In order to instruct the browser to do something different from the standard behavior, command line switches are used with the actual executable. Some switches are useful for developers, while others are useful for IT professionals or even for ordinary users. In this article, we will discuss various Chrome command-line switches and how they can be used to accomplish various tasks.
How to add command-line switches to Chrome executable
The easiest way to open Chrome with command-line switches is to run it from Command Prompt or Run Dialog. If, for example, you wish to open Chrome without any plugins, you can run the following command:
How to add command-line switches to Chrome executable Some useful Chrome command-line switches Set Chrome as the default browser Take screenshots of the sites from command-line Disable Google account sync Enable night light Run Chrome in Safe mode/incognito mode Disable background apps Start Chrome maximized Disable GPU acceleration Disable plugins Disable DNS prefetch Restore last session Turn websites into apps Mute audio Force dark mode
If you would like to add a switch permanently to Chrome, you can do so by adding it to the Chrome shortcut. To add the command-line switch to Chrome shortcut, right-click on the Chrome shortcut and select Properties. TIP: The default location for the Chrome Start Menu shortcut in Windows 10 is: Under the Shortcut tab, append the command-line switch at the end of the Target field. For example, Once you have saved this shortcut, the browser will open without installing any plugins.
Some useful Chrome command-line switches
Set Chrome as the default browser
For example,
Take screenshots of the sites from command-line
With Chrome, you can take a screenshot of the website without even opening the browser. In a script, you can use this command to take screenshots of a website at intervals of x seconds. You can use this to monitor a website’s user interface.Chrome must be running in headless mode in order to capture screenshots. You can accomplish this by using the following command (run in Command Prompt or Run dialog): Here is an example: You can also specify the window size so the screenshot is taken from that specific window.
Disable Google account sync
For example,
Enable night light
If you are working in a dark environment, enabling night light will help reduce eye strain. For example,
Run Chrome in Safe mode/incognito mode
Chrome Safe Mode is incognito mode. Starting Chrome in incognito mode will enable the user to run Chrome in safe mode without loading any plugins. For example,
Disable background apps
For example,
Start Chrome maximized
For example,
Disable GPU acceleration
For example,
Disable plugins
For example,
Disable DNS prefetch
For example,
Restore last session
For example,
Turn websites into apps
For example,
Mute audio
For example,
Force dark mode
For example, For the complete list of Chrome command-line parameters, you can visit peter.sh. You can use these switches in combination too. That means you can use two or more switches on the same command line. You can create different Chrome shortcuts to run Chrome with different command line switches. I hope these switches will make you more productive while using the browser. Do you want to know about a specific switch? Tell us in the comments below.
