How to download and install Google Chrome on a Mac

Google’s Chrome is the most popular browser out there. As of April last year, Chrome had the market share of more than 3 billion users. Meanwhile Safari crossed the mark of one billion users worldwide and had about 19% market share, according to an industry study quoted by 9to5Mac.

Regardless of whether you like Chrome for your web surfing tasks, or need the browser because a specific website only supports Chrome, we’ve got you — in this post we will explain where you can download Google’s hit browser and how to install and use Chrome on Mac.

Getting started with Chrome on Mac

Before you download and start using Chrome, make sure your device meets the system requirements for the browser.

To do that, go to the Chrome browser download page. The quickest way to do that is googling keywords “google chrome” and you’ll be directed straight to https://www.google.com/chrome/.

Right under the Download Chrome button, you’ll see the macOS requirements to run the latest version of Chrome.

As of this writing, your Mac needs to run macOS 10.13 or later in order to be compatible with Chrome browser (as seen on the above screenshot).

Next, make sure your WiFi is connected and running without interruptions, since the browser installer is a relatively large file — the version we’ve got was over 200 MB.

WiFi Explorer is a handy app that scans your WiFi connection and gives you detailed information on the strength of your signal, band, range, security status and more. So you can use it to double check that your WiFi is up for the task.

How to download Chrome for Mac

To get Chrome onto your Mac, go to https://www.google.com/chrome/ and click Download Chrome.

The download should start right away.

If it doesn’t start automatically, just click the backup Download Chrome button that appears in the top right corner of the thanks-for-downloading page where you get redirected:

If everything went smoothly, you should find googlechrome.dmg file in your Downloads folder:

Now, you are ready to install Google Chrome!

And if you want to improve your browsing experience even further, you might want to try AdLock. This app helps you block unwanted ads and trackers and save on traffic:

How to install Chrome on Mac

Now, it’s time to install Google Chrome.

Here’s how to launch Google Chrome on Mac:

1. Double click googlechrome.dmg file in your Downloads folder.
2. Drag and drop Google Chrome to Applications folder in the pop up.
3. Wait for the app to be installed and launch it from the Applications folder in Finder.

Having multiple browsers can be handy for tackling various tasks, but if you are like us and tend to have a ton of tabs open, you might end up with so many tabs open at a time, it becomes hard to find anything. Even if it’s a page you’ve just been looking at a minute ago. Isn’t that frustrating?

Tab Finder is the solution we love. This app lists your open tabs from multiple (!) browsers all at once and allows you to search for what you need by keyword:

Use a keyboard shortcut to prompt Tab Finder or reach for it through its icon in your Mac’s menu bar.

Making the best use of Google Chrome

Chrome is already a fast and efficient web browser, but it can be even faster if you take full advantage of its keyboard shortcuts.

Here are some of the most useful shortcuts we rely on:

• Open a Chrome window in Incognito mode with Command + Shift + N
• Open a new tab with Command + T
• Close a tab with Command + W
• Jump to specific tabs holding Command and selecting a number (e.g. 1, 2 or 9)
• Zoom in and out of the page with Command combined with + or – keys
• Jump to address bar with Command + L
• Search the page with Command + F

And if you don’t want to remember all of your Mac shortcuts, you can use a little helper. We like Keysmith for this task. This handy app can record your sequence of actions and create a quick shortcut for it:

It also has a library of premade shortcuts that you can import in no time! The best part is — Keysmith works not just with Chrome, but with many other apps on your Mac.

Almighty is another helper app we love for making work on Mac easy and efficient. It improves your workflow with instant Mac shortcuts to customize Mac settings quickly and all from one spot:

Set up Chrome as the default browser

Safari is the default browser on Macs, so if you just got Chrome and want to set it as your default browser, that is easy to do and you can actually do it right from the app.

Here’s a step-by-step:

• Open Chrome on your Mac
• Go to Settings either via menu (Chrome > Settings…), a Chrome tab (click the three dots in the top right corner of any Chrome tabs > Settings) or with a keyboard shortcut Command plus comma
• In Settings, go to Default browser and click Make default
• You’ll be prompted to change the setting in System Settings:
• Click Use “Chrome” to set Google Chrome as your default browser

You can also change your default web browser in your Mac’s System Settings > Desktop & Dock.

Signing in and syncing your data

When you open your newly installed Google Chrome browser, you’ll be prompted to set up a profile to use it:

You can choose to either use Chrome without signing in into your Google account or with.

If you want to be able to sync your Chrome activity across devices and store settings and browsing history, signing in is your best option.

Here’s how to do it.

Click Sign in, then log into your existing Google account when prompted by your Chrome browser:

Once you are logged in, Chrome will ask you if you want to sync your browser:

Click Yes, I’m in and you are all set!

Another reason to use Chrome sync is the password sync – since you can choose to save some of your passwords in your browser, it may be convenient to have them synced across devices where you use Google Chrome.

But even if you want to make managing your passwords a little easier not just in Chrome, but on your whole Mac, there’s an app for that.

Secrets holds your passwords and other sensitive information, like credit card info, so that you have quick and safe access to it whenever you need it:

Just like other apps we’ve mentioned in the article, you can get Secrets with your Setapp subscription.

How to add extensions or themes to Chrome

Many love Chrome browser for its versatility. You can change its appearance with themes and add new functionality with extensions.

To change the theme of your Chrome browser, click the three dots in the top right corner of the app and go to Settings > Appearance.

Click Theme to open a new tab where you can browse various Chrome themes and set the one you like.

Many apps have Chrome-compatible extensions, while some extensions were designed for Chrome specifically. They expand the functionality of your browser with things like spell check, translation, security checks and much more.

Search and install Chrome extensions through Chrome web store. It allows you to search and install any browser extensions you like.

To manage extensions you already have in your Chrome browser, use the Settings menu. Click the three dots in the top right corner of your Chrome browser and go to Settings > Extensions.

Making the best of your Google Chrome experience

Chrome is the most used browser for a reason — it’s fast, it looks good and it gets the job done. Whether you are choosing Chrome as your main browser or a supplementary one, it will serve you well.

Tap into Chrome’s full potential by using extensions and knowing some keyboard shortcuts that fit your workflow best and your experience with Google Chrome is bound to be smooth and easy.

If you want to add any of the apps we’ve mentioned in the article to your daily flow — Secrets, Keysmith, Almighty, WiFi Explorer, AdLock, Tab Finder, you can find them on Setapp.

Setapp is a one-stop subscription service where you can get apps for Mac, iOS and web under a single monthly payment of just $9.99! Make your daily workflow easier with handy apps that tackle your tasks and help you get things done. Start your 7-day free trial of Steapp today and find out if Setapp is the platform for you.