Learn the steps to create a dedicated desktop shortcut to open Google Chrome in guest mode.
One of the most useful features of Google Chrome is its guest profile (guest mode). When you are sharing your browser with other people, instead of letting them use your personal profile or creating a temporary profile, you can simply have them use Guest Mode. The advantage of using a guest profile over a regular profile is that it cannot be used to install extensions, change Chrome settings, access browsing history, modify or create new profiles, view saved passwords, etc. To put it simply, guest mode provides a good balance between security, convenience, and privacy with little work when sharing your browser with others.
Generally, to open guest mode, you first need to open Chrome with a normal profile, click the user icon in the address bar, and then select the “Open guest profile” option. However, if you frequently open the guest profile or don’t want to open the normal profile to access it, you can create a Chrome guest mode desktop shortcut. Once created, double-clicking the desktop shortcut opens Chrome with the guest profile.
In this quick and easy guide, I will show how to do it in simple steps. Let’s get started.
Create Chrome Guest Mode Shortcut
- Right-click on the desktop.
- Select “New” > “Shortcut“.
- Enter
"C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" --guestin the location field. - Click “Next.”
- Type a name in the “Name” field.
- Click “Finish.”
- With that, you’ve created the Chrome guest mode shortcut.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
First, go to the desktop by clicking the “Windows key + D” shortcut. Next, right-click and select “New,” then choose the “Shortcut” option. This action will open the shortcut creation dialog.
In the Create Shortcut field, copy and paste (including the quotes) the path below into the “Location” field and click “Next“. If you look at the given path, it is nothing but the general Chrome.exe path with the “--guest” flag. This flag is what tells Chrome to open in guest mode.
Note: If the Google Chrome installation path is different, modify it accordingly in the path below.
"C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" --guest
Now, type the name of your choice in the “Name” field. This is the name you will see on the desktop. In my case, I named it “Chrome guest mode”. Click the “Finish” button to continue.
With that, you’ve created the desktop shortcut for Chrome guest mode.
Double-clicking it will instantly and directly open the Chrome browser in guest mode.
For quick and easier access, you can also pin the newly created shortcut to the taskbar. To do that, drag and drop the Chrome guest mode desktop shortcut onto the taskbar.
That is all. It is that simple to create the Chrome guest mode shortcut in Windows. If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.
Good to read: How to create Chrome incognito mode desktop shortcut?
