Best Ways to Stop Google Chrome to Automatically Opens Apps on Android

Google Chrome is a popular web browser that allows users to access various websites and online services on their Android devices. However, sometimes Chrome may automatically open apps when a user clicks on certain links, which can be inconvenient or unwanted. In this article, we’ll explore some ways to stop Chrome from automatically opening apps on Android.

1. Change App Associations in Settings

The first and most straightforward way to stop Chrome from opening apps automatically is to change the app associations in the Android settings. Here’s how you can do it:

• Step 1: Go to your Android device’s settings.
• Step 2: Scroll down and tap on “Apps & notifications” (or “Apps” on some devices).
• Step 3: Tap on “Advanced” at the bottom of the screen.
• Step 4: Tap on “Default apps.”
• Step 5: Tap on “Opening links.”
• Step 6: Choose “Don’t open in this app” or select Chrome as the default app to open links.

This will prevent Chrome from automatically opening apps when you click on certain links.

2. Clear Chrome Cache and Cookies

Sometimes, Chrome may open apps automatically due to a problem with the browser’s cache or cookies. To fix this, you can try clearing Chrome’s cache and cookies. Here’s how:

• Step 1: Open the Chrome browser on your Android device.
• Step 2: Tap on the three dots icon in the top right corner of the screen.
• Step 3: Tap on “Settings.”
• Step 4: Scroll down and tap on “Privacy and security.”
• Step 5: Tap on “Clear browsing data.”
• Step 6: Select “Cached images and files” and “Cookies and site data.”
• Step 7: Tap on “Clear data.”

This will clear Chrome’s cache and cookies, which may fix the issue of Chrome automatically opening apps.

3. Disable App Links in Chrome

Chrome has a feature called “App Links” that allows certain links to open directly in an app. If you want to disable this feature, here’s how you can do it:

• Step 1: Open the Chrome browser on your Android device.
• Step 2: Tap on the three dots icon in the top right corner of the screen.
• Step 3: Tap on “Settings.”
• Step 4: Scroll down and tap on “Site settings.”
• Step 5: Tap on “App links.”
• Step 6: Toggle off the switch next to “Open supported links.”

This will disable the App Links feature in Chrome, which should prevent the browser from automatically opening apps.

4. Use a Different Browser

If none of the above methods work for you, you can try using a different web browser on your Android device. There are many alternative browsers available on the Google Play Store, such as Firefox, Opera, and Brave, which may not have the same issues as Chrome.

In conclusion, there are several ways to stop Chrome from automatically opening apps on Android. You can change the app associations in the Android settings, clear Chrome’s cache and cookies, disable App Links in Chrome, or use a different web browser altogether. Try out these methods to see which one works best for you.