What is Google Chrome?
Author: Domeny.ForSale editorial team Published
In brief: Google Chrome is a free web browser from Google: a program for opening websites and using online services. It works on computers, phones and tablets. It is not the same as Google Search, and you do not need a Google account for ordinary web browsing.
What is Google Chrome used for?
Chrome displays websites and lets you do various things on them: read the news, shop, watch videos or use online banking. It can also run web applications, which are tools that work in a browser, such as email, a document editor or a messaging app.
You enter a website’s address in the bar at the top of the window. Chrome retrieves its content and displays it as text, images and elements you can interact with. However, internet access itself comes from a network connection — installing a browser does not replace it.
Chrome is available for Windows, macOS and Linux, as well as Android and iOS devices. Supported operating system versions change, so before installing it on older hardware, check the current requirements in the official Google Chrome help documentation.
Chrome and Google: browsers and search engines
A browser is a program that opens websites. A search engine is a service that helps you find websites based on a question or search term you enter. Chrome is a browser, while Google Search is one of the services you can use in it.
For example, if you type “pancake recipe” into Chrome’s address bar, the browser will send the query to your selected search engine. If you enter the full address of a website you know, it will open that website without needing to search. The same bar therefore handles two different tasks, which can cause confusion between the terms.
You can change the default search engine in Chrome. Likewise, you can use Google Search in other browsers, such as Firefox, Safari or Microsoft Edge. Choosing one tool does not oblige you to use the other.
Useful features for everyday browsing
Chrome’s main features help you organise websites and reduce repetitive tasks:
- Tabs let you open several websites in one window and switch between them.
- Bookmarks save the addresses of websites you want to return to without searching again.
- History makes it easier to find a previously visited website if you did not save its address.
- The password manager can save login details and fill them in on websites. Access to your device and account needs to be properly secured.
- Page translation helps you read content in other languages, although automatic translations may contain errors.
Signing in to a Google account lets you use features for saving or syncing selected data across devices. For example, a bookmark added on your computer may also be available on your phone. The data transferred depends on your settings, the browser version and the type of device — check this before enabling the feature.
On a computer, you can expand Chrome’s capabilities with extensions, which are browser add-ons. An add-on might, for example, block selected content or help you work with text. Do not install one just because it is popular: check its developer and permissions, especially its ability to read data on websites you visit.
How do you start using Chrome?
On a computer, download the installer from the official Google Chrome website. On a phone, use the official app store; Chrome is already installed on some Android devices. Avoid advertisements and random websites offering installation files.
After launching the browser, you can complete a short setup:
- Open a website you know by entering its address in the bar at the top.
- Check the default search engine in the settings and choose the service that suits you.
- Decide whether to make Chrome your default browser — it will then usually open links you click in other programs.
- Enable saving data to your account only if you need it and understand the scope you have selected.
- Check for browser updates and restart it when an update requires this.
On a shared computer, avoid saving private passwords in a profile accessible to other people. A separate Chrome profile helps keep bookmarks and settings separate, but it is not a substitute for a separate, secured operating system user account.
Security, privacy and choosing a browser
Chrome has mechanisms that warn you about some dangerous websites and downloaded files, but it does not detect every threat. Check the website’s address before entering a password. HTTPS alone, meaning an encrypted connection to the website, does not mean its owner is trustworthy.
Incognito mode limits the storage of browsing history and data from visited websites on your device after the session ends. It does not provide anonymity from websites, your network operator or an employer managing the device. Downloaded files and bookmarks you create remain after you close this mode.
Chrome may not be the best choice for everyone. Having many tabs and add-ons open can increase memory usage, and the best way to assess how comfortable it is to use is on your own hardware. Start with a few websites you usually use and check whether the browser runs smoothly and whether its privacy settings suit you.
See also: What is Brave?
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