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To make Chrome open a chosen set of websites when it starts, go to Settings > On startup, select Open a specific page or set of pages, and add the sites you want. This replaces the old-session behavior associated with Continue where you left off.

Set the websites Chrome opens at startup

  1. Open Chrome and select the three-dot menu, then Settings.
  2. In the left navigation, select On startup.
  3. Choose Open a specific page or set of pages.
  4. Select Add a new page, enter a website address, and select Add. Repeat for each site you want Chrome to open.
  5. To use pages you already have open, select Use current pages instead.

To update the list later, use the menu beside a page entry to edit or delete it. Google documents these choices in its Chrome startup and homepage instructions.

Choose the startup behavior that matches what you want

Startup option What opens When to choose it
Open the New Tab page A New Tab page When you do not want a fixed set of websites or the previous session restored.
Continue where you left off The pages that were open when you quit Chrome When you want Chrome to restore your previous browsing session.
Open a specific page or set of pages The addresses in your configured list When you want the same selected websites to open each time.

If old tabs keep returning, check that Open a specific page or set of pages is selected, not Continue where you left off. Google describes the latter as reopening the pages you were looking at when you quit.

Startup page and homepage are different settings

The startup page appears when Chrome first launches on your device. The homepage appears when you select the Home button. Setting a homepage does not, by itself, configure the websites Chrome opens at startup; use On startup for that behavior.

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#1 Best Overall
Search+ For Google
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If Chrome’s startup setting changed unexpectedly

Google says unwanted software may change Chrome’s startup page, homepage, or search engine, and points users to resetting browser settings. That possibility is not proof that a device is infected. Follow Google’s official Chrome guidance if the setting changed without your input.

On a work or school Chromebook, an administrator may control startup or homepage settings. If the option cannot be changed, contact the person who manages the device. This limitation is documented for managed Chromebooks, not Chrome installations generally.

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