[Tip] How to Always Start Google Chrome in Guest Browsing Mode

If you are using Google Chrome web browser, you might be aware of its built-in “Guest Browsing Mode“. If you click on the user account icon present in Chrome toolbar, you get an option “Open Guest window” to launch Chrome in guest mode.

Guest mode has been implemented for improved privacy. If you browse using Guest mode, the websites you visit are not displayed in browser history. Also they don’t leave any other traces like cache, cookies, etc. Of course, all files you download from Internet are preserved. Once you exit Guest mode, your browsing activities are deleted from the computer.

So what you do in Guest mode, is completely hidden from other users. That’s the benefit and use of Guest mode in Google Chrome web browser.

If you frequently use Guest mode in Chrome, you need to first launch Google Chrome, then click on the user avatar icon and then click on the option to launch Guest mode. It requires so many steps to launch Chrome in Guest mode.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could create a direct shortcut to launch Google Chrome in Guest mode? Recently an AskVG reader “neonbulb” asked us similar question:

I tried to figure out a command to direct launch Google Chrome in Guest mode but it seems there is no such command available. Finally I was able to find a workaround to launch Google Chrome in Guest mode.

If you also want to create a shortcut to direct launch Google Chrome in Guest browsing mode window, following steps will help you:

1. Right-click on Google Chrome’s shortcut and select Properties.

2. Now add any of following text entries at the end of the string present in Target text box:

Following screenshots show the added text string in Target field:

–profile-directory=”Guest Profile”:

–bwsi:

PS: BWSI stands for Browser Without Sign-In.

Remember there must be a blank space between existing string and the appended string.

3. Click on Apply button and now whenever you’ll launch Google Chrome using this shortcut, it’ll always start in profile manager (user selector) window.

Now you can click on “Browse as Guest” button to launch Google Chrome directly in Guest mode.

If you want to open Chrome with any other user profile, you can click on that user icon.

This method will also work in all other Chromium based browsers.

Also Check:

How to Always Start Your Web Browser in Private Browsing Mode By Default?