to drag the Google Chrome icon to the Applications icon. These icons will be provided on the screen.
9. Wait a few minutes for Google Chrome to verify once more.
10. The application will open up itself.
11. This should hopefully resolve the issue.

Conclusion

We hope this guide helped in helping you fix Google Chrome on your Mac. If it did, let us know in the comments.