The fastest way: sign in to your Google account

The simplest method is to sign into your Google account on the new computer. When you open Chrome and sign in with the same Google account you used on your old computer, Chrome automatically syncs your bookmarks, history, passwords, and settings to the new machine. This happens in the background within a few minutes.

Open Chrome on your new computer, click the profile icon in the top right corner, and select Sign in to Chrome. Enter your Google email and password. When prompted, choose to sync your data. Your bookmarks will appear in the bookmark bar and bookmark menu within moments.

This method works across Windows, Mac, and Linux. It also keeps your bookmarks synced going forward, so any new bookmarks you add on either computer appear on both.

Key Takeaways

  • Signing into your Google account on the new computer syncs bookmarks automatically and takes just a few minutes.
  • You can export bookmarks as an HTML file from the old computer and import them on the new one if you do not want to use your Google account.
  • The bookmark manager menu is accessed by pressing Ctrl+Shift+B on Windows or Command+Shift+B on Mac.
  • Exported bookmark files can be backed up to a USB drive or cloud storage and imported on any computer running Chrome.

Export bookmarks as a file if you prefer not to sync

If you do not want to sign into your Google account, or if you want a backup copy of your bookmarks separate from your account, you can export them as an HTML file. This file can be moved to the new computer on a USB drive, through email, or via cloud storage like Google Drive or Dropbox.

On your old computer, open Chrome and click the three-line menu icon in the top right. Select Bookmarks, then Bookmark manager. In the bookmark manager, click the three-dot menu icon and select Export bookmarks. Choose where to save the file — typically your Downloads folder or Desktop. The file will be named bookmarks_[date].html.

Transfer this file to your new computer using a USB drive, email, or cloud storage. Then open Chrome on the new computer, go to the bookmark manager the same way, click the three-dot menu, and select Import bookmarks. Navigate to the HTML file you transferred and select it. Your bookmarks will appear when ready.

Import bookmarks from other browsers

If you used a different browser on your old computer — Firefox, Safari, Edge, or another — Chrome can import bookmarks directly from it. You do not need to export and re-import manually.

On your new computer, open Chrome and click the three-line menu. Select Bookmarks, then Import bookmarks and settings. A window will appear asking which browser you want to import from. Select the browser you used before, check the box next to Bookmarks, and click Import. Chrome will scan your computer for that browser's data and pull in all bookmarks.

This works for Firefox, Safari, Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, and several others. If your old browser is not installed on the new computer, you can still export bookmarks from the old computer as an HTML file and import that file into Chrome instead.

Organize bookmarks after moving them

Once your bookmarks are on the new computer, you may want to clean them up. Open the bookmark manager (Ctrl+Shift+B on Windows, Command+Shift+B on Mac) to see all your bookmarks organized by folder.

You can create new folders by right-clicking in the bookmark manager and selecting Add folder. Drag bookmarks into folders to organize them. You can also delete bookmarks you no longer use by right-clicking and selecting Delete. Renaming a bookmark or folder is done the same way — right-click and select Edit.

If you synced through your Google account, these changes will sync back to your old computer and any other devices where you are signed into Chrome. If you imported from a file, changes only affect the new computer.

Move bookmarks between computers without using Chrome sync

Some people prefer not to keep Chrome sync turned on for privacy reasons, or they want to move bookmarks only once rather than keep them synced. The export-and-import method works well for this.

Export bookmarks from the old computer as described above, transfer the HTML file to the new computer, and import it. You can then turn off sync on both computers if you wish. Your bookmarks will stay on each computer but will not update across devices.

If you later want to sync bookmarks between computers, you can turn sync back on by signing into your Google account in Chrome settings. Go to Settings > Sync and Google services and make sure Sync is on. Choose which data types to sync, including bookmarks.

Troubleshooting: bookmarks not appearing

If you signed into your Google account but bookmarks have not appeared after a few minutes, check that sync is actually turned on. Go to Settings > Sync and Google services and look for the message "Sync is on". If it says "Sync is off" or shows an error, click Turn on sync and follow the prompts.

If you imported from an HTML file and bookmarks do not appear, check that the file was not corrupted during transfer. Try exporting the bookmarks again from the old computer and re-importing. If the old computer is no longer available, you may have a backup of the HTML file in your Downloads folder or cloud storage from a previous export.

Bookmarks imported from another browser sometimes appear in a folder named after that browser rather than in your main bookmark bar. Check the bookmark manager to see if there is a folder labeled "Imported from [browser name]" and move bookmarks out of it if you prefer.

Keep bookmarks backed up going forward

Once your bookmarks are on the new computer, consider exporting them periodically as a backup. If you use Chrome sync, your bookmarks are already backed up to your Google account, but an extra HTML file stored on a USB drive or in cloud storage provides extra protection.

Export bookmarks once a month or whenever you add a large batch of new ones. Store the file in a cloud service like Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox so you can retrieve it from any computer. This way, if your computer fails or you need to move to another machine, you have a recent copy ready to import.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my bookmarks sync if I sign into Chrome on the new computer?

Yes. When you sign into the same Google account on the new computer, Chrome automatically syncs bookmarks, history, passwords, and other data within a few minutes. You do not need to do anything else — the sync happens in the background.

Can I move bookmarks without signing into my Google account?

Yes. Export bookmarks as an HTML file on the old computer, transfer the file to the new computer using a USB drive or cloud storage, and import the file into Chrome. This method does not require a Google account and gives you a standalone backup file.

What if I used a different browser on my old computer?

Chrome can import bookmarks directly from Firefox, Safari, Edge, and other browsers. Open Chrome on the new computer, go to Bookmarks > Import bookmarks and settings, select your old browser, and click Import. If the old browser is not installed on the new computer, export its bookmarks as an HTML file first and import that into Chrome instead.

How long does it take for bookmarks to appear after signing in?

Bookmarks usually appear within a few minutes of signing into your Google account. If they do not appear after five minutes, check that sync is turned on in Settings > Sync and Google services. If sync is off, turn it on and wait a few more minutes.

Can I move bookmarks to a computer that already has Chrome bookmarks?

Yes, but imported bookmarks will be added to existing ones rather than replace them. If you want to replace all bookmarks, delete the ones on the new computer first, or export from the old computer and import into a fresh Chrome profile on the new computer.