Fix: Google Chrome not working on iPhone

Although Safari reigns supremely on iOS, there are still millions of users who prefer Google Chrome. Especially now that Apple’s allowed changing the default browser. However, using Google Chrome on the iPhone isn’t always the most pleasant experience.

Google Chrome simply requires more work, as it’s not as well-integrated into the OS as Safari. But even if we put convenience drawbacks to the side, there are also technical issues that some users face on a daily basis. That’s why we’ll try to fix those technical problems with Google Chrome on iOS, and at least make the browser functional again.

• Safari not Working on iPhone after update

Table of contents:

1. Restart Chrome
2. Reboot your iPhone
3. Update the Google Chrome app
4. Update your iPhone
5. Check the content restrictions
6. Re-add your Google Account
7. Offload Google Chrome

Most common Google Chrome issues on iOS

There are numerous Google Chrome issues users may face. The most common one is when Chrome keeps crashing or freezing. But there are also more subtle problems with Google Chrome on iOS, for example, when it won’t load webpages.

Regardless of the problem that’s bugging you, we can apply the same set of solutions. Most of the solutions I’ll tell you about in this article affect the core of the Chrome app, therefore can be useful for most problems.

Solution 1: Restart Chrome

Let’s start as simply as possible. Before doing anything else, you should just restart the Google Chrome app, and check if the issue persists. Just swipe up from the bottom of the screen, and dismiss Google Chrome.

Open the app again and try to use it for some time. If you experience no further problems, it means there was just a minor glitch that shouldn’t be happening anymore. But if your problem persists, go ahead and try other solutions.

Solution 2: Reboot your iPhone

Restarting things has always been a go-to solution for any tech-related problem. And who am I to challenge that tradition now? All jokes aside, rebooting your iPhone might actually help. It will get your iPhone back to its optimal state, and who knows, maybe eliminate the reason Google Chrome crashes or freezes altogether.

To restart your iPhone, press and hold the Side button + the Volume Down button at the same time, until the Power off slider appears. Just drag the slider to the right, and your iPhone will power off. Turn on your iPhone again, and check if Google Chrome now works as intended. If it doesn’t, well…

Solution 3: Update the Google Chrome app

A company as big as Google delivers updates to its apps almost on a weekly basis. However, even Google’s developers aren’t infallible. That’s why it’s possible for a bug to slip through their fingers, and do more harm than good to the app.

That may well be the case here. Maybe the most recent Google Chrome update actually rendered it unusable. Unless the issue is widely reported and the actual solution is known, you can only sit and wait for Google to fix that specific problem through future updates.

Make sure you check for updates regularly, so you can receive a patch as soon as possible. To check for new updates to the Google Chrome app, go to the App Store, search for Google Chrome, and see if there’s a new update. If there is, install the update, and maybe it’ll fix the problem for you.

Solution 4: Update your iPhone

The same goes for iOS updates in general. There’s a chance the most recent iOS update you installed on your iPhone contains a bug that interferes with Google Chrome.

Once again, unless people have already found a way to deal with the issue on that specific iOS version, all you can do is wait for another update that would eventually make Google Chrome functional again. To check for new iOS updates, head over to Settings > General > Software Update.

Solution 5: Check the content restrictions

If Google Chrome works properly, but you can’t open certain web pages, there’s a good chance you have some content restrictions enabled that don’t allow visiting websites that aren’t rated for everyone.

Here’s how to check the content restrictions, and if there are any at all:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Head over to Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions.
3. Go to Content Restrictions > Web Content.
4. Make sure you either enable Unrestricted Access or add the website you can’t visit the Always Allow list (under Limit Adult Websites).

Solution 6: Re-add your Google Account

Google Chrome might not work as intended if your Google Account data isn’t properly synced. Your best bet, in this case, is to simply re-add your Google Account. Here’s how to do that:

1. Open the Google Search app (or any other Google app, like Google Drive, Gmail, etc.) and tap your Account picture in the upper right corner.
2. Go to Manage accounts on this device.
3. Choose Remove from this device.
4. Tap Remove from this device to confirm.

Your Google Account is now removed from your iPhone, and everything you do inside Google Chrome won’t be synced to your Google Account until you sign back in.

Here’s how to sign in to your Google account again:

1. Open Google Search (or any other Google app)
2. Tap Sign in.
3. Enter your Google account login info.

Solution 7: Offload Google Chrome

If none of the solutions listed above managed to get Google Chrome working on your iPhone, try re-installing it. One useful feature iOS offers is the option to Offload apps. This allows you to delete the app from the storage, but preserve its data and documents, so you don’t need to log in or set it up again once you install the app back.

Here’s how to offload Google Chrome:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Head over to General > iPhone Storage.
3. Scroll down until you find Google Drive.
   
4. Tap the Google Chrome app and go to Offload App.
5. Tap Offload App to confirm.

That’s about it. I hope at least one of these solutions helped you with your Google Chrome problem. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more articles like this.