What Happens to Your Data When You Uninstall a Chrome Extension

Removing a Chrome extension deletes the extension and the data it kept inside your browser. It doesn't delete anything the extension sent somewhere else. Uninstalling Chrome itself is a different matter, so both are covered here.

What's deleted when you remove an extension

• The extension's files are removed from your computer.
• The data it stored in Chrome, such as its settings, saved notes or lists, is deleted with it. If you reinstall later, it starts from scratch unless it saved your settings to an online account.
• Settings it took over go back. If the extension changed your search engine, home page or New Tab page, Chrome returns them to your previous choices.

If you sync extensions across devices with your Google Account, removing one on one computer removes it on the others too.

What stays behind

• Anything sent to the developer. If the extension uploaded data to its own servers (an account, synced notes, writing you checked), deleting the extension doesn't delete that copy. Look for a delete-account option on the developer's website or in its privacy policy.
• Things it created in Chrome itself. Bookmarks it added, files it downloaded and pages you visited stay in Chrome's bookmarks, downloads and history.
• Website data. Cookies and site data belong to the sites, not the extension, so they stay until you clear them.

If you only want an extension out of the way for a while, turn it off instead of removing it. Its data stays intact. See how to disable Chrome extensions without uninstalling them.

If you uninstall Chrome itself

This is what many people actually want to know: will uninstalling Chrome wipe everything?

• Windows: when you uninstall Chrome, a box asks whether to also delete your browsing data. If you leave it unticked, your profile (bookmarks, history, passwords and settings) stays on the computer and comes back when you reinstall. If you tick it, that data is deleted from this computer.
• Mac: dragging Chrome to the Trash removes the app but leaves your profile in your user Library folder, so a reinstall picks up where you left off.
• Synced data is safe either way. If you're signed in with sync on, your bookmarks, passwords and other synced data live in your Google Account. Sign in again after reinstalling and they return.

Back up before you uninstall

1. Turn on sync, or check that it's on, under Settings → You and Google.
2. Export bookmarks from the Bookmark Manager (Ctrl + Shift + O, then the three-dot menu → Export bookmarks).
3. Export passwords from Google Password Manager → Settings → Export passwords, and keep the file somewhere safe, since it isn't encrypted.

If you're uninstalling Chrome to fix a problem, try a new Chrome profile or Settings → Reset settings first. Both are quicker and keep your data.