Making Facebook your homepage on Google Chrome is a simple process that only takes a few steps. Here is a quick overview of how to do it:
Step 1: Open Google Chrome
First, make sure you have the latest version of Google Chrome installed on your computer. If you don’t already have Chrome, you can download it for free from the Google website.
Once Chrome is installed, open the browser. You’ll see the default New Tab page or whatever page you currently have set as your homepage.
Step 2: Go to the Facebook website
In the address bar at the top, type in www.facebook.com and hit Enter. This will take you to the Facebook login page.
If you’re already logged into Facebook, it will instead open your Facebook News Feed. That’s fine too.
Step 3: Click the Settings icon
In the top right corner of the Chrome window, click the three vertical dots to open the Settings menu.
Step 4: Select “Settings”
In the drop-down menu that appears, click on Settings at the bottom.
This will open a new tab with the Chrome settings.
Step 5: Click “Appearance”
On the left side of the Settings page, click the “Appearance” option.
Step 6: Choose “Open this page”
Under the “Home button” section, change the dropdown from “New Tab” to “Open this page.”
Step 7: Enter the Facebook URL
In the box next to the “Open this page” dropdown, enter www.facebook.com.
Step 8: Click “Change”
At the bottom of the page, click the blue “Change” button to save your new homepage setting.
Step 9: Confirm the new homepage
Close the Settings tab and open a new tab in Chrome. You should now see the Facebook website load instead of the usual New Tab page.
Conclusion
And that’s all there is to it! Facebook is now set as the homepage anytime you open a new tab or window in Chrome.
To change it back, just return to the Appearance settings and select “New Tab” again under the homepage dropdown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this work on other browsers like Firefox or Safari?
Unfortunately no, these steps are specific to setting your homepage in Google Chrome. The methods would be slightly different in other web browsers.
What if I’m already using a different page as my homepage?
No problem! When you follow these steps, Facebook will simply replace whatever page you currently have set as the homepage in Chrome.
Will this auto-login me to Facebook every time?
It will not automatically log you into Facebook each time. You’ll still need to enter your Facebook login credentials on the homepage to access your account.
What if I want to revert back to the default New Tab page?
You can return to the default New Tab homepage anytime by going back to Chrome’s Appearance settings and selecting “New Tab” from the homepage dropdown.
How to Customize Your Facebook Homepage
Once you’ve set Facebook as your Chrome homepage, you may want to customize what you see when it loads. Here are some tips:
Rearrange your News Feed
Use the News Feed Preferences to choose whose posts you see first in your feed. Give priority to close friends and favorite Pages.
Pin important Pages
Pin your most-visited Groups and Pages so they’re permanently pinned to the left side of the page.
Show birthday reminders
Enable birthday alerts so you never miss wishing a friend happy birthday.
Add shortcuts
Customize the shortcuts bar at the top to add one-click access to Messages, Events, Friends list, and more.
With these tips, you can optimize your Facebook homepage to show all your important notifications, events, and friends front and center!
How to Troubleshoot Facebook as Your Homepage
In some cases, you may run into issues after setting Facebook as your Chrome homepage. Here is how to troubleshoot the most common problems:
Facebook not loading
If Facebook isn’t loading, first check your internet connection. If the internet is working fine, try manually refreshing the page. There may be a temporary glitch or connectivity issue with the Facebook servers.
Reverted back to default homepage
Sometimes an Chrome update can reset your homepage back to default. Redo the homepage steps above to set it back to Facebook.
Page not found or can’t reach server errors
These errors indicate Facebook is down or having server problems. Check Downdetector to see if others are reporting Facebook issues as well.
Not opening on browser startup
Make sure you don’t have any extensions enabled that block pop-ups, as these could prevent the new tab from opening. Also check that Facebook isn’t listed under Restricted Sites in your Chrome content settings.
Still having issues? Try rebooting your computer or reinstalling Chrome to see if that corrects any software conflicts.
How to Set Other Webpages as Your Homepage
While this guide focused specifically on how to make Facebook your Chrome homepage, you can use these same steps to set any webpage as the homepage.
Here are some other common pages people set as their default homepage:
- News sites like CNN, Fox News, HuffPost
- Email services like Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo
- Finance sites like Yahoo Finance, MarketWatch
- Productivity tools like Trello, Asana, Slack
- Entertainment sites like YouTube, Twitch, Reddit
The process is the same for any webpage:
- Open the desired website in Chrome.
- Click Settings > Appearance.
- Select “Open this page” for the homepage.
- Enter the exact URL of the current page.
- Click Change to save.
And you’re all set! The webpage will now load by default each time you open a new tab or window in Chrome.
How to Set Multiple Homepages
If you can’t decide on just one site for your homepage, Chrome does give you the option to set multiple pages as your home tab.
Here’s how to configure it:
Step 1: Install an extension
You’ll first need to add an extension like Multi Start or TabHome to enable multiple homepages. Install one of these extensions in Chrome.
Step 2: Choose your pages
Decide which sites you want to set as your homepages. We recommend keeping it to 3-5 maximum.
Step 3: Configure the extension
Once installed, the extension will have its own settings. Here you can enter the list of URLs to use as your multiple startup pages.
Step 4: Open a new tab
When opening a new tab, you should now see your selected pages load as a group of home tabs.
Using an extension gives you more flexibility than Chrome’s built-in single homepage option. Now you can start your browsing on all your favorite sites at once!
How to Remove Unwanted Homepage Changes
Sometimes your homepage can get changed without you realizing it, often due to malicious browser extensions. Here’s how to notice and revert unwanted homepage changes in Chrome.
Spotting unusual changes
If your homepage suddenly changes to an unfamiliar page, that’s a red flag. Beware of pages with lots of ads or pop-ups, as they are likely unwanted homepage changes.
Review installed extensions
Open Chrome Settings > Extensions and review any recently added extensions. Remove anything unfamiliar or suspicious.
Run antivirus scan
Run a full system antivirus scan to check for any malware, adware, or other potentially unwanted programs.
Reset homepage
Go back to Chrome Settings > Appearance and return your homepage setting to either the New Tab page or your preferred site.
Restore previous settings
If issues persist, resetting Chrome to factory default settings can overwrite any harmful homepage changes made by extensions.
Stay vigilant and act quickly if your homepage ever gets changed without your knowledge. This will help protect your browser and system.
Chrome Homepage Security Tips
To keep your homepage safe, follow these security best practices:
Use official extensions
Only install extensions from the official Chrome Web Store. Avoid third-party extension sites.
Beware homepage hijacks
Decline any prompts to change your homepage while browsing unfamiliar sites.
Review permissions
Pay attention to what permissions you grant each extension during installation.
Disable unfamiliar extensions
If you see any unknown or dubious browser extensions, disable or remove them immediately.
Regularly reset settings
Consider resetting Chrome to default settings once a month to clear out any unwanted homepage changes.
Following these tips will keep your homepage locked in safely on the site of your choosing.
Comparing Chrome and Firefox Homepage Options
Chrome and Firefox are the two most popular web browsers. Here is a comparison of the homepage options in Chrome vs Firefox:
| Feature | Chrome | Firefox |
|---|---|---|
| Set a single homepage | Yes | Yes |
| Use multiple homepages | Requires extension | Yes |
| Homepage custom images | No | Yes |
| Homepage layout options | Limited | Extensive |
As you can see, Firefox provides more customization options for the homepage out of the box. But Chrome can match most features using extensions.
Both browsers make it easy to set your favorite site as the default homepage with just a few clicks.
Conclusion
Setting your homepage in Chrome is quick and simple – just choose your preferred website and save it through the Appearance settings.
While Facebook was used as the example here, you can make any page your homepage using the same steps.
With your homepage customized to your favorite destination, opening a new browser tab becomes much more productive. You can also enhance the experience further with bookmarks, pinned tabs, and other helpful browser tools.