Google Chrome is the default browser for many users worldwide. In Chrome, over time, a user will form a list of bookmarks that become essential for everyday browsing. So if you decide to move over to another device or reinstall Chrome from scratch, you will lose out on these bookmarks if you don’t export them in the first place. Exporting bookmarks will result in an HTML file that you can later import on Chrome. So you won’t lose out on your bookmarks then.
Besides importing and exporting, there are other means to keep the bookmarks too. It involves syncing bookmarks via Chrome Sync and copying bookmark data in raw format. Here in this article, we will look at how one can import and export chrome bookmarks. We will look at other ways of backing and syncing Chrome bookmarks too. So without any further ado, let’s get into it.
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How to export and import bookmarks in Chrome?
Exporting and importing bookmarks in Chrome is simple when you do it on a PC or Mac. You can create an HTML file and use it for the entire purpose. But in the case of a smartphone, you do not get this feature in the Chrome browser. Here, you will have to use Chrome sync to get the job done.
First, we will see the exporting and importing methods for bookmarks in Chrome. And then, we will move to using Chrome Sync and copying the bookmarks storage file methods.
How to export bookmarks in Chrome?
Open up the Chrome browser.
Click on the three-dot icon(more icon) in the top right corner of the Chrome window.
Hover your mouse pointer over “Bookmarks” and then click on “Bookmark Manager.”
Click on the three-dot icon(more icon) in the top right corner of the Bookmark manager window.
Click on “Export Bookmarks.”
Select the destination location where you want to save your file. You can even rename the file according to your liking. By default, it will have the year, month, and date as the name in the format “bookmarks_month_date_year.”
Click on Save.
Now you are done exporting your bookmarks file. It will be an HTML file in the destination location. You can double-click on this HTML file, and you will see a list of all your bookmarks as hyperlinks.
How to import bookmarks in Chrome?
Once you exported the bookmarks HTML file, you are ready to import. If you previously had your Google account logged in to Chrome, and you logged in to your account in the new device or the fresh installation of Chrome again, then you don’t need to import at all. Google will automatically perform the sync for you. But if you did not log in, then you will have to import it.
Open up the Chrome browser.
Click on the three-dot icon(more icon) in the top right corner of the Chrome window.
Hover your mouse pointer over “Bookmarks” and then click on “Bookmark Manager.”
Click on the three-dot icon(more icon) in the top right corner of the Bookmark manager window.
Click on “Import Bookmarks.”
Select the HTML file in the folder where you exported the HTML file with all your bookmarks and click on Open.
Your bookmarks should be now immediately imported to Chrome again. You should find all of your bookmarks in the Bookmark manager window.
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How to use Chrome sync for syncing bookmarks?
As mentioned above, there are other ways to move bookmarks from one device to another or from an older to a new version of Chrome installation. One of them is to use the Chrome sync feature.
For this method to work, you will need a Google account. If you don’t have one, then make one.
Log in to your Google account in Chrome, where you have the bookmarks.
Click on the profile icon in the top right corner of the Chrome window.
Click on “Turn on Sync.”
A new window will open up with your Google account picture on it. Click on “Yes, I’m in” here.
Now ensure that your bookmark sync is turned on. For this, click on the three-dot icon in the top right corner of the Chrome window.
Navigate to Settings > Sync and Google services > Manage what you sync.
Here, make sure the toggle for Bookmarks is turned on.
Now, once you open up Chrome in the new device, where you want to import your Bookmarks, repeat the process. Log in to your Google account here again and then turn on Sync for it. Google Chrome will automatically sync up all the Bookmarks that you previously had.
How to use the bookmarks storage file to import bookmarks in Chrome?
Now, if you are having trouble opening up Chrome, and that is why you are reinstalling the browser, you won’t be able to use any of the aforementioned methods. In that case, you need to directly copy the file in the Chrome directory that maintains your bookmarks.
- Press Windows Key + R to open up the Run dialog box.
- Enter “%UserProfile%\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data” in the dialog box and click on Ok.
- Open the folder with the title “Default.”
- Here, look for the files ” Bookmarks” and “Bookmarks.bak.” Once you find them, copy them to a different location on your PC.
- Now install Chrome and then copy these two files in the same folder again.
- Before copying, ensure that the fresh installation of Chrome is working fine. If the bookmarks do not show up in the bookmark manager, restart the browser.
So this is how one can manage bookmarks in a Chrome browser. As mentioned above, you can’t use the export process mentioned above with the Chrome browser on your smartphone. But you can use the import method.
That is, if you want to export the bookmarks on your PC over to your smartphone, you can create the HTML file and then copy it onto your smartphone. You can then import that HTML file, and all your bookmarks will load up on your Chrome browser. If you have any questions or queries about this article, then comment below, and we will get back to you. Also, be sure to check out our other articles on iPhone tips and tricks, Android tips and tricks, PC tips and tricks, and much more for more helpful information.
