How to Fix Google Chrome Not Opening on Mac

Are you encountering the Google Chrome not opening on Mac issue?

Despite Apple pushing its users to use Safari as their main browser, Google Chrome remains a popular choice, especially among Mac users. Not only is it faster, but the user interface is clean and simple, with a minimalistic approach.

Unfortunately, the experience for Mac users isn’t as flawless at times. In fact, multiple reports state the issue of Google Chrome not working on Mac. Now you may assume it to be a conspiracy to force people to switch to another browser. However, that’s not always an ideal choice. 

Most Chrome users would rather spend their time looking for a fix because their browser contains bookmarks, saved logins, history, etc. That is where this detailed guide will come in handy. Below, we’ve covered multiple remedies for you to follow that will get your favorite browser back to working in no time.

So without any delay, let’s get started!

1. Relaunch the Application.

To fix any Chrome-related issue, your first step is to force close the application and relaunch it after a few moments. This should remove any temporary glitch or bug from the software. The method is also necessary if you suspect Chrome to be already running in the background.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Start by pressing the Command key + Space key and search for Activity Monitor.
   
2. Then press the Return key to launch the program.
   
3. Scroll through the list and choose Google Chrome.
   
4. Then click on the x icon at the top.

5. Now, select Force Quit from the pop-up box.

6. Wait for a few minutes.
   
7. Then, relaunch Google Chrome.
   
   

2. Set Google Chrome As Default Browser.

Since Mac uses Safari as a default browser, this setting might be preventing Google Chrome from opening. For this reason, try to make Chrome your default browser and see if that resolves the issue for you.

Here’s how to do it:

1. First, click on the Apple menu at the top left corner and select System Preferences.

2. Once it launches, click on General.

3. Now click open the drop-down menu for Default web browser and choose Google Chrome.

3. Clear Up Your RAM.

Too much storage may overclock your system, resulting in various issues, and Google Chrome not opening on Mac can be one of them. In fact, Chrome is known for consuming a great number of resources, whether you use Mac or Windows.

In general, you must have a couple of free GBs before launching Chrome. If you have too many other background apps running, this may cause problems. Although Macs come with a memory swap to use SSD as RAM, it’s still not sufficient at times. Hence it’s important that you clear up your RAM.

To do so, follow the steps below:

1. To begin, click on the Spotlight Search icon and type Activity Monitor. Then open the program from the results.
   
2. When it launches, go to the Memory tab.
   
3. Check the Physical Memory and Memory Used values at the bottom.

4. Click to select apps you don’t need anymore, then hit the x icon at the top.
   
   

4. Launch Google Chrome At Startup.

If Google Chrome is not launching on your Mac like it usually does, consider launching it at startup. Such applications launch automatically when the system boots up. It’s good practice for some specific programs that you use on a regular basis.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Click on the Apple menu and choose System Preferences.
   
2. Next, go to Users & Groups.

3. Once there, switch to the Login Items tab.
   
4. Then, click on the + button to add applications. 

5. This will open up the applications menu on your Mac. Select Google Chrome and click on the Add button.

Google Chrome will now automatically launch at startup.

5. Clear Chrome Cache and Data.

Like all other applications, Google Chrome also stores temporary data to enhance its performance and load faster in the future. However, over-storage of this data will result in some serious troubles, such as Google Chrome not opening on Mac. To combat this issue, simply clear the application’s cache and data.

You may do so by following the steps below:

1. To start, launch Finder from the Dock.

2. Then, click on Go from the Menu bar.
   
3. From the list of options, choose Library.

4. When the window opens, click on Application Support.

5. Now, click on Google.

6. Click to open the context menu of the Chrome folder and select Move to Trash.

7. Finally, click on the Apple menu and hit Restart.

After rebooting, Chrome should successfully open on your Mac. If not, move to the following method.

6. Run A Virus Scan.

Your computer may have been attacked by a virus or malware, preventing programs like Google Chrome from launching. To verify this, we recommend you run a third-party antivirus program to perform a scan on your Mac. After that, check if the issue has been resolved. 

If not, simply move to the next method.

7. Use CleanMYMacX to Run a Maintenance Script.

If multiple heavy processes are running on your Mac, it may struggle to perform even the most basic tasks like opening Google Chrome. In this situation, running a maintenance script to repair certain disk permissions is best. By doing so, your Mac will be fully optimized and capable of launching Chrome again.

This is what you need to do:

1. To start, download CleanMyMacX on your computer.
   
2. Then, launch the application.
   
3. Go to the Maintenance tab from the left pane of the window.
   
4. Check the options Run Maintenance Script and Repair Disk Permissions. 

5. Finally, click on the Run button to execute the scan.
   
   

8. Delete Suspicious Programs.

If you recently installed a new program on your system, it might be interfering with the proper functioning of Google Chrome. You can verify this by disabling that application or entirely deleting it and checking if Chrome opens afterward.

Here’s how to delete any third-party application on Mac:

1. Launch the Finder app and go to Applications. 
   
2. Select any application you may suspect to be the culprit.
   
3. Click to open its context menu and choose Move to Trash.

9. Reinstall the Application.

Chrome also gets its version updates from time to time. However, macOS wouldn’t allow you to install it from the system settings as it’s not a default app. In fact, it’s not possible to update the application directly if you’re using a Mac.

One way you can get the latest version is by uninstalling the program and installing it again. This will also eliminate any bugs that might’ve been causing the Google Chrome not opening on Mac issue. The program will start fresh once you download the newest version, and hopefully open.

Here’s how to reinstall Google Chrome:

1. Uninstall Google Chrome by following the steps mentioned in the previous method.
   
2. Then head over to the official webpage of Google Chrome and download the latest version available for Mac.

Here we end our guide on how to fix Google Chrome not opening on Mac. If you face any other Chrome issues, be sure to let us know through the comment section below. We’ll try our best to solve that for you as well.

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