How to get rid of Chrome startup page links?

August 21, 2020 12:50 PM

When I launch the Chrome browser while using my Chromebook, it of course takes me to a Google startup page, with an array of links to sites I've visited near the bottom of the page. For whatever reason, the Chromebook seems to think I want quick access to sites I visited once last year and have no interest in visiting again, while sites I visit frequently don't get a link. Any way I can get rid of the ones I don't want - to at least give others a fighting chance?
posted by Epixonti to Computers & Internet (6 answers total)

On my phone and tablet I can long-press those site icons to bring up a menu of options including Remove. If you don't have a touchscreen, try right clicking and see what comes up.
posted by Flannery Culp at 12:53 PM on August 21, 2020

Best answer: There should be a "Customize" link in the lower right corner that lets you switch between "Recents," "Curated by you," and "None." Hovering over an icon will show a three-dot link in the upper right lets you edit the text and URL (and "delete").

If the customization link isn't in your version, it might still use the "pin a recent" style of curation, also accessed by the upper right hover menu.
posted by rhizome at 12:55 PM on August 21, 2020

There are also a number of superior/configurable start pages you could install. I have been using Mindful extension of late, but there are plenty of others.
posted by jcworth at 3:14 PM on August 21, 2020 [1 favorite]

Best answer: How to get rid of an unwanted shortcut link, if this works the same way on a Chromebook as on a Windows laptop:

Hover on the link for a moment. First, the background of the link should turn grey, and then after a moment longer, you should see a three-dot menu icon in the top right. Click that, and you should get an 'Edit shortcut' dialog with a 'Remove' button in the bottom left.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 1:37 AM on August 22, 2020 [1 favorite]

Use an extension, e.g. Blank New Tab Page
posted by Sharcho at 1:44 PM on August 22, 2020

Response by poster: Thank you all - the unwanted shortcuts are gone!
posted by Epixonti at 6:53 AM on August 25, 2020