The shortcut tiles under the search box on a new tab in Google Chrome give you quick access to sites, but they can fill up with pages you don’t visit anymore, or ones you’d rather others didn’t see. You can remove individual shortcuts, replace them with your own, or hide them completely. This guide covers Chrome on a computer, Android, and iPhone, plus the Google app.
Quick Answer
Open a new tab in Chrome, hover over the shortcut, click the three dots in its corner, and choose Remove. To hide all shortcuts, click Customize Chrome (bottom right of the new tab page) and turn off Show shortcuts.
Remove a Shortcut in Chrome on a Computer
- Open a new tab (Ctrl + T, or Cmd + T on Mac). Your default search engine must be Google for these tiles to appear.
- Hover over the shortcut you want to remove.
- Click the three dots (⋮) in the tile’s top-right corner.
- Click Remove. Click Undo in the message at the bottom if you change your mind.
If you use Most visited sites, another frequently visited site will fill the empty spot. Clearing your browsing history also resets these suggestions.
Choose Your Own Shortcuts or Hide Them
- On the new tab page, click Customize Chrome (the pencil button in the bottom-right corner).
- Under Shortcuts:
- Turn off Show shortcuts to hide all tiles.
- Choose My shortcuts to keep only the sites you add yourself, or Most visited sites to let Chrome suggest them.
With My shortcuts, click Add shortcut to add a site, or the three dots > Edit shortcut to rename or change a URL. Drag tiles to reorder them.
Remove a Shortcut on Android or iPhone
- Open Chrome and a new tab.
- Touch and hold the shortcut under the search bar.
- Tap Remove.
To hide the whole section on Android, tap the three dots next to Most visited (or the section header) and choose Hide, where available. Options vary by Chrome version.
The Google App and Other Places
- Google app (Android/iPhone): shortcuts under the search bar (like Translate or Lens) can be managed by tapping the shortcut row’s edit or Customize option, depending on version.
- Desktop shortcuts: a Chrome web shortcut on your Windows desktop is a regular shortcut file; right-click it and choose Delete.
- Search suggestions: if you meant removing items from the search box’s drop-down, hover over a suggestion and click the X, or delete it from My Activity.
Also read how to remove search suggestions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does a removed shortcut come back?
With Most visited sites, a site you keep visiting can reappear. Switch to My shortcuts to control the list completely.
Why don’t I see shortcuts on the new tab page?
Your default search engine isn’t Google, or shortcuts are turned off in Customize Chrome.
How many shortcuts can I have?
Chrome shows up to 10 shortcuts on the desktop new tab page, depending on window size and version.
Summary
- Hover over a shortcut, click the three dots, and choose Remove.
- Use Customize Chrome > Shortcuts to hide them or choose My shortcuts.
- On mobile, touch and hold a shortcut and tap Remove.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.