Google Chrome may be the most widely used browser on Windows and Android, but it has a lot of baffling privacy issues. One of the biggest complaints about Chrome is that signing into any Google service, like Gmail or YouTube, automatically signs you into the browser itself. Luckily, you can easily remove and unlink your Google account from Chrome. You can also prevent the Google Chrome browser from auto-logging into the browser, and that’s exactly what we’ll be looking at in this article.
Remove Google Account from Chrome Browser: A Step-by-Step Guide (2021)
In this article, we will show you how to remove your Google account from Chrome. We’ll also show you how to unlink your Chrome profile from your Google accounts by preventing Chrome from syncing with Google in the first place. This will help you separate your Chrome profile from your Google account and improve your online privacy. So, without further ado, let’s see how you can do it.
To note: This article is about removing your Google account from Chrome. To remove your Google account from your iPhone or Android device, see our detailed article on this subject. You can also learn how to sign out of a Google account when using multiple accounts on your computer or Android phone..
Why does Google automatically associate your account with your Chrome profile?
Before getting into the tutorial, it’s important to know why Google associates your account with your Chrome profile. Also, why does it automatically sign you into Chrome every time you log in to an online Google service? Well, just like Apple, Google also uses your unique account ID to keep track of your Chrome bookmarks, Google search history, YouTube recommendations, and more.
To do this, Chrome automatically associates your Chrome profile with a Google Account when you sign in to a Google service on the web. This helps Google provide a “seamless experience” across devices by allowing you to sync your history, bookmarks, passwords, etc., across multiple devices. Meanwhile, privacy-conscious users see this as a major threat to their online privacy and advise users to remove their Google account from Chrome. Here we will see exactly how you can do it.
Disable Chrome’s Google Account auto-sign-in feature
As already mentioned, Chrome automatically signs you in to your Google account every time you sign in to a Google service, like Gmail, YouTube, Google Photos, etc. It also links your current Chrome profile to this account. While Google says it does this to provide a “seamless experience,” it’s a privacy nightmare for many users. So we’ll show you how to turn off automatic logins to Google Accounts when you log in to other Google services.
Disable auto-login feature in Google Chrome on desktop
- Open Google Chrome and click on the three-dot menu in the upper right corner. Now select ” Settings in the context menu.
To note: You can also directly access the settings page by copying and pasting chrome://settings/ in the address bar and pressing the Enter key.
- On the Settings page, click ” Synchronization and Google services in the right pane.
- On the next page, turn off the toggle next to ” Allow Chrome Login“. By disabling this option, you will be able to sign in to Gmail and other Google services without signing in to Chrome.
That’s it! Google Chrome will now refrain from automatically logging into your Google account whenever you log into Gmail, YouTube, Google Photos, etc.
Disable Auto Login in Google Chrome on Android
The process of disabling the auto-login feature in Google Chrome on Android works the same as the desktop app. So, follow the steps below.
1. Open Chrome and tap the three dot menu in the upper right corner. From the context menu, select ” Settings“.
- Tap on ” Google Services in the “You and Google” section. Finally, disable the ” Allow Chrome Login” optional.
How to Remove Google Account from Chrome
Although you now know how to prevent Chrome from automatically logging into your Google account, you also need to get rid of the Chrome profile that automatically logged into your Google account in the first place. Here’s how:
Remove Google Account from Chrome desktop app (Windows, Mac, or Linux)
- Open Chrome and click the profile icon in the upper right corner. Now click the gear icon in the context menu to manage your Chrome profile(s) settings.
To note: If you are using multiple profiles, you may be taken directly to the Chrome profile page without having to follow the step above.
- Now a Chrome window will open with all Chrome profiles listed as cards. Click on the three dot menu on the card that matches your target profile. In the drop-down menu that appears, click ” To delete“.
- You will now see a pop-up message listing all browsing history and data associated with this Chrome profile, including saved passwords, etc. Make sure none of these are important before continuing. Finally, press ” To delete to get rid of this profile and remove your Google account from the Chrome browser.
That’s it! The Google Account you are trying to remove from Chrome is now gone.
Remove Google Account from Chrome on Android and iOS
On Android, you can remove your Google account from Chrome in two ways. In the first case, you can remove the google account from the device itself, as explained in this article. It will remove that account not only from Chrome but also from other Google apps including Gmail, Maps, Photos, and Drive.
Here we will discuss the other method which will remove your Google account from Chrome only while keeping you signed in to other Google services on your Android device. The first option is exclusive to Android, while the second works on iOS and iPadOS as well. So follow the steps below to remove your Google account from Chrome on your iOS or Android device.
- Open Chrome settings (three-dot menu -> Settings) on your phone as explained earlier in this article. Now tap on your Google profile at the top of the Settings screen. On the next page, select the account you want to delete and press the ” Sign out and turn off sync ” button.
To note: If you don’t see your account information at the top of the Settings page, you’re already signed out of Google Chrome. The browser, in this case, will clearly indicate “Not logged in” instead of displaying your Google account ID.
Things to Remember About Deleting Google Account from Chrome
Although the process of deleting your Google account from Chrome is simple, there are a few things you should keep in mind. For company-provided devices, where Chrome is installed by your IT department and the associated Google/Gmail account is a work email address, you’ll need to contact your IT admin to remove your account in Chrome. Additionally, on Chrome OS, removing a Google Account from Chrome will cause users to lose access to downloaded apps and Google Play purchases.
Easily unlink and remove Google account from your Chrome browser
We hope that our tutorial will help you combat the auto-login issue in Google Chrome for a safer and more private experience on the web. For even better privacy, learn how to delete and disable cookies in Google Chrome on Windows and Android and how to clear browsing history on all popular browsers. However, if even that isn’t comforting enough and you want to get rid of Google Chrome for good, check out the best Google Chrome alternatives for your desktop and the best privacy-focused browsers on Android and iOS.
