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To sync Chrome between a Windows PC and an Android phone, sign in to Chrome on both with the same Google Account, then confirm that bookmarks, passwords, and settings are selected to save. Signing in to a Google website alone does not sign you in to Chrome, and history and open tabs have separate sync controls.

Before you start

  • Use the Google Account you want on both devices. Chrome sync is tied to that account.
  • Make sure Chrome is signed in on both devices; a Google sign-in in a webpage is not enough.
  • Check which information types are selected. Signing in does not mean every available type is necessarily enabled.

Google’s Chrome Help lists bookmarks, passwords, settings, and other information as data that can be saved to an account for use across devices: Get your bookmarks, passwords, and more on all your devices.

Set up sync in Chrome on Windows

  1. Sign in to Chrome. Open Chrome and sign in with the Google Account you plan to use on Android. You can sign in during initial setup or later through Chrome settings.
  2. Choose what to save. Open More > Settings > You and Google, select the account, and choose what to save in the Google Account. Review the available data types rather than assuming all are enabled. Google documents the current computer controls in Chrome sync settings.
  3. Save locally stored information if needed. If you created bookmarks, passwords, or other Chrome information while signed out, open the profile menu and use Save items in account. Select the information you want added.

To locate the saved items in Chrome, open Bookmarks and lists > Show all bookmarks for bookmarks, and Passwords and autofill > Google Password Manager for passwords. Preferences are managed in Chrome settings.

Set up sync in Chrome on Android

  1. Open Chrome and tap More > Settings.
  2. Tap the account name and sign in with the same Google Account used in Windows, if it is not already shown.
  3. Review the options for what to save in the account and which information syncs. Enable the data types you want on both devices.

On Android, find bookmarks under More > Bookmarks and saved passwords under Settings > Google Password Manager. Labels can shift as Chrome is updated; Google’s Android instructions are at Get your bookmarks, passwords, and more on all your devices.

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Check history and open tabs separately

Bookmarks and passwords do not by themselves guarantee that browsing history or open tabs will appear on the other device. History and tabs can be controlled separately in Chrome’s sync preferences. On Windows, check the account’s sync settings under More > Settings > You and Google; on Android, check the account and sync preferences under More > Settings. Enable history and tabs if you want them included.

Confirm the setup worked

  • Check that the same intended Google Account appears in Chrome on Windows and Android.
  • Confirm that bookmarks, passwords, settings, and any other desired data types are selected on each device.
  • Look for an existing bookmark or saved password in the appropriate Chrome location on the other device. New items may take time to appear; first verify account and sync selections if they do not.

Troubleshoot sync problems

Chrome says sync is paused

If Chrome asks you to verify your identity after you have signed out of a Google service, complete the verification and sign in again. Google lists this as an initial fix for paused sync: Fix issues with sync in Chrome.

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Sync turns off when desktop Chrome closes

For this specific symptom, Google recommends checking whether Chrome can save on-device site data. In Chrome on Windows, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Site Settings > Additional content settings > On-device site data and allow sites to save data. This setting addresses sync switching off after Chrome closes or restarts; it is not a general fix for every sync problem. See Google’s sync troubleshooting guidance.

Other errors persist

Use Google’s troubleshooting guidance for the particular error. Do not start by deleting synced data: Google’s help does not describe one recovery procedure that applies to every sync failure.

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Choose whether to use a custom sync passphrase

A custom passphrase is optional. Google says it encrypts Chrome data saved in the Google Account so Google cannot read that data. You must enter the passphrase on new devices and on devices already signed in. Google Wallet payment methods and addresses are not encrypted by this passphrase. Google also notes that using one affects access: saved passwords cannot be checked at passwords.google.com, and history sync has limitations. Read Google’s sync and passphrase information before enabling it.

Google states that information sent to it is encrypted in transit. That statement does not describe every security property of sync or replace protecting your Google Account and devices.

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Understand the reset risk before changing it

Google warns that changing or resetting a custom passphrase deletes the data encrypted by it from Google’s servers and signs you out of devices. If you need to keep saved passwords, export them before resetting the passphrase, as Google advises in its passphrase guidance.

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Back up or move bookmarks

If bookmarks exist only on a Windows installation where Chrome was signed out, use the profile menu’s Save items in account flow to add the selected information to the Google Account. For a separate backup or browser migration, Chrome can export bookmarks as an HTML file and import that file in Chrome. Google’s Import or export bookmarks page explains the steps.

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Google Chrome Help says an account can hold up to 100,000 bookmarks (year not stated; accessed 2026). Treat that as the help page’s stated limit, not as an independently tested or guaranteed capacity for every account.

Know what account activity may mean for privacy

Google says Chrome history saved in your Google Account may be used to personalize other Google services when Web & App Activity includes Chrome history. You can review or manage that activity at Google My Activity controls.

Interface labels may change, and managed accounts or regional settings can differ. If your organization manages your Windows or Android account, some sync choices may be controlled by its administrator.

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