New Tab Page Changed? How to Get Yours Back

If your new tab page changed overnight, you're not imagining it. The page can change with a browser update, when you install an extension, or when software you didn't mean to install takes over. The fix depends on which one happened, and figuring that out takes a minute. This guide works for Chrome, Edge and Firefox.

Step 1: find out what changed your new tab page

Ask yourself three questions:

1. Does the page look like the browser's own page, just different? Same logo and search box, new layout or new sections. That's almost always a browser update.
2. Does it show a different product? A different logo, design or name. An extension is in charge.
3. Did your search engine change too, or do you see pop-ups and ads you didn't see before? Unwanted software may have changed your settings.

Step 2: check for an extension that controls new tabs

Only one extension can control the new tab page at a time, and the browser tells you which one. In Chrome:

1. 1
   Type chrome://extensions in the address bar and press Enter.
2. 2
   Look for extensions you don't recognize or don't remember installing, especially ones with "new tab", "search" or "start page" in their name.
3. 3
   Turn off the suspicious one with its switch, then open a new tab. If your old page is back, you found it.
4. 4
   Click Remove if you don't want the extension at all.

In Edge, the same list is at edge://extensions. In Firefox, go to about:addons; Firefox's Settings › Home page also names the extension that controls your new tabs and offers a button to disable it.

Note: Turning an extension off keeps its data, so it's safe to try. Removing an extension can delete what it stored, such as bookmarks saved inside a new tab extension. If it's one you use, export your data first.

The "Is this the new tab page you expected?" prompt

When an extension replaces the new tab page, Chrome and Edge ask once whether you want to keep the change or go back. If you clicked the wrong button, open the extension list, turn the extension off and on again, and the browser will usually ask again. If you chose to keep a page you no longer want, turning the extension off brings back the browser's own page.

Step 3: if a browser update changed it

Browsers redesign the new tab page regularly. Chrome has moved its customization options into a side panel and changed how shortcuts and cards appear; Edge regularly reshuffles its news feed and layouts; Firefox adds sections like stories, wallpapers and weather. You can't roll a redesign back, but you can usually turn off the parts you dislike:

• Chrome: click Customize Chrome in the bottom-right corner of a new tab to switch shortcuts and cards on or off and change the theme. Details are in our Chrome new tab guide.
• Edge: click the gear icon on a new tab to choose a calmer layout and hide the feed. See the Edge new tab guide.
• Firefox: click the gear icon in the bottom-right corner to hide stories and sponsored tiles. See the Firefox new tab guide.

You may find tips online about turning a redesign off in chrome://flags. Those switches are temporary experiments and disappear after a few releases, so they are not a lasting fix.

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Step 4: reset your browser settings

If you can't find the cause, or the page keeps coming back, reset the browser's settings. In Chrome:

1. 1
   Open Settings from the three-dot menu.
2. 2
   Select Reset settings.
3. 3
   Click Restore settings to their original defaults, then Reset settings.

This restores your startup page, new tab page, search engine and pinned tabs, turns off all extensions and clears cookies and other temporary site data. Bookmarks, history and saved passwords are kept. Afterwards, turn back on only the extensions you trust.

• Edge: Settings › Reset settings › Restore settings to their default values works the same way.
• Firefox: go to about:support and click Refresh Firefox. It removes extensions and resets settings but keeps bookmarks, history and passwords.

Step 5: if it keeps coming back

When the page returns after a reset, something outside the browser is changing it:

• Look for "Managed by your organization" in the browser menu on a personal computer. Visit chrome://policy (or edge://policy) to see which settings are being forced. Policies on a personal computer that you didn't set up are a red flag.
• Check installed programs. On Windows, open Settings › Apps and uninstall anything you don't recognize that appeared around the time the page changed. On a Mac, check the Applications folder and System Settings › Privacy & Security for profiles you didn't add.
• Run a reputable anti-malware scan, then reset the browser again.

If your new tab page was Speed Dial 2

If Speed Dial 2 was your new tab page and it's gone, the browser has most likely turned the extension off, which sometimes happens after an update. Open the extension list and switch Speed Dial 2 back on; your bookmarks are still there. Edge has its own quirks, covered in Speed Dial 2 not working in Edge. Speed Dial 2 Pro keeps automatic daily backups and syncs across devices, so your bookmarks can be restored even if the extension was removed.