How to Install Google Chrome on Windows 11

Use Edge to download Chrome, then open the setup file to install it

By
Jeremy Laukkonen
Jeremy Laukkonen
Jeremy Laukkonen
Writer
  • Shoreline Community College

Jeremy Laukkonen is a former writer for Lifewire. When not researching and testing computers, game consoles or smartphones, he stays up-to-date on the myriad complex systems that power battery electric vehicles .

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Updated on October 5, 2023
Reviewed by
Jon Fisher
Jon Fisher headshot
Reviewed by Jon Fisher
  • Wichita Technical Institute
Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA-certified technologist with more than 10 years of experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek.
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What to Know

  • Windows 11 comes with Edge, which uses the same technology as Chrome.
  • If you want Chrome, use Edge to navigate to the Google Chrome download page, and click Download Chrome.
  • Set Chrome as default browser: Settings > Apps > Default apps > search for Chrome. Select Set default.

This article explains how to install Google Chrome on Windows 11, including how to make Chrome your default web browser.

How Do I Download Google Chrome on Windows 11?

Windows 11 comes with the Edge browser pre-installed. Edge is built on the same technology as Chrome, so the two browsers look and feel similar. If you want to use Chrome instead, you can use Edge to download Chrome to your computer.

Here’s how to download Google Chrome on Windows 11:

  1. Click the Edge icon on your taskbar.

    The Microsoft Edge icon highlighted on the Windows 11 taskbar.

    Edge is on the taskbar by default. If you don’t see it, press the Windows key, search for Edge, and select Microsoft Edge in the results.

  2. Navigate to the Google Chrome download page in Edge.

    google.com/chrome highlighted in the Edge URL bar.

  3. Select Download Chrome.

    Chrome download page with Download Chrome highlighted

  4. Click Save as.

    Save as highlighted in Edge.

  5. Click Save.

    Save highlighted in Windows 11 saving the Chrome setup application.

    If you prefer, you can click an alternate download folder in this window before you click Save.

  6. Wait for the download to finish, then select Open file to start the installation process.

    Open file for ChromeSetup.exe highlighted in Edge on Windows 11.

How Do I Install Google Chrome on Windows 11?

Once you have downloaded Google Chrome, you can start the installation process immediately after downloading by clicking the Open file button in Edge or use File Explorer to navigate to the location where you downloaded Chrome.

Here’s how to install Google Chrome on Windows 11:

  1. If you just downloaded Chrome through Windows 11, click Open file to start the installation process.

    Open file for ChromeSetup.exe highlighted in Edge for Windows 11.

    If the downloads pop-up goes away too quickly, use the three dots in the upper right corner of Edge to select Downloads. Open the setup file there.

  2. If prompted by User Account Control (UAC), choose Yes. The Chrome installer will automatically download and install the necessary files.

    Chrome installing on Windows 11.

  3. When it’s done, Chrome will launch. You can start using it right away by typing a website address into the URL bar.

    Chrome installed on Windows 11.

    To configure the browser with your personal preferences, clicking Get Started if you've never used Chrome, or Sign In if you've used Chrome before, and then following the prompts.

How Do I Make Google Chrome My Default Browser on Windows 11?

It's easy to change the default browser in Windows 11. What's not so simple is ensuring that Chrome will be the default browser to open all the file types that you might want to open in it.

For basic use, you will need to set Chrome to be the default app for .htm and .html files. For more advanced use, there are more than a dozen file types you will need to configure.

Here’s how to make Google Chrome your default browser:

  1. Open Chrome, and click Set as default.

    Set as default highlighted in Chrome on Windows 11.

    This is a shortcut to reach the necessary menu more quickly. If this works, skip to step 6. If you don’t see the set as default button when you open Chrome, then go to step 2 and access the menu manually.

  2. Right-click the Start button on the taskbar.

    The Windows icon highlighted on the Windows 11 taskbar.

  3. Select Settings.

    Settings highlighted in the Windows 11 main menu.

  4. Select Apps.

    Apps highlighted in Windows 11 settings.

  5. Choose Default apps.

    Default apps highlighted in Windows 11 apps settings.

  6. Type Chrome into the Set defaults for applications search field, and choose Google Chrome from the results.

    Google Chrome highlighted in Windows 11 default apps.

  7. Click the box under .htm.

    The box under .htm (Microsoft Edge) highlighted in Google Chrome default apps.

  8. Select Google Chrome, and select Set default.

    Before this might be a pop-up asking you to switch to Edge. Just select Switch anyway.

    Google Chrome and Set default highlighted in htm default app settings in Windows 11.

  9. Repeat the last two steps, but for .html. Feel free to also make Chrome the default app to open other file types like PDFs, SVGs, etc.

FAQ
  • How do I install Google Chrome on Windows 10?

    To install the Google Chrome browser on Windows 10, open a web browser, such as Edge, type google.com/chrome into the search bar, and press Enter. Select Download Chrome > Accept and Install > Save File. Navigate to the installer (likely in the Downloads folder), double-click ChromeSetup, select Run, and follow the prompts.

  • How do I install Google Chrome on a Mac?

    To install Google Chrome on a Mac, go to the Chrome download page on your Mac and click Download Chrome for Mac. Double-click the googlechrome.dmg file to launch the installer, then drag the Chrome icon to the Application folder icon. Double-click Google Chrome to start using the browser.

  • How do I install Google Chrome on Ubuntu?

    Navigate to the Chrome download page and click Download Chrome. Select the 64-bit .deb file (for Debian/Ubuntu), then click Accept and Install. Save the download file to your computer, double-click the .deb file to open Ubuntu’s software center, then click Install.

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