With so many websites people visit on a daily basis, chances are you'll find some worth saving. Of course, keeping so many bookmarks is not a problem for modern browsers. However, what happens with bookmarks if you reinstall the operating system on your computer or replace the old computer with a new one?
Don't worry, because Google Chrome has a solution to preserve those precious bookmarks. Chrome has a built-in sync feature that saves all your bookmarks so you can easily use them on any device using the Chrome browser. Of course, you and just about everyone know that, of course. However, problems may arise from time to time, by manipulating, deleting or preventing access to your synchronized bookmarks.
So what can you do if you can't access your synced bookmarks or have lost them somehow? The answer is that you save all your bookmarks by exporting them to an external storage device, such as a USB drive, SSD, HDD, or even a third-party cloud service. Whenever you want to recover your bookmarks, just import the file into your Chrome browser.
Another advantage of exporting bookmarks is that you can add them to almost any browser that supports imports. Here's how to back up your Chrome bookmarks and import them to any browser whenever you want.
How to Export Bookmarks in Chrome on a Mac
To export bookmarks from Chrome to your Mac, follow the steps below.
- Open Chrome on your Mac.
- Click the three vertical dots icon in the upper right corner of Chrome.
- Click Bookmarks.
- Now click on Bookmark Manager.
- When the bookmarks manager menu opens, click on the âthree vertical dotsâ icon on the far right of the âSearch in bookmarksâ field.
- Click "Export bookmarks to HTML file".
- Choose a location for the export file and enter the name. Just be sure to leave the â.htmlâ file extension at the end of the filename.
- Click the "Save" button to export your Chrome bookmarks.
This should automatically export all of your Google Chrome bookmarks to an HTML file. If you're having trouble, you can always manually export your Chrome bookmarks. Once you save them, you can easily import them into Safari, Firefox, Opera or many other browsers. You can also import them into Chrome anytime on any device.
How to import my Chrome bookmarks back into Chrome on Mac
If you want to import your bookmarks back to Google Chrome on Mac, follow the process below.
- Open Chrome on your Mac.
- Click on the three-dot menu in the upper right corner of the browser.
- Click on âBookmarksâ.
- Click on âBookmarks Managerâ.
- Now click on the three-dot menu to the right of the search box.
- Click on âImport bookmarksâ.
- Locate your export file and click "Import" when ready.
- Once you've done this, Chrome will import any bookmarks that are in the export file.
How to Export Bookmarks in Chrome on Windows PC
Similar to the process on Mac computers, exporting Chrome bookmarks is quite simple on Windows 10, 8, 8.1 and 7.
- Open Google Chrome in Windows 10 or earlier.
- Click the three dots icon in the upper right corner of Chrome.
- Click Bookmarks and then Bookmark Manager.
- In the bookmarks manager menu, click on the three vertical dots icon â the one on the far right of the Search bookmarks field.
- Click Export Bookmarks.
- The âSave Asâ menu appears. Navigate to the location where you want to export your bookmarks. Enter a name for the file and make sure the "Type" is set to « Document HTML », then click " To safeguard. »
- Chrome will now export all of your bookmarks to the folder you chose. When you open it, your export file will be there.
The next time you want to export or import your bookmarks, you can try using the dedicated hotkey. Simultaneously press Ctrl + Shift + O on your keyboard to directly open Chrome's Bookmarks Manager feature. This will make the process much more convenient.
Keeping your bookmarks in a universal format called an âHTML documentâ allows you to easily import them back into Chrome or any other web browser when needed.
How to import my Chrome bookmarks back into Chrome on Windows 10, 8, 8.1 and 7
Once you've exported your Chrome bookmarks into Chrome on Windows, you can easily import them back into the reinstalled OS, new computer, reinstalled Chrome, or any other scenario you have.
- Open Chrome on your computer, then press the Ctrl + Shift + O combination on your keyboard at the same time. This will open Chrome's bookmarks manager.
- Click on the three vertical dots menu in the upper right corner of the page. This is the one that matches the search field.
- Click Import Bookmarks.
- The Open window appears, allowing you to browse to the location of your bookmark export file. When you find it, select the file and click Open in the lower right corner of the window.
- This will initiate the import, which may take a few seconds. It directly depends on how many bookmarks you have in the export file.
How to Export Bookmarks in Chrome on a Chromebook
Just like Windows and Mac machines, Chromebooks also have export capabilities to manage your bookmarks.
- Open the Google Chrome browser.
- Click on the three-dot menu in the upper right corner of Chrome.
- Click Bookmarks and then Bookmark Manager.
- Click on the three-dot menu in the upper right corner of Chrome, but the one that matches the search box.
- Click Export Bookmarks.
- Choose your save location and file name to store your Bomarks export file. Make sure to leave the ".html" file extension at the end, then click " To safeguard " to export your bookmarks.
To import the bookmarks you saved in an HTML file, follow the steps below.
- Open Chrome.
- Click on the three-dot menu in the upper right corner.
- Click Bookmarks and then Bookmark Manager.
- Now click on the three-dot menu that corresponds to the search field.
- Click Import Bookmarks.
- Navigate to the location of your bookmark export file and select it.
- Click Import and that's it.
How to Export Bookmarks in Chrome on Android
Unfortunately, you can't directly export bookmarks on the Google Chrome mobile app for Android, but you can still export them. To complete the task, you use the sync feature of Chrome. You can also use a third-party app available in the Google Play Store if you want to isolate your mobile bookmarks from the rest.
Basically, Google Chrome bookmarks sync across all your devices that use the Chrome browser, which is why you don't necessarily need to export anything to your smartphone or tablet to get them.
For each webpage you bookmark on your mobile device, the new entry will appear in the "Mobile Bookmarks" folder, unless you change where to save the bookmark. You can also access bookmarks from your desktop or laptop computer. From here, you can export your bookmarks which include the "Mobile Bookmarks" folder.
How to Export Chrome Bookmarks to Android Using Sync and PC
- Open "Chrome" on your Android device.
- Press the "vertical ellipse" (three-point menu) in the upper right corner of the screen.
- Select " Settings. »
- Press " To sychronize " to open the Synchronization menu.
- Choose to synchronize everything by moving the slider to the "On" position or choose the elements to synchronize by checking the boxes. make sure you have 'Bookmarks' checked.
- If you want to get your bookmarks back after a phone reset or Chrome reinstall, just log back into Chrome and make sure 'Sync' is turned on. If you want to export your mobile bookmarks, continue to the next step.
- Quit Android Chrome (optional), then head to your Windows PC or Mac and launch Chrome.
- Click on the âvertical ellispisâ (menu with three vertical dots).
- Select "
- When the list of bookmarks opens, press the "back arrow" in the upper left corner of the screen. Now you will see several bookmark folders which allow you to choose which set of bookmarks you want to use.
- Tap one of the folders to use that set of bookmarks. Remember that you can use bookmarks from any of your devices with this feature.
How to Export and Import Bookmarks in Chrome on iPhone
Just like with Android devices, export and import functionality does not exist on the iOS version of Google Chrome. Of course, all your bookmarks stay in sync with your desktop or laptop computer. This lets you choose which set of bookmarks you want to use on your mobile device.
To switch between different sets of bookmarks, follow the steps below.
- Open Chrome on your iPhone.
- Tap the menu icon in the upper right corner of the screen. It's the one that looks like three vertical dots.
- Now tap Favorites.
- This opens the list of bookmarks you have saved on your iPhone. Tap the back arrow in the upper left corner of the screen.
- You can now choose bookmarks in Chrome browsers on your other devices. Simply tap on one of the bookmark folders to load that set.
Import/Export that works
Hope this article helped you learn how to save all the bookmarks you created in Google Chrome. Whether it's a Windows PC, Mac or Chromebook, it's sure that no bookmark will be missed. Although the mobile version of Chrome does not provide any import/export options, syncing your bookmarks across all devices will do.
Did you successfully export your Chrome bookmarks? How about importing them into another browser?