How to Disable Google Chrome from Android Phone

Google Chrome is a cross-platform browser released back in 2008 by Google. Initially, it was introduced only for Windows, but today it is available for macOS, iOS, and Linux and is the default browser of Android OS. It is widely accepted by people worldwide due to its consistency and reliability.

The Chrome browser has a minimalistic interface design and robust browsing performance. I used Chrome on my Android for a pretty long time. But due to specific issues and recent privacy concerns, I decided to look for an alternative.

At a point in time, I wasn’t satisfied with the service and was anxious about a few other things. But the central part where I got stuck was not knowing how to uninstall it from my Android phone. Since it’s a pre-build application added along with other mainstream Google Apps, there is no option to uninstall it even from Google PlayStore.

So, if you are new to this platform and want to replace Google Chrome with another browser, this article will guide you step-by-step. We can perhaps disable Chrome without having to uninstall it.

Disabling Chrome is almost the same as Uninstall since it will no longer be visible on the app drawer and no running processes. But, the app will still be available in phone storage.

Related: How to Fix: Chrome Signs Me out of Everything on Exit?

In the end, I will also cover some other browsers you might love to check out for your smartphone.

Why Uninstall Chrome?

The browser is very well-known for its fast and efficient performance. Additionally, Google Chrome offers everything a user could seek from a web browser. It includes proper settings synchronization, web standards support, incognito mode, etc. Moreover, over the past few years, no security vulnerabilities have been exploited against Chrome.

Then what makes us think about uninstalling the program?

Well, regardless of being a decent web browser, here are some possible reasons why you and I may want to try something different.

• The first and most common reason might be users no longer want to stick to the same service where privacy is a significant concern. However, there are privacy settings in place, which is good. But, every interaction within the browser is recorded and stored on the Google server.
• When running Chrome on older phones, we have to deal with abrupt crashes as it needs massive RAM.
• No support for extensions on the mobile version of the Chrome browser. However, chromium alternatives like the Kiwi browser and Yandex browser do offer extensions to support hand-held devices.

Related: Google Chrome Vs. Microsoft Edge: What to Choose?

Clear Data and Cache

The Chrome browser supports browser caching, typically used for making the web browser experience faster by storing the static files from a website in local storage. Since we no longer need Chrome, it’s a good idea to clear the cache and cookies from the storage.

Caches acquire a good amount of storage memory. Most of which is filled with unnecessary information, slowing down your phone. It also leads to additional problems, including invalid login attempts and irrelevant response errors from a few sites. Hence, it becomes essential to clear your browsing data periodically.

Here are the steps to clear Google Chrome browsing data:

1. Launch the Google Chrome on the Android.
2. Tap on More for menu options.
3. Go to the Settings tab.
   
4. Select the Privacy and Security tab.
5. Tap on the Clear browsing data tab.
6. Check all the boxes under the BASIC tab.
   
7. Hit the Clear data command button.

You can select the time range you want to delete your browsing data. By default, it is selected for the last hour. You can select the last 24 hours, a week, a month, or all-time data.

Apart from that, if you want to delete all your saved passwords, move to the Advanced tab, check the particular boxes, and click on the Clear data button.

Disable Google Chrome

Removing Google Chrome is as simple as any other app on other devices, such as PCs, iPhones, and iPad. However, Chrome is pre-installed and already set as your default browser for Android devices. Hence, we cannot simply uninstall it as we remove the other apps. But again, there is no rocket science behind it.

Here are the steps to disable and remove Google Chrome from Android Phones:

1. Open your Android phone and head on to Settings.
2. Scroll down and click on the Apps tab.
   Remember, the term “Apps” might vary on your Settings page depending on your cellphone variation. If you are using a Samsung device, it is mentioned as Apps.
   
3. Again scroll down and tap to open the Chrome app.
4. Tap on the Force stop command to stop the chrome browser.
5. Hit on the Disable option.
   

Following the above method, you must be able to successfully uninstall all the updates and make it a factory default version. And Disable command will hide the Chrome app from the App launcher. One good thing is that this trick will work on all Android phones, and you can remove the app without any trouble.

Note: Sometimes, you might encounter some common issues, such as a few sites not working correctly, or maybe when you enter your login credentials, it shows an invalid login attempt.

These are common with most browsers. And for such reasons, uninstalling Chrome won’t help you. Instead, you can try clearing your browsing data, which might help you.

Related: 7+ Best Android OS Web Browsers [Super Fast]

Bottom Line: Disable Chrome from Android

Undoubtedly, Google Chrome has consistently offered excellent service to all its users. And according to recent stats, it is found to have around 68% of the world market share, which is jaw-dropping. However, many users still prefer switching to browsers other than Google Chrome.

You can check out the best browser for faster-downloading speed on Android.

Now, different people might have different reasons for choosing an alternative. In my experience, I had a great time using the Chrome browser. But after a few months of using it on my Android phone, I started experiencing unexpected crashes more frequently. Plus, even after several troubleshoots, the problem seemed to exist simultaneously.

If you plan to move to another browser, I recommend you try a Chromium-based browser to maintain consistency with the Chrome experience. If not, you can also try some other chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge, Brave, SlimBrowser, etc. You can also choose Mozilla Firefox Android. They come with many extra features and offer a fast browsing service.

Let us know if you have some other better alternatives to Chrome. Also, share your personal experience with Google Chrome.