3 Helpful Settings for Apps Admins to Manage Chrome Users

Making sure an entire company has its browser settings in order may seem to be an overwhelming task. Thankfully, Google makes it simple and convenient to manage Chrome for devices and users by making use of policies in the Chrome Management part of the Google Apps Admin Panel. These policies can be instituted over an entire organization, a group within it, or individual users. All of this is controlled in the Google Apps admin panel.

Get to the admin panel by first logging in to the administrator account of your domain in gmail. Then click the cog in the top right and click Manage this Domain.  You can also get to the Google Apps Control Panel by going to http://admin.google.com

In the Apps Admin panel look for Chrome Management and select it.  If you can’t find it right away click on Other Google Services on the bottom of the page and then click on More Google Services. Scroll down until you see Chrome Management and click it. Then click User Settings.

Now that you’re in The Apps Admin Panel, here are 3 cool things you can do with Chrome Management,

1.) Pre-install Apps and Extensions

You can now pre-install apps and extensions in Chrome for your users. Now you don’t have to worry about teaching a hundred people how to install AdBlock or some other useful extension.

In the Pre-Installs Apps and Extensions section,  click Manage pre-installed apps.

A menu will pop up with options to search for extensions from a variety of sources. The easiest thing to do is just click on Chrome Web Store and use the search bar to find your desired app or extension. When you find what you want just click Add. When you’re done adding, press the blue Save button on the bottom of the window.

2.) Allow or Disallow Incognito Mode

Incognito mode allows users to browse the internet without recording any browser history, form data, or cookies. This is definitely a feature that many Apps Admins might not want their users to have.

Just simply click the drop down and choose whether to allow or disallow incognito mode. (Selecting Allow incognito mode does not put the user in Incognito mode, it just allows the user to browse in Incognito mode when he or she chooses.)

3.) Set the homepage for All Users in Chrome.

Setting everyone’s homepage to the corporate website has never been easier! Just scroll down in your User Settings until you reach the Startup heading and you will see the Homepage option.

You can choose between Allow user to configure, Homepage is always the New Tab  Page, and Homepage is always the Homepage URL, set below. If you choose the last option, a new text box will appear where you can enter the url of the website you would like to make into everyone’s homepage. When done making your changes, hit the blue Save button at the bottom.

There are many more useful settings you can change in the Chrome Management Panel. This article only dealt with User Settings but there is an entire set of important options under Device Settings, Public Session Settings, and Network settings. Look for more articles about Chrome Management in the future here at CoolHead Tech!