Are you a Chrome user who wants to get the most out of your web browsing experience? If so, then you need to learn about the command-line switches that are available to you. They are similar to Chrome Flags that can be applied easily through Command Prompt.
With these switches, you can customize Chrome to meet your specific needs. In this blog post, we will discuss 10 of the best chrome command-line switches and show you how to use them.
Table of Contents
What are Chrome Command Line Switches?
Chrome Command-line switches are parameters that you can add to the Chrome executable file in order to change its behavior. By default, Chrome uses a number of different switches, but you can also create your own custom switches.
Command-line switches can be used to do things like:
- Change the default browser
- Control how Chrome starts up
- Change the way pages are rendered
- Control cookies and site data
- Access developer tools
And much more!
How to use Chrome Command-line Switches on Windows?
On Windows 10 or 11, there are two ways to use the Chrome command-line switches.
One way is by opening a Command Prompt window and running Chrome with the desired switches. For example, if you wanted to open Chrome with the –disable-popups switch, you would run: chrome.exe –disable-popups
Another method to apply command-line switches is by modifying the Chrome shortcut and adding the command in the “Target” field.
We will demonstrate both methods step by step.
Use Command-Line Switches through Command Prompt
The best way to use the command-line switches is through Command Prompt. If you have to test or apply multiple command-line switches you can do that through Command Prompt without any hassle.
Here are the steps to do that:
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On your Windows device launch Command Prompt with Administrative rights.
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Now on the command prompt window, you need to navigate to Chrome’s installation path. To know Chrome’s installation path, right-click on its shortcut and select Open File Location.
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Copy this location’s path.
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On Command Prompt, switch to Chrome’s installation location by using this command: cd “C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application”. (Paste the copied path next to the cd command.)
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Now just use the intended common-line switch to apply. Type chrome.exe followed by the space-key, and then the command line switches you want to run. Note that they always begin with two dashes. For example, to launch Chrome in incognito mode type this command and hit the enter key: chrome –incognito
Enable Command-Line Switches by Modifying Chrome Shortcut
Another way to enable the command-line switches is by modifying the Chrome shortcut’s “Target” value and then running that shortcut. Here is how to do that:
- Before beginning close all the Chrome browser windows and end all its processes from the task manager.
- On your desktop screen look for the Chrome browser shortcut, right-click on it and choose Properties.
- Switch to the Shortcut tab and look for the Target field.
- At the end of the Target field, enter your desired command-line switch. Remember to type it after the quotes and not within the quotes.
- Click Apply and OK.
The limitation of this method is that every time you need to close all the Chrome processes and every time you need to modify the Chrome shortcut for applying the command line switches.
List of most Useful Command-Line Switches
There are plenty of command-line switches that you can apply and take advantage of. However, not every switch is useful for regular users. So, we have sorted and listed some of the useful command-line switches that will help you to optimize your browsing.
Enable Night Light
The Night Light switch can be used to change the color temperature of your device’s display in order to reduce eye strain. You can use it at night or during other low-light situations.
Command to turn ON this switch: --ash-enable-night-light
Disable Background Apps
The Background Apps switch can be used to disable all the background apps that are running on your device while the Chrome browser is active. This will help you to improve the browsing performance on Google Chrome.
Command to turn ON this switch: --disable-background-mode
Temporarily Disable Sync
The Sync switch can be used to disable the syncing of your data and settings between devices. This can be helpful if you are experiencing any performance issues with Chrome or if you want to keep some of your data hidden from other devices.
Command to turn ON this switch: --disable-sync
Run Chrome in Incognito Mode
The Incognito Mode switch can be used to launch Chrome in incognito mode. This is a privacy-oriented browsing mode that doesn’t save your browsing history, cookies, and other site data.
Command to turn ON this switch: --incognito
Disable GPU acceleration
The GPU acceleration switch can be used to disable the use of your device’s graphics processor for rendering web content. This can be helpful if you are experiencing any performance issues while playing videos on Chrome or if you want to save battery life.
Command to turn ON this switch: --disable-gpu
Start with Plugins Disabled
The Plugins switch can be used to start Chrome without loading any of the installed plugins. This can be helpful if you want to troubleshoot a plugin-related issue.
Command to turn ON this switch: --disable-plugins
Restore the last session on run
The Last Session switch can be used to restore the last browsing session that you had on Chrome. This can be helpful if you have accidentally closed the browser window or if your device has crashed.
Command to turn ON this switch: --restore-last-session
Allow running Outdated Plugins
This switch can be used to allow Chrome to run plugins that are outdated or have security vulnerabilities. This is useful if for some reason you want to continue using older plugins that don’t work with the latest version of Chrome.
Command to turn ON this switch: --allow-outdated-plugins
Disable Notifications
The Notifications switch can be used to disable all the notifications that are generated by Chrome. If you are experiencing performance issues or if you don’t want to be distracted by the notifications, this is the switch you need to activate.
Command to turn ON this switch: --disable-notifications
Disables the Google Translate
When you visit a website in a different language, Chrome offers to translate it. It is possible that you might be fluent in the language and not want any translation. If that is the case, you may turn off Google Translate by utilizing this flag.
Command to turn ON this switch: --disable-translate
What are the dangers of using Command-Line Switches?
While command-line switches can be helpful, they can also pose a security risk. If you are not familiar with the commands, you could end up exposing your device to potential threats. It is always advisable to only use command-line switches if you know what they do and why you need them. Apart from that, make sure that you keep your Chrome browser and operating system up-to-date to ensure the best security.
Summing Up
These are some of the useful Chrome command-line switches that you can use to optimize your browsing experience. While not every switch will be useful for everyone, we hope that this list will help you to find the right switches for your needs. Thanks for reading!
The –disable-sync and –incognito switches are two of the best options for privacy-oriented browsing. These switches will help you to keep your data hidden from other devices and to avoid saving your browsing history.
You can use the –disable-plugins switch to start Chrome without loading any of the installed plugins.