How to Get Rid of Chromium

Chromium is an open-source browser that is the basis for Google Chrome, so there’s nothing inherently wrong with having and using it. Unfortunately, hackers have hijacked and altered versions of Chromium in ways that may negatively impact the functionality or even security of your device. You may even have a hijacked version of Chromium on your computer without realizing it! Removing it can be a challenge, but there are step-by-step methods you can follow to remove it from a Windows PC or Mac.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Removing Chromium from a Windows PC

1
Open the Task Manager and close any Chromium processes. You can open the Task Manager by right-clicking in the taskbar or hitting CTRL+ALT+DEL simultaneously. Once it’s open, look for any running processes with chromium.exe or chrome.exe in the name. Highlight these processes individually and close them by hitting the "End Task" tab at the bottom right of the window.^{[1]XResearch source}
- Close any open windows before starting the Task Manager.
- All instructions in this section are based on using Windows 10. The procedures will be fairly similar with other versions of Windows, but you may want to search online for a guide that’s specific to your particular version of Windows.
2
Open the Control Panel to search for Chromium. There are numerous ways to open the Control Panel in Windows 10. Perhaps the easiest is to type “control panel” in the search bar on the taskbar, then click on the first search result. Once you’re in the Control Panel, click on “Uninstall a Program.”^{[2]XResearch source}
- If you don't have a search bar right on your taskbar, click on the Windows icon on the bottom left corner of your screen. A search bar will appear along with other options.
- Or, click on the "Task View" icon in the taskbar tray, then click on the magnifying glass in the top right corner of the screen to open a search bar.
- Once you click on “Uninstall a Program,” you’ll see a long list of programs that are currently installed on your PC.
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3
Uninstall Chromium from your PC. Find and highlight Chromium in the list of installed programs, then click on “Uninstall” above the list of programs. An “Are you sure?” dialog box will pop up, so you’ll have to confirm your choice by clicking "Yes." Once you do, Chromium will be uninstalled from your PC.^{[3]XResearch source}
- If you have more than one Chromium program listed, uninstall all of them.
- You can keep Google Chrome installed if you have it. It should be unaffected by uninstalling Chromium.
4
Clear Chromium user data and settings from your computer. Enter “C:\Users\username\AppData\Local” in the taskbar’s search bar, but type your actual username instead of “username.” Click open the “Local” folder, then highlight and delete the “Chromium” folder inside it.^{[4]XResearch source}
- This will remove Chromium bookmarks, cookies, and browsing history from your computer.
- If you don’t remember your username, you can find it in the Control Panel, under the “User Accounts” section.
5
Remove suspicious add-ons and extensions from your other browsers. Now that you’ve removed the Chromium browser, individually open any other browsers that are installed on your PC—for instance, Firefox or Chrome. Locate the list of add-ons and extensions for that browser, and take note of anything you don’t recognize or don’t use. Delete these from the browser.^{[5]XResearch source}
- If you need help finding and removing add-ons and extensions from your browsers, search online for specific instructions for each browser.^{[6]XResearch source}
6
Run a scan with your preferred antivirus program. Windows Defender comes pre-installed on Windows 10 PCs, or you may have installed an alternative like Norton, McAfee, or other popular choices. In any case, run a full system scan to remove unwanted traces left behind by Chromium.^{[7]XResearch source}
- If you have any additional security software that targets adware, spyware, malware, etc., run a scan with it as well.
- Search online for antivirus software recommendations.
- If you’re still having issues with Chromium remnants after this point, consider contacting a computer repair technician.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Clearing Chromium from a Mac

1
Stop “Chromium” and “Chromium Helper” via the Activity Monitor. Click the “Go” button at the top center of the screen, then select “Utilities” from the drop-down menu. Select “Activity Monitor” on the resulting screen.^{[8]XResearch source}
- Once you’re in the Activity Monitor, find processes with “Chromium” and “Chromium Helper” in the name.
- Select both and hit “Quit Process” for each. If an “Are you sure?” tab pops up, select the “Force Quit” option.
2
Delete Chromium materials you find in “Library” folders. Click the “Go” button again, then select “Go to Folder.” Enter “/Library/LaunchAgents” in the search bar to find and open the folder. Locate “org.chromium.Chromium.plist” in the folder and move it to the Trash.^{[9]XResearch source}
- Once you’ve done this, search for “~/Library/LaunchAgents” in the same manner. Send the “org.chromium.Chromium.plist” you find here to the trash as well.
- Finally, search for “~Library/Application Support” in the same way. Trash the “Chromium” entry you find there.
3
Trash the Chromium application in the Applications menu. Click on “Go” once again, then choose “Applications.” Find the entry for “Chromium.app” and right-click it. Select “Move to Trash.”^{[10]XResearch source}
- You may need to enter your Mac password in order to complete this task.
4
Adjust your System Preferences to prevent automatic startups. Click on the Apple logo in the top left corner of the screen, then select “System Preferences” from the drop-down menu. Select “Accounts” and then the “Login Items” button. Highlight “Chromium” on the list that appears, then press the minus (“-”) button at the bottom of the tab.^{[11]XResearch source}
- This will prevent any Chromium remnants from attempting to launch at startup.
5
Remove website data from Safari and any other browsers. Open Safari and choose “Preferences” from the drop-down that appears when you click on “Safari” along the top of the screen. Click the “Privacy” tab that appears. Choose the option “Remove All Website Data” and confirm the choice by selecting “Remove Now.”^{[12]XResearch source}
- Instead of removing all data, you can instead click on the small “Details” button that’s right below the “Remove All Website Data” button. From there, you can scroll through a list and remove only the data you select.
- If you also use other browsers, such as Firefox or Google Chrome, use an online tutorial to help you clear your website data from them as well.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Avoiding and Recognizing Hijacked Chromium

1
Avoid spam emails and check your software downloads carefully. Hijacked versions of Chromium are usually downloaded inadvertently. Sometimes this occurs when a user clicks on a download in a spam email. More often, the hijacked version of Chromium is buried within other software installs, so that the user doesn’t even realize that they’ve added it.^{[13]XResearch source}
- Before downloading any software (especially freeware), check carefully through the “optional installs” or other hidden features in the fine print that most people skip over. If you see anything that mentions Chromium, abort the download.
2
Watch for annoying changes to your browser settings and performance. It’s not always obvious that you have a hijacked version of Chromium on your device. However, if Chromium has been changed to your default browser and other browser settings (for instance, your start page) have been changed without your permission, search for a hijacked version of Chromium on your device.^{[14]XResearch source}
- You might, for instance, be repeatedly redirected to a particular site (Yahoo Search is a common one) when you don’t want to be.
3
Don’t allow hijacked Chromium to remain on your device. Hijacked versions of Chromium are primarily an annoyance in many cases, in that they can change your browser functionality in ways you don’t want and slow down your device. However, it’s also possible for them to act as gateways to more damaging impacts on your device and your privacy.
- If you don’t want to try to remove Chromium yourself, you can search online for software downloads that claim to remove Chromium from your device automatically. If you choose to go this route, investigate the site carefully and make sure you trust the source of the program.
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