On Google Chrome, you can disable the New Tab page to start quickly with a blank page using an extension, and in this guide, I will explain how to accomplish this configuration on Windows 11, 10, and other platforms.
Although the New Tab page has a minimalist design, some users may still find it cluttered with the search box, shortcuts to frequent websites, and account information. In the early days of the browser, there was a command option to disable the experience, but that’s no longer an option. In the Chrome settings, you can specify a custom website to launch on startup, and as you create a new tab page, there isn’t an option to show a blank page.
However, if you want to disable the New Tab page, you can use an extension known as “Blank New Tab Page,” which replaces the tab default experience with a blank page since you cannot configure the settings to “about:blank.”
In this guide, I’ll show you an alternative way to disable the New Tab page on Chrome.
Disable the New Tab page on Chrome
To use a blank page for new tabs on Google Chrome, use these steps:
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Open Chrome.
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Open the “Blank New Tab Page” download page.
Quick note: This is an example. The Chrome Web Store features many different extensions to change the new tab behavior. -
Click the Add to Chrome button.
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Click the Add extension button.
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Click the Keep it option in the warning to change the New Tab settings.
Once you complete the steps, a blank page will appear the next time you create a new tab.
It’s important to note that this extension follows the color mode of the browser, so if you’re using the light mode, you will have a white page, but if you use the dark mode, then you will have a dark blank page instead.
If you don’t want to use the extension anymore, you can open chrome://extensions and click the “Remove” button for the “Blank New Tab Page” extension.
Why are you changing the New Tab page on Chrome? Let me know in the comments below.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].