Internet, Networking, & Security > Browsers 312 312 people found this article helpful How to Use the Chrome Cleanup Tool Chrome's built-in cleanup tool protects you from malware By Scott Orgera Scott Orgera Facebook Twitter Writer Scott Orgera is a former Lifewire writer covering tech since 2007. He has 25+ years' experience as a programmer and QA leader, and holds several Microsoft certifications including MCSE, MCP+I, and MOUS. He is also A+ certified. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on February 3, 2021 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Browsers Chrome Safari Firefox Microsoft What to Know To use, open Chrome > 3 dot menu > Settings > Advanced > Reset and clean up > Clean up computer > Find. A quick way to get to Chrome settings is by entering chrome://settings in the address bar.For Macs, use Applications folder in Finder and move unwanted apps to the trash. This article explains how to use the Cleanup Tool in Google Chrome. Instructions apply to the Google Chrome web browser for Windows-based operating systems. How to Use the Chrome Cleanup Tool on Windows Check for and remove any unwanted programs if you experience undesirable symptoms such as: Intrusive pop-up ads and unexpected web pages appear. The search engine or homepage redirects to services or sites you don't recognize. General slowness in the browser. The Chrome Cleanup tool periodically checks for suspicious programs. It lets you know when something untoward is discovered and offers the option to remove it. You can manually check for these problem programs by taking the following steps: Open Chrome, select the three dots in the upper-right corner, then select Settings. You can also access the Chrome settings by entering chrome://settings in the address bar. Scroll to the bottom of the page, then select Advanced. Scroll down to the Reset and clean up section, then select Clean up computer. Select Find. You should see a message that reads, "Checking for harmful software." This process can take several minutes to complete. If any suspicious programs are found, you have the option to remove those programs. Chrome also disables any harmful extensions. How to Use the Chrome Cleanup Tool on Mac Chrome for macOS doesn't offer the Cleanup tool feature. However, you can remove unwanted programs from your Mac manually by navigating to the Applications folder in Finder and moving unwanted programs to the trash. Use caution and don't remove applications that you may need. Also consider disabling extensions, either one at a time or all at once. Third-party add-ons are often the cause of problems with a browser. How to Reset Your Chrome Browser Settings If removing unwanted programs didn't solve the problem, reset the browser settings to the default state: Open Chrome, select the three dots in the upper-right corner, then select Settings. Scroll to the bottom of the page, then select Advanced. Scroll to the Reset settings section and select Reset settings to their original defaults. Select Reset settings to restore the Chrome settings to the default values. Bookmarks, search history, and saved passwords aren't affected. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up! Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit